'Came for the sake of music': how an American became an honored artist and father with many children in Siberia

This American has been a music lover all his life: he plays the saxophone, flute and clarinet. Now he has mastered different styles of throat singing - while raising five children and speaking Russian... with a Tuvan accent. The amazing story of Sean Quirk, who was born in Wisconsin and became a star in Siberia, is told by Russia Beyond.

Photo: video frame YouTube / Electro Zaza

“Music is the reason I came here,” says Sean Quirk, a red-haired man from Kyzyl, the capital of the Republic of Tyva (Tuva). A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, he now promotes local traditions at the cultural center and performs ethnic music, including Tuvan throat singing.

How Tuva changed Sean's life

In 1999, he once heard an album from a Tuvan group called Huun-Huur-Tu and, by his own admission, "fell in love with this music." The name of the group means "sunlight, diverging into many rays in the clouds." This is one of the most famous Russian folk groups in the world, which practices throat singing.

“A lot of people who have ever heard it try to imitate it,” Sean says. “And that’s what happened to me.” I tried to make this music repeatedly until I came to Russia in 2003 as a 25-year-old Fulbright student.”

And 17 years later he is still here.

In fact, Sean was fond of music all his life: he is an avid saxophonist, flutist and clarinet player. In Kyzyl, he learned to play folk instruments: doshpulur (a kind of plucked lute), igil (two-stringed bow instrument), byzaanchi (four-stringed bow instrument); also studied different styles of throat singing. For about 12 years, Sean was a musician in the Tuvan National Orchestra. He is still the only foreign musician who has ever worked with an orchestra, and the only foreign honored artist in the Republic. When the Tuva Cultural Center opened 5 years ago, he was invited to work there, and he left the orchestra to make way "for talented young musicians."

His official title is throat singing artist, but people call him a "transitioner" because he does everything from computer repair to teaching music to organizing international festivals and hosting large events. In addition, Sean is the producer of the Alash ensemble: the group performs ethnic music and goes on international tours several times a year. For Sean, this is an opportunity to see his parents in the USA.

“They are big fans of me and Tuvan culture,” he said.

Tuvan American

Before coming to Russia, Sean studied Russian for about a year. However, he realized that in order to understand popular culture, he needed to speak the Tuvan language.

“The whole terminology of throat singing is difficult to translate. There are many words: khöömei, kargyraa, borbangnadyr, etc. They are usually translated as singing styles, but they are actually different vocal "instruments". Many people abroad have their own versions of throat singing, but Tuvan is not the same,” he explained. “It came from nature and the daily life of nomadic people.”

And Sean decided to switch from Russian to Tuvan as the main language.

“After only 3 months, my Tuvan was better than my Russian, because I was immersed from the first day of my arrival,” the musician said and added that when talking on the phone, people often confuse him with locals, because an American does not have a Western accent, in difference from Russian speakers. He also has a nickname in Tuvan - kushkash-ool (which translates as "bird boy").

“Sometimes I even want to use Russian and imagine what it would sound like in English,” he says of his nickname.

Sean is not the only foreigner who has fascinated this region.

“The Japanese woman has been living here for more than 10 years. She studied at the College of Arts and studied the Tuvan language before Russian. When we meet, people laugh: I don't speak Japanese very well, and her English is not very good, so we communicate with each other in Tuvan. For people it’s like a joke (prikol. - Ed.),” says Sean, mixing English and Russian words.

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In Kyzyl he met his beloved, Svetlana. She had no end to local suitors, but the girl could not resist when Sean said in perfect Tuvan: “Hello, let’s get acquainted,” says 1tv.ru.

Sean Quirk: “At first I invited her to a concert of our orchestra. I knew even then that she was interested in me.”

The wedding was played according to all Tuvan customs. Even the local government participated in her organization. They promised a young family to allocate land for the construction of a house. The Honored Artist of the Republic does not yet have his own housing. Used to be content with little.

Photo: video frame YouTube / Electro Zaza

Now they are raising five children aged 5 to 13 years: four girls and a boy. They have Tuvan names, American surnames and Russian patronymic Shonovich. Quirk notes that his family speaks three languages, with Tuvan being the main language.

“Tuva is the only Siberian region where the indigenous population is still the majority, and most people speak Tuvan at home, while Russian is used as the official language,” he says. — However, in Tyva there is no TV channel and very few cartoons, no one even makes YouTube videos. When my daughter went to kindergarten, she was the best in the Tuvan language.”

Breaking international stereotypes

“When I tell people in the US that I now live in Siberia, they think it’s terribly cold and there are a lot of bears! People don't understand that Siberia is truly an amazing, diverse region with many different cultures, languages, beautiful landscapes. This is a treasure,” says Sean. But stereotypes awaited him in Tyva too.

“I usually hear people say to me: You are different from what we thought and from how Americans are shown on TV. And I’m happy,” says Sean. — One of the most popular stereotypes about Americans is that they are tall, fat and don't care about anyone else. Of course, every stereotype is based on something. But people everywhere are just people, and they want the same things. We all just want to live in peace."

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According to Sean, in any language there are words that are difficult to translate into other languages.

“In Russian it’s “toska.” In Tuvan it is "hey-a-t", which literally translates to "horse of emptiness", but it means that you have a strong spirit and enthusiasm, and everything will go your way. In English, this word could be challenge. It's difficult for you to do this, but when you do it, you will grow as a person. I like problems. Live in a completely different culture and speak a different language,” Sean said.

Sean in 2019. Photo: video frame YouTube / Voice of Asia

“In my opinion, living here gives me a much broader understanding of the world. I look at my children, my wife, and although I can’t say that I lived an ideal life before, I think I made the right decision when the universe knocked on my door. And here I am.”

Often he simply travels to the steppe or to the riverbank and begins to learn a new instrument or practices singing. Sean Quirk understands that a thorough study of this music and culture will take a lifetime. But this is exactly what suits him best.

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