Ethnofolklore ensemble ‘Kuzhoon Shorile’ - Sky Ornament
According to artist of the ensemble Pavlova Ella, the name of the ensemble reflects the multicultural composition of the ensemble: all participants come from the northern regions of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and have roots from such peoples as Yukaghirs, Evenks, Evenks, Chukchis, Sakha. Ethnofolklore ensemble ‘Kujoon Shorile’ began its creative way in April 2024 on the initiative of the head of the ensemble Vorontsova Elena Semenovna. The repertoire mainly consists of folklore and song traditions of forest and tundra Yukaghirs.
The group performs traditional Yukaghir circular dance ‘Longdo’. The dance includes vocal imitation of animals and imitation of animal movement through dance. According to ethnographers, the Yukaghir word ‘лоҥдол’ (longdol) means ‘to come up’, as a rule, no more than 20-30 people participated in the circle dance. As it is customary in the circle dance, the song and tempo is led by the singer. The peculiarity of the Yukaghir circle dance is reflected in the steps of the participants - after each step they rise twice on their toes and strike the ground with their heels. This dance is similar to the Even circular dance, and the researcher V.I. Iokhelson sees in it a certain borrowing from the Even, especially since the words of the chorus that organise the beginning of the dance are of Even origin, while the Yukaghir grace significantly distinguishes it from the Even variant. The content of the song is in many cases improvisational, in the dance the participants praise nature and its inhabitants and the environment that surrounds them.
Artists of ensemble: Vorontsova Elena Semyonovna, Dyachkova Augustina Semyonovna, Vorontsova Anna Sergeevna, Sleptsova Alyona Pavlovna, Lebedeva Aitalina Pavlovna, Platonova Alyona Gavrilovna, Pavlova Ella Pavlovna, Gorokhova Rosalia Nikolaevna, Berezhnova Maria Konstantinovna.
The song ‘Chuogaimale yorpure’ (Spring in the tundra) with lyrics and melodies by Yukaghir singer Ilya Kurilov.
Yukaghir poem ‘Londo’ by Demina Lyubov Nikolaevna in a song performance by participants of the ethno-folklore ensemble ‘Kujoon Shorile’ (Sky Ornament), melody by Elena Vorontsova.
Improvisational composition ‘Northern Suite’ by Alena Platonova, a member of the ensemble. The singer comes from the village of Sylgy-Ytar in the Srednekolymsky district of Yakutia. According to her, the fullness of her talent for singing was discovered later. Alena Platonova uses a wide range of instruments in her performance: khomus (wargan), northern tambourine with a beater, imitation of animal and nature sounds, and throat-splitting technique.
Interview with one of the participants, Ella Pavlova. She is a young representative of a indigenous people from Srednekolymsky district. She leads a folklore group for children as an additional education teacher at school No. 13 in Yakutsk. At the moment she is studying at the M.N. Zhikrov Yakutsk Musical College's folklore department. In the video she improvises a song with playing the khomus.
‘Kuzhoon Shorile’ is a prize-winner of various song contests of regional and All-Russian levels. In addition, they actively participate in events and public affairs dedicated to the indigenous peoples of the North.
