Listening to the same Christmas tunes each year can make you weary of the holiday season and its seemingly endless repetition. However, this year, a fresh take on a familiar song has captured the internet’s attention.
Mongolia might not be the typical place you associate with Christmas, but that’s part of the intrigue behind Ummet Ozcan’s version of ‘Jingle Bells,’ which has garnered millions of views and positive feedback.
This unique rendition combines Mongolian throat singing, techno beats, and a timeless Christmas tune. It’s been praised as the ‘best version so far,’ with listeners saying they ‘would have way more fun shopping if this played in stores.’
This modern twist on the 1857 song omits most of the original lyrics, focusing on the line ‘Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way, oh what fun it is to ride in a Mongolian open sleigh,’ performed in a traditional Mongolian singing style.
Encouraged by the response to a short version of the song, Dutch DJ Ummet Ozcan, with Turkish heritage, released a full-length track and accompanying music video featuring traditional Mongolian attire.
After millions of views in just days, ‘Mongolian Jingle Bells’ found its way onto Spotify, allowing everyone to include it in their holiday playlists.
The song’s appeal lies in its use of ‘throat singing,’ a traditional Mongolian technique where singers produce two notes simultaneously to create a melody.
Even Santa Claus himself took notice, with the official ‘Santa Claus’ Instagram account sharing the track, commenting: “The elves are rocking to this in the workshop right now. I keep having to remind them to stop dancing and finish up the last of the gift requests!”
Speaking about his innovative track, Ozcan remarked: “This started as a fun idea… and thanks to your insane requests, it turned into a full song and music video.”
“Hope this brings some warmth and joy in the days leading up to Christmas.”
For those craving even more Mongolian Christmas music, a desire likely sparked by the internet, there’s more to explore. Back in 2014, The Altai Band, a Mongolian folk group, released a throat-singing version of the Christmas classic.
Unlike Ozcan’s techno take, The Altai Band used traditional instruments and performed a more melodic version in their language and attire.
While it doesn’t scream ‘rave at the Christmas party,’ it did bring about a joyful holiday spirit.
A YouTube user commented: “This has the same kind of emotional vibe as when family and friends would gather around and play with the guitar or banjo or whatever instruments. Where on the opposite side of the globe, here in Texas. But music really is the universal language.”