Money troubles

Ayan-ool needed to borrow some money. "All I've got is zeroes. Zero in my pocket. Zero on my phone." He is one of the best singers in Tuva, and is going to a conference in France to be the living demonstration of Tuvan music accompanying a talk on the subject. They are reimbursing him for his expenses, but he doesn't even have the money to spend and be reimbursed. I agreed to lend him a few hundred dollars until he gets paid back.

It's sometimes difficult to be surrounded by super-talented musicians, but be the only one with some money in the bank. I can understand why some of them end up seeing foreigners as walking ATM machines-- giving a few khoomei lessons can keep a singer solvent for another week. In general, I'm more than happy to be a source of support. I know how much of a difference my rent money makes, how helpful a fairly small loan can be, and I know money I pay for lessons generally goes straight into feeding someone's family.

There's such a disjunct between the skills these musicians have and how they're paid for them. Groups like Chirgilchin and Alash go on international tours because that's where the money is. If Alash can pull in $20 thousand in profit from a month of touring, they can stretch that into groceries and rent for the better part of a year. For five families. Some things are slowly changing here in Tuva, but it’s still a tough place to live and make a living.