Tengger Cavalry. Nature Ganganbaigal. Names that are not part of everyday discussions here on Sputnik, which is exactly why I went out and shot an interview request towards Metal Hell Records some nights ago – to find out more. Only a day or so managed to pass, and already the wise Mongol chieftain in charge of Tengger Cavalry had answers for my written inquiries. Founded in 2009, Tengger Cavalry is currently the leading Mongolian folk metal band… in the world. The group has been more than active since its inception, due to the never ending creative flow of its mastermind, Nature Ganganbaigal. To date, the band has released four full-length albums in the span of six years, with their latest release – a re-recording of their debut Blood Sacrifice Shaman – dropping on May 18 of this year. Given that the latest addition to Tengger Cavalry’s discography is less a remaster and more an entirely new beast brought to life on the carcass of old ideas, it is safe to say that Tengger Cavalry is one of the busiest bands in metal today. Now that the new old album is out there for everybody to hear, Nature devoted some time to me, to answer a few questions about the band, himself, and his religion.


Good evening to you! As Tengger Cavalry is rather unknown on our site, would you be so kind as to give a short overview of what this band is all about?

Tengger Cavalry is a folk metal band that blends Mongolian folk music with heavy metal. We define our own genre as Mongolian Folk Metal, or Nomadic folk metal. So far we have released four albums in EU & US, and got attention from media such as MTV, Metal Hammer, Revolver, etc.


You promote Tengger Cavalry as a Mongolian Folk Metal band, but it says on your homepage that you are from China. What’s the backstory there?

Good question. The way western countries look at China is very different from the authentic cultural scene that we really have here. People tend to think the Mongolian empire’s influence is not part of the culture but the fact is it influence the entire Chinese history in an extremely profound way. Beijing, the capital of China, was once the capital of many nomadic empires of China. In northern China, Mongolian influence is everywhere: music, food, the way of thinking, people’s personality, everything.


Your name is Nature Ganganbaigal. Does your birth name really translate to „nature“ from Chinese, or is that an adopted name? What made either your parents or yourself choose that name?

Yes it is simply a direct translation. Ganganbaigal is my Mongolian name. Gangan means “beautiful,” Baigal means “nature;” putting them together means “beautiful nature.” My parents wanted me to grow in a pure and natural way, and have a healthy life.

Nature Ganganbaigal

You have been very prolific ever since the inception of Tengger Cavalry, releasing an album each year. What allows you to write and record music so quickly?

My love and passion for Mongolian grassland. I travel back and forth between city and grassland often, and every time I spend time with the boundless grassland and nature and horses, it touches my heart. I want to write something to show my worship and love to the great sky father.


The 2015 remaster of your very first record Blood Sacrifice Shaman is a lot catchier than the original version and features almost no screamed vocals, compared to the harsh, earthy original. Why such a shift in dynamics?

As you said, the original one sounds very raw and primal. And over the past years I seldom clicked on that album. But my fans and my label always told me how much they love the first album and how hard it is to find. So finally they convinced me, they convinced me to believe in what I composed in Tengger Cavalry’s early years. So I decide to make an offer to them, but a well-produced offer not just a re-record. I would rather call this album a new album inspired by the old one.


Is the 2015 version of Blood Sacrifice Shaman a good barometer of what to expect from Tengger Cavalry moving forward (in the near future), or is there always a chance that the next record might be totally different again?

It is hard to say. I don’t know what the next album sounds like. It will base on my future life experiences. Maybe I will experiene pain, and it (the record) comes out brutal, or (maybe) I will experience great love from nature, which might inspire the album (to be) light in a way. I really can’t predict my next work. But it will definitely sound like the Tengger Cavalry you have come to know.

Your band’s name is Tengger Cavalry and from what I have gathered, Tengri aka the sky god is the main deity in Tengrism and the lord of the celestial sphere. Why such a name for your band?

That’s what I believe in, the sky-father, mother nature and Shamanism. We use our music to worship the sky and praise the wild.


I can only presume that you are a follower of Tengrism as well then, correct? Could you give some insight into the religion, or alternatively, into your own beliefs?

Yes. Tengrism believes (in a) few principles. 1) Sky father is a natural power and the only creator (similar to the Native-Americans’ Creator concept) 2) Tengger is the source of all natural power and spiritual power. 3) There exist many other wild spirits, and they can be in charge of certain tribes, mountains, or lakes (that’s why people have mountain rituals or other nature-related rituals) 4) There is no one true religion; humanity has not reached full enlightenment, so Tengger gives different paths for man. 5) All people are weak and therefore our shortcomings should be tolerated.


It’s no secret that humankind, especially the modernized Western society, is very destructive. What would the Western world have to learn from Tengrism that would benefit the whole of mankind?

I think we all need to always remember where we come from, who gives us sunlight, who provides us water, who gave us all the resources that we used to make those crazy machines; who nurtures us. We are an intellectual species, and the sad part of being intellectual is that you forget about the spiritual and sensational part of life. Compassion, love, understanding, those important qualities come from your spiritual mind and existential understanding, not (from) logic or sheer thinking.




The word “shamanic” is often associated with Tengger Cavalry. Besides incorporating shamanic aspects into your music, do you yourself perform any shamanic acts as well, or partake in some shamanic rituals?

Not typically, as you know that shamanism is not a strict religion and people perform diverse acts based on their culture and where they are from, but when I go back to Mongolian grasslands, I participate in mountain rituals or other nature rituals.


Out of curiosity, have you ever heard Whispered, the Finnish folk/power metal band who (try to) combine fast-paced metal with Oriental influences? If so, what do you think of them, and of other bands who aren’t from a certain cultural space, but try to mimic that space the best they can?

They are amazing. They know how to combine Japanese folk into melodic death metal, and they know how to develop motives and orchestrate their diverse instruments. They know what they are doing and what they are aiming at.


What made you fall in love with metal in the first place?

The very first thing that peaked my interest in metal was actually the menu music of Red Alert 2, the fantasy, post-World War 2 real-time strategy game. That menu music has a really sick guitar riff, simple but heavy. When I first heard it, when I was still in middle school, I just knew I loved it and I wanted to hear more stuff like that.

Have you managed to endear the genre to your friends and family as well, or are their listening habits very different? Are your close ones as big fans of music as you are?

Yes, I successfully introduced most of my best friends to metal music and they all love my music. I give them my album every time I release a new one and they are happy about it. It feels good when your best friends also love to show up at most of your concerts.


Being a Westener, I have very little idea how the metal movement is in places such as China. Is there a strong underground scene, or is metal still a rather exotic thing in that part of the world?

Metal is becoming a big thing in China. To give you an idea, Metallica, Arch Enemy, Dream Theatre, Behemoth, Rolling Stone, these big acts all made into China within the past decade. We have many local bands too. And we have big open-air metal festivals with countless fans moshing and headbanging.



Tengger Cavalry albums mostly feature throat singing, from a vocal standpoint, with you pairing them with the occasional black metal shriek. A) how long have you practiced the art of throat singing and B) has the mastery of throat singing helped you be a better screamer as well?

I have been practicing throat singing for more than 4 years. It has definitely helped my singing, because throat singing uses your chest as a vibration amp, and harsh screaming sometimes also uses the chest as a vibration chamber. Also, you need to loosen up your throat, to let it vibrate freely, so it could generate the texture of the sound. Good stuff and good practice.

Thank you very much for the interview! As a final question, you have said that Eluveitie would be your favorite band to play a live show with, but which place would you most like to perform at?

Maybe Germany? Because they have so many crazy metalheads in their country. Also, Germany has so many sick bands. I am very glad to have shared my thoughts and feelings with you. Thank you for the amazing opportunity!


You can find out more about Tengger Cavalry via the following links:
Tengger Cavalry Homepage
Facebook
Bandcamp
Spotify
Nature’s personal page