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it
takes little imagination to understand why Roko and Adrian Belic
had problems financing their film. It would focus on a type
of music—throat-singing—that few had ever heard of, and be filmed
in Tuva, an isolated region near Mongolia that wasn’t even on
the map. Worse still, the camera would follow one Paul Pena—a
relatively unknown blind blues singer who had taught himself
throat-singing—as he interacted with Tuvan culture. The brothers
weren’t particularly surprised that no one was interested, but
neither were they dissuaded. So with little money and a rag-tag
crew who wanted to work on the film for nothing, they booked
a flight to Tuva.
The central figure in Genghis
Blues and
the glue that holds the entire project together is Paul Pena.
A blues player and singer, he had performed with Muddy Waters,
T-Bone Walker, and B.B. King, and had also written the Steve
Miller Band hit, "Jet Airliner." Pena’s roots lay
in West Africa, and he loved world music, so it was natural
that he would become fascinated by the sounds of throat-singing
he heard coming from his short wave radio. Through patience
and perseverance, he gathered recordings and taught himself
this rare art. When a throat-singer named Kongar-ol Ondar visited
the United States, he invited Pena to Tuva. Miraculously, the
Belic brothers’ desire to make a film about Tuva and Pena’s
desire to travel there coincided.
Most of the film centers on the
ups and downs of the trip, including Pena’s involvement in the
throat-singing competition, a visit to the neighboring countryside,
and several bizarre happenings that almost bring the trip to
an end. Through it all, the viewer is focused on Pena and his
interaction with the Tuvan culture. Both his talent and gregarious
nature quickly endure him to the local people who nickname him,
"Earthquake," because his deep, vibrant singing is
said to shake the ground. He receives various honors (including
a sacrificial sheep feast) and becomes close friends with Ondar.
By the trip’s end, Pena has become far more than a tourist;
he has immersed himself into another culture and become part
of it.
The film finally becomes a commentary—though
never overtly—about two different cultures. One, in which a
talented musician is treated as a valuable part of society,
receiving respect that boarders on hero worship; the other,
where he lives in a run-down neighborhood, pretty much cut off
from society. One feels that Pena, given the choice, would have
preferred to remain in Tuva with his new friends. But the choice
never emerges. Even though Pena must return to his meager existence,
the viewer is left with images of his improbable, though triumphant
journey. Genghis Blues,
which won an audience award
at Sundance, is a very warm and human film. It should be appreciated
by anyone who is fascinated by other cultures or who loves world
music. *
Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.
[email protected]
Credits
Roko Belic—Director/Editor/Cinematographer/Producer/Screenwriter
Adrian Belic—Cinematographer/Producer
*More information about Genghis
Blues is available at www.genghisblues.com.
Purchase this film at Amazon.com |
