We talked with State Honourary B.Dolgion. His profession is a journalist, but he is well known as musician in Mongolia. He is about to turn 60, however, he is very young-minded and energetic. Please enjoy our interview.

-What are you working on lately?
-I’m working on an album with the group “One Way” group, as the producer. The group members were selected in fourth place in the “Coke’n beat” music festival. I am also the producer of the group “UB Night”. They are currently recording songs for their album. Producers don’t have to work with only one group, so I work with this group as well. And I’m also cooperating with the band “Jonon” and they are working on the album filled with songs of the Beatles. Everybody knows the Beatles, so we are recording songs with a mixture of Mongolian national music. In that way, we can advertise our national music to the world.
-So you are mostly working on live music, right?
-I’ve always liked rock music since I was a child. The Beatles was a root for the rock and pop music genre. After the Beatles so many music genres came about. Live music can show how capable and talented that singer or band is. Pop is popular music. So I prefer rock music over pop music. When people get older, people tend to listen to smooth melodies or songs. Conversely,
I am getting more and more interested in listening to hard melody (or hard rock songs). Our young people are very talented. Therefore, rock music is an expression and emotion of young people today.
-Is there a type of music that you don’t enjoy?
-Everybody has their own taste in music. I don’t like Mongolian country song (нийтийн дуу), because it is usually created with low expenses.
-Do you listen to electro music?
-This is similar to rock music, so I like listening to electro music. Rock and pop were developed in Mongolia at the same time as the Beatles. They were “Soyol erdene”, “Ineemseglel”,
and “Kharanga”. From this music genre, electro house originated. I can listen to it because I don’t want to reject this music genre completely. I want my children to become patient so they have to have a very good knowledge
about music.
-Why did you choose to major in journalism, since you’ve had so much interest in music from a young age?
-State Honourary Galsanbat and I were classmates. When we were young, the Beatles were so popular. And Galsanbat was taught to play the guitar by his brother. One day, he dropped out of school to become a guitarist. At the time, electro music band within the State Opera and Dance Ensemble was formed. And my friend Galsanbat worked there as a guitarist. I followed my friend and missed my classes for one month. But my father knew about this said “One can work while doing one’s favorite
thing”. Then I watched the Russian movie “Journalist” which made me think a journalist knows everything. So I majored in journalism. After I graduated, I worked in “MONTSAME” news agency. While working, I was with my band playing music.
-What type of journalist were you?
-I used to write in Russian. Russian language is almost my mother tongue. MONTSAME
is a great organisation. In 1942, “Novosti Mongolia” was established, I worked there as a proofreader to the chief editor. No mistake was allowable at the time. That’s why I know everything about journalism and how hard it can be. So I am a journalist as well as a musician.
-It might have been contradictory for you to sing about freedom and democracy at the time when our society was socialist?
-The Beatles showed how one can dress, love, express, or play differently. Our society was different, so we weren’t allowed to have long hair and wear jeans. But we strived for our freedom and now we are all proud of this. We even sang songs that we weren’t allowed to. In that society, I was considered as a pagan. We felt freedom in simple corridors of apartments.
-The society you wanted is today’s society. But if you were criticise this society, what would you say about it?
-Abnormality of this society is the disparity between the rich and the poor. When Mongolia was socialist, Sweden had a socialist society too. But look at Sweden now. How developed it is. Today, it doesn’t matter who will be the parliament member of its country in Sweden. Our development must be renewed. And it can be done only by a new generation. Our development
is lagging behind.
-Our rock, pop music seems to be lagging behind too.
-There’s no such thing as lagging behind in rock, pop music. We hold “Universe Best Song”, a singing competition to show how talented our young people are. Mongolia is a country where most of the citizens are young. Every young person seeks new things. Music develops accompanied with rock music. Rock music never gets old. I’m not saying it not because I am a musician. Because my little daughter listens to rock too.
-Through what, you can tell how young in his/her heart?
-I am young in my heart, even though I am turning 60. Because I can tell how it sounds different
when I hear music of “A Sound” band. If you can’t, then you are getting old.
-What does your wife say about your opinions of music?
-We were married in 1974. We have lived together for almost 40 years. Now we have become one person. I learn things from her, and she learns things from me. My wife has a great sense of music. So I can listen to music as loud as I want. Even my little daughter listens to rock music, because of me.
-You talk about how your daughter likes listening to rock music. Do you have any interest to let her become musician?
-My youngest daughter was born when my youngest son was 21 years old. I don’t want see my youngest going through a hard time learning how to play an instrument. She likes drawing. But I do want her to learn how to play the piano. At the same time, I want her to have a good time whilst she is a child.
-When was the first time you composed?
-In 1971, I went to my hometown which is Tariat, Arkhangai. I climbed to the peak of one mountain and I composed a song called “Az jargal” or “Happiness”. My father lived during political repression, so he usually wrote poems and didn’t show them to the public. So me and my younger sister Angirmaa (Mongolian famous musician as well) composed a couple of songs with my father’s poems, including “Urin havar irlee” and “Namriin Uyanga”.
-How many brothers and sisters do you have?
-Five. All of them sing, but two of them aren’t professional singers. When I became State Honourary, I felt that genes do exist because my parents were such talented people. Weirdly, I was excited, because standing and being given an Honourary Prize from the Presidents felt so incredible

By U.Batchimeg