Nomadic chant

Anda Union will start its national tour after its two-month tour in the United States. The band includes Biligbaatar, Saikhannakhaa (above), Nars and Urgen.

In the past 10 years, the band has performed in more than 30 states in the US, introducing the culture of Inner Mongolia to audiences with events on college campuses and concerts at theaters. The band also toured the United Kingdom last year, with performances in Glasgow, Liverpool and Oxford, among other cities.

After wrapping up its US tour in early April, the band will return to Hohhot, Inner Mongolia's capital, where the members live.

It will launch a national tour from Suzhou on May 14, which will include Shenzhen, Chongqing and Beijing.

Nars says the band plans to hold workshops during the China tour as well.

Born in the Horqin grasslands of Inner Mongolia, Nars was raised by his herder grandparents and learned to play the morin khuur from his grandfather. Nars went to the city of Chifeng to study music at age 12. Later Nars met the others who would one day become members of Anda Union.

Some of the musicians trained in traditional Mongolian music were with the Inner Mongolia Music and Dance Troupe before the band was founded in 2003.