New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Globally acclaimed breakthrough Mongolian rock act THE HU are honored to announce they've been named UNESCO's "Artist For Peace" at a ceremony (November 25) at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris, FR by UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay. They are the first-ever artist in the rock/metal genre to receive this prestigious designation and follow previous "Artist for Peace" recipients including
Celine Dion, Shirley Bassey,
Sarah Brightman, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller and World Orchestra For Peace. Having met the band on her official visit to Mongolia this past August, Azoulay has acknowledged THE HU's contribution to the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage and their support for the promotion of cultural diversity through music; these are qualities which resonate with UNESCO's values and work.
Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, The HU have since amassed a global following and critical acclaim with their unique musical genre they call "Hunnu Rock." It fuses rock and heavy metal with styles of traditional Mongolian music, such as the art of Khöömei (throat singing), the tsuur flute and the Morin Khuur (horse-headed fiddle), all of which have been inscribed by UNESCO on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. "HU" corresponds to the root of the word "human being" in the Mongolian language. With this name, the group claim their humanist commitment. Through their music, they address the themes of gender equality, respect for difference, and the importance of protecting nature. They also promote linguistic diversity by using endangered regional dialects.
As an "Artist for Peace" - alongside UNESCO
Goodwill Ambassadors and Champions - THE HU will be designated for a renewable period of two years in which time they will help raise public awareness on UNESCO's mandate and programs among the general public and youth. THE HU will use their talent and reputation to promote UNESCO's values and objectives through upcoming events and projects to help bring a positive change.
THE HU's UNESCO "Artist For Peace" title lands alongside their previous awards as Cultural
Envoy of Mongolia in 2019 and being the first group and 12th overall recipients of the highest state award in Mongolia, the Order of Genghis Khan, which was granted to the band by the President of Mongolia, Kh. Battulga in 2020.
"Mongolians have upmost respect for our history, culture and the language that was left to us from thousands of years ago from our elders and ancestors," says band leader and throat singer Gala. "The HU's goal and purpose is first and foremost to perform a unique genre of music that gives strength and power upon every listen. Secondly, it is to show the world Mongolia's nomadic and environmentally aware livelihood that has been passed down from previous generations and to inspire others to live minimalistic lives and enjoy life to its fullest. UNESCO electing the HU with 'Artists for Peace' designation shows their appreciation towards cultural diversity and heritage pieces that are of great value to Mongolians. The partnership between the HU and UNESCO will bring awareness towards every culture that is distinguished by their unique heritage and core values, so we are excited to be part of a movement that can improve and change so many lives."
"We sincerely appreciate being selected by UNESCO as part of their 'Artists for Peace' and understand the importance of the designation," adds tumur khuur and tsuur player Jaya. "From a very young age we have been practicing traditional music techniques and instrumentation such as long song, throat singing, horse head fiddle, tsuur and tovshuur, as we know the significance and impact of sharing one's culture around the world has to rest of the society. Our music delivers profound ideas that are understood in the subconscious mind while delivering hard rock and ethereal tunes. On the surface level, our lyrics and music seem to talk about basic yet important principles of human beings; on a deeper level, they share the preservation of cultures that are in danger of going extinct and allow us to be representatives for groups who have slightly different world perspectives than the modern world. This is a huge inspiration for us and part of our purposes as artists. Therefore, we will do everything in our power to be the inspiration for the cultures that are underrepresented and work with UNESCO to bring them the attention that they deserve."
"The Hunnu Rock genre's fundamental values are based on creating safe space in the modern music world for different traditional music styles that are only appreciated by certain geographical regions and has many cultural values to its techniques and history to its instruments," states THE HU's producer Dashka. "With UNESCO recognizing that effort and selecting The HU as their cultural ambassador to stand with what we believe in and what we are trying to accomplish is important to not only Mongolians, but to all nations around the world. In any tradition the lores and the music carry so much of their uniqueness and world view, and everybody agree that sometimes the only way to describe one's perspective is through music. Our goals and priorities will always be to create amazing music and safeguard the pieces of culture that were passed down to us from prior generations."
THE HU are currently on the last leg of their global headlining tour which concludes in London, UK on December 9. Earlier this year, the band headlined across North America, a run which included their fiery debut performance at Coachella, and was followed by a supporting tour alongside
Five Finger Death Punch and Megadeth. THE HU released their second album RUMBLE OF THUNDER in July via BETTER NOISE MUSIC which features their eco-conscious debut single, "This Is Mongol"; an epic two-part music video for their nine-minute track "Black Thunder"; and the lively single "Bii Biyelegee." THE HU have announced a deluxe version of RUMBLE OF THUNDER to be released in spring/summer of 2023 via Better Noise Music, with guest appearances from some of rock's top musicians. Stay tuned for more information in the new year.
Stream/download RUMBLE OF THUNDER, along with varying physical product offerings including special edition colored vinyl variants, here: https://thehu.ffm.to/rumbleofthunder
In 2019, an NPR story put a spotlight on "a band from Mongolia that blends the screaming guitars of heavy metal and traditional Mongolian guttural singing," accurately highlighting the cultural importance and unique musical identity of THE HU. Founded in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, THE HU, Gala, Jaya, Temka, and Enkush, are a modern rock group rooted in the tradition of their homeland. The band's two most popular videos, "Yuve Yuve" and "Wolf Totem," were produced by the band's producer Dashka. The band's name translates to the Mongolian root word for human being, and their unique approach blends instruments like the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), Tumur Khuur (jaw harp) and throat singing with contemporary sounds, creating a unique sonic profile that they call "Hunnu Rock."
Their debut album, 2019 's The Gereg, debuted at #1 on the World Album and Top New Artist Charts. With it, the band have accumulated over 250 million combined streams and video views to date and have received critical acclaim from the likes of Billboard, NPR, GQ, The Guardian, The Independent, Revolver, and even Sir
Elton John himself.
Proving their global appeal, THE HU have sold out venues across the world in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, with scheduled festival appearances at Coachella, Lollapalooza, Download Festival, and more, creating a community of fans from all walks of life. They quickly grabbed the attention of the industry, leading to collaborations with Jacoby Shaddix of
Papa Roach and Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. And most recently, the band received praise from fans and critics for their Mongolian rendition of Metallica's "Sad But True," which
Metallica picked up on and invited them to record 'Through The Never' for their
Metallica Blacklist album released in 2021 alongside other high-profile guest artists like Miley Cyrus, Chris Stapleton, Phoebe Bridgers, J Balvin, St. Vincent, and so many more. The band has also explored eclectic ways to reach audiences with their sound, most notably writing and recording music for EA Games' Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
