Erkhembayar, Enkhjargal (Enji)
vocals
Enkhjargal Erkhembayar (Enji) is a vocalist and composer born in Mongolia. Despite growing up in a working-class family, she was deeply immersed in the rich traditions of Mongolian folk songs and dances, eventually mastering "Urtiin Duu" (Long Song), an ancient singing style with a history spanning over a thousand years.
In 2017, she recorded her debut album together with drum legend Billy Hart, as well as Johannes Enders, Martin Zenker, and Paul Kirby. Since 2018, she has been based in Munich, Germany, where she pursued her master’s degree in jazz vocals and later continued her Meisterklasse studies at the University of Music and Theater Munich.
She started composing her own music and has been an artist on Squama Recordings since 2020. With her totally one-off sound and magnetic visual identity, Enji is gathering fans from the likes of BBC 6 music’s Gilles Peterson, as well as an invitation to perform a session for COLORS in Berlin. Enji’s previous album ‘Ulaan’ found fans with the likes of Nowness, Loud and Quiet and CLASH, as well as with MOJO describing her as “Like Ella Fitzgerald singing in Khalkha”. Her latest album 'Ulaan' has received widespread recognition – listed among the 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2023 by The New York Times, 'The Best Albums of 2023' by The Washington Post, and 'The 10 Best Global Albums of 2023' by The Guardian.
Enji is an internationally acclaimed artist, currently on a global tour with performances across Europe, UK, and China, among other countries like South Africa, Brazil, Nepal, including appearances on prestigious stages like the “North Sea Jazz Festival”, “The Rokit Festival”, the SXSW in Austin, TX and in the “Barbican Centre Concert Hall” at the London Jazz Festival and more. She has also contributed as an educator in some places, sharing her knowledge and passion for music with diverse artists.
“Jazz singers like this rarely sound so unpretentious, original and free.”- The New York Times
As Enji continues her journey of self-discovery, she continues to grow and adapt into new roles. With Ulaan, she bares more of her heart than we’ve seen from her yet, but she’s still got more to give - as a vocalist, a bandleader, and most importantly, as a storyteller. - Shy Thompson
“An elegant and powerful twist on traditional Mongolian music” - The Guardian
Jazz & mongolische Folklore: Sängerin Enji und das Album “Ulaan“. - WDR3 Jazz
© Foto: Maximilian Schachtner