Between Improvisation and Tradition: Song of the Mountains

Ored Recordings was founded by Bulat Khalilov and Timur Kodzoko in order to gather and preserve ethnic music of the Caucasus. While traveling through southern Dagestan, they were introduced to the ashough tradition of singing, which fundamentally changed their perception of folklore. Here, Shemshir, one of the best known and most experienced ashoughs, plays the chungur and sings in the mountain village of Akhti. Video by Elizaveta Vdovina