A public discussion entitled, ‘The Hu Effect: Mongol Music on the Global Stage,’ will take place at University of Arkansas on Monday (10 February). The discussion will be hosted by Professor Charlotte D’Evelyn, assistant professor of music at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs.

This talk investigates the sudden worldwide popularity of the Mongolian folk rock band The Hu, whose song “Yuve Yuve Yu” reached over a million hits on YouTube less than a month after its release. What was it that made this song so popular and what can we learn about Mongolian traditional music by studying The Hu?

D’Evelyn’s talk introduces The Hu and their breakout success firstly, to illustrate the new ways that global media circulate in today’s world, and secondly, as a gateway for understanding traditional and contemporary Mongolian music cultures.