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Since the early 1950s, the Institute of Language and Literature at the Academy of Science (ILL) has been sending survey teams one to three times a year to research and gather data on oral literature and local dialectics. These activities set the groundwork for officially establishing a new archive with written documents and magnetic audio tapes that could be used for research purposes and be maintained. Preserved on magnetic tapes are languages and dialects that have gone extinct, have lost their distinctiveness, or have been adsorbed into other languages or dialects. However, most of the magnetic tapes being kept at the ILL are more than sixty years old, and the expiration date on many tapes has already lapsed. Also, improper storage conditions have caused some tapes to dry out, cling to one another, or fracture. For these reason, it would be hard to transmit to next generation. Accordingly, since 2008, efforts have been made towards restoring and digitizing superannuated magnetic tapes within the internal capability and capacity of the ILL. The lack of training, finance, and proper tools and technical equipment has, nevertheless, created several obstacles and the digitizing results have not been very successful. At this crucial state, the ILL introduced a cooperative request to the Foundation for the Protection of Natural and Cultural Heritage (FPNCH), and the FPNCH proposed that ICHCAP continue the joint project and take measures for restoring and digitizing superannuated magnetic tapes and distributing and disseminating the data among the general public. According to the above decision, the FPNCH and ICHCAP implemented the Joint Cooperation Project of Safeguarding Intangible Cultural Heritage by Using Information Technology from October 2011 to April 2012. As the first stage of the project, the Expert Meeting for Safeguarding ICH by Using Information Technology was held in the Republic of Korea to exchange information with experts for digitizing and restoring the analogue data. The experts of Mongolian National Public Radio, the ILL, and the FPNCH started the project after sharing restoration and digitization knowledge with the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) of Korea, the National Archives of Korea, and the Korea Film Council. As the main outcome of the project, a total of 715 hours of superannuated magnetic tapes including epics, folk tales, tales accompanied by the morin khuur, traditional arts, khuumei, chor, long and short folksongs, and traditional customs were restored, digitized, and categorized. Among them, 128 audio clips were selected and reproduced in a ten-CD collection called Sounds from the Mongolian Grasslands. The collection also includes a twenty-page handbook in English or Korean. Through this project, the general public’s, involved organizations’, and domestic and international experts’ awareness about Mongolian ICH increased, and the archive and music contents of regional ICH were strengthened.
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Mongolian folk songs are divided in three different categories, such as long songs, short songs and the authors’ songs. Folk songs are shorter than other forms of expressions with average durations of one to five minutes, but there is a high volume of them. Thus, restoring, categorising, and digitising folk songs were the most time-consuming tasks compared to others. Within the framework of the project, just under forty-eight hours of songs were restored and digitised.
Audios
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No. Title Performer Country Manage No Running Time 1 Folk Long Songs Mongolia AA00000030 Hometown Song from Two Khangain, Khoyor Khangain Nutag Duu S. Tserendoo (58-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Urgamal, Zavkhan Mongolia AI00000237 0:01:32
Bayantsagaan Hometown, Bayantsagaan Nutag Z. Tsend-Ayush (31-year-old male, Bayad ethnicity) from Khyargas, Uvs Mongolia AI00000227 0:01:16
Avraliin Deed D. Batbold and B. Simpor (male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Telmen, Zavkhan Mongolia AI00000232 0:02:23
Pampered Brown Horse, Erkh Zeerd Mori B. Tseveen (68-year-old male, Bayad ethnicity) from Zuungovi, Uvs. Mongolia AI00000235 0:01:33
Er Bor Khartsaga G. Dulamjav (71-year-old female) from Erdenesant, Tuv. Mongolia AI00000226 0:04:01
Light Reddish Brown Swift Tsevtsger Horse, Tsevtsger Khurdan Sharga P. Dorj (42-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Bayanjargalan, Tuv Mongolia AI00000224 0:01:35
Zebra Kheer, Kheer Khaltar Mori G. Dolgorsuren (58-year-old female) from Jargaltkhaan, Khentii Mongolia AI00000229 0:02:45
Kherlengiin’s Bariya, Kherlengiin Bariya G. Dorj (69-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Jargaltkhaan, hentii. Mongolia AI00000225 0:01:54
A Shadow in a Vast Grassland Looks Like Wind, Uulen Met Kharagdagch Undur Khangain Baraa Z. Tsend-Ayush (31-year-old male, Bayad ethnicity) from Khyargas, Uvs. Mongolia AI00000246 0:01:49
A Big Red River, Ulaahan Murungiin Us B. Lkhasuren (49-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Must, Khovd Mongolia AI00000230 0:01:13
A Shadow in a Grassland, Taliin Baraa K. Khandsuren (female, Khalkha ethnicity) from Khairkhandulaan, vurkhangai Mongolia AI00000223 0:01:52
Setert Baakhan Sharga Z. Tsend-Ayush (31-year-old male, Bayad ethnicity) Khyargas, Uvs Mongolia AI00000215 0:01:09
Songinotiin Lodge, Songinotiin Shil Degdtseren from Nariinteel, Uvurkhangai Mongolia AI00000210 0:01:02
Namgar Namgar Wind, Namgar Namgar Sakhi N. Baljir (female, Khalkha ethnicity) from Telmen, Zavkhan Mongolia AI00000254 0:01:50
Joroo of a Pony, Joroonii Joroo T. Bujmaa (56-year-old female, Khalkha ethnicity) from Undurkhaan, Khentii Mongolia AI00000239 0:02:38
Four Seasons, Durvun Tsag D. Tserensonom (42-year-old male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Tsagaan-Ovoo, Dundgovi Mongolia AI00000218 0:02:15
Greatness of Sanctity, Bogdiin Undur G. Purev and A. Nansal (male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Songino, Zavkhan Mongolia AI00000248 0:02:31
A Fast Light Reddish Brown Swift Horse, Argamag Khurdan Sharga J. Jugder (female, Khalkha ethnicity) from Telmen, Zavkhan Mongolia AI00000234 0:02:24
A Slender and Beautiful Brown Horse, Nariin Saikhan Kheer A. Nansan (male, Khalkha ethnicity) from Songino, Zavkhan Mongolia AI00000212 0:02:42