Rating: 
Summary: Throat Singing with a blues twist
Review: I was first introduced to Paul Pena through the Documentary that aired on TV. I had heard throat singing back when I was a small child living here in Alaska. When I heard "Earthquake" sing, I was instantly transported back to that time in Anaktuvuk Pass Alaska, where the Greenlanders where in a song festival, but Paul was so much better. He really did put his trust in the Friends of Tuva to go off, half way aroung the world, in the first place. When he got there he was kept in a whirl and somewhat out of his element, but he prevailed with style and the same grace that he's had for so many years. He entered the Triennial Khoomei Competition, in the Kargyrua category for his rendition of Kargyraa Moan. He was by far the most popular entertainer there at the contest judging from the fact that they wouldn't let him off the stage.
Unfortunatly he has been very ill for the last couple of years and I feel that this is a testiment to his very special talent. I also enjoyed the DVD which had added attractions of additional concert footage.
Although this isn't main stream it is well worth the money to see one of the treasures live and in action... I highly recommend this DVD to everybody!
Rating:
Summary: pure genius
Review: I'm a musician and I must say, this movie changed my life forever. I saw it in the theatre in san fran. when it came out. and I couldn't believe my ears. It was like a dream of mine came true. Thank you Paul Pena for showing all of us how magnificent one's spirit can bioluminate.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: If you are of an inquisitive nature, and enjoy the social aspects of this world....various cultures, etc; and appreciate the sounds of all music, you will be fascinated by the incredible possiblilities of the voice and the spiritual journey that this enhanced.........I would recommend this to everybody....perhaps something new would be learned for you and the people that you as well adviced to watch it......sally in Portland
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely astonishing! Must see!
Review: If you want to know how true friendship and human spirit of love can bridge any cultural, racial, or ethnic gap and geographic distance between people even today, you must definitely see this film. I would suggest that college humanity professors consider including this film in their course curriculum. I've traveled around many remote corners of the world and never seen anything more touching than the story in this film.
Rating: 
Summary: This docudrama gets my vote for the most potential wasted.
Review: In 1995, a blind blues musician named Paul Penna travelled to the faraway nation of Tuva to participate in the triennial throat-singing symposium. The art of throat-singing he mastered himself, by listening to recordings. After receiving an invitation from visiting artists, he obtained a grant from the Friends of Tuva society (founded by the Nobel-Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman), gathered a motley group of hangers-on, and, as they say, the rest is history...Here's a documentary film about a fascinating subject produced with all the insight and elegance of "Dude, Where Is My Car?" I wanted to like "Genghis Blues" very much. I did, to an extent, but I am very surprised I did not like it more. The autonomous republic of Tuva, its proud people, and their traditional art of throat-singing are captivating topics - so why are the guys holding the camera so darn distracting!? Probably because the documentary focuses on them. This could easily be a road movie, if only it weren't shot at the level of a home video (the fact that it's really a home video, shot by people with no formal education in film, wouldn't be as apparent if the producers didn't feel compelled to splice in "sophisticated" bits - like a psychedelic light show set to the sounds of throat-singing and a worm's-eye view sequence of Paul walking). The impression is that the guys came out into the Tuvan wilderness, found it too strange for their tastes, and decided to make themselves the stars. The film-makers hardly even follow up on their subjects, instead choosing themselves as the documentary's focus. Nowhere else is this more apparent than in the scene where Mario yells, in English, at a Tuvan woman for "two cappuccinos - one with extra cinnamon." To someone who's watching "Genghis Blues" to learn more about the world's ethnic treasures, Mario's humor is both irrelevant and distracting. Then comes a scene where Paul is told not to perform the Oydeh Pah song he prepared for the contest. Hint: when you're invited to perform in a triennial symposium, try not to sing politically incorrect songs, especially not those written by encarcerated artists. Paul is smitten. There's footage of him covering his face with his hands and grieving, followed by footage of singers performing on-stage - the filmmakers "wisely" silence the scene and add the beating of a drum to make Paul's tragedy that much more apparent. Again, for someone watching "Genghis Blues" for the sake of the singing, a silent scene is irritating. The documentary also features a conflict that is presented so falsely it seems orchestrated: Paul's depression medicine runs out, and his trip may be cut short; meanwhile, Mario suffers a heart attack and Kongar-ol Ondar breaks his fist in a fight. More lengthy, boring, pointless scenes follow. This documentary would greatly improve if it sought to educate instead of to entertain. The film-makers could have elucidated the art of throat-singing: is it strenuous? is it difficult to learn? how does Paul compare to the native artists? The documentary opens with x-ray footage of throat-song: how about explaining what we see? We are told there are six "styles" of throat-song, but only three are explained more than in passing. The history and people of Tuva are as sketchily explained. Why are some people speaking in Tuvan, and others in Russian (of varying proficiencies)? The choice of topics is excellent - too bad the treatment hardly measures up.
Rating:
Summary: Inspired Blues
Review: These film-makers followed their instincts and Richard Feynman's legacy to craft this gorgeous, inspirational trip to the center of Asia and a man's dream. The characters and landscapes make this documentary extremely captivating if the story doesn't get you first. This film is a MUST SEE for musicians, students, teachers, dreamers, San Franciscans, travellers, shamans and anyone who respects the notion that anything is possible.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story
Review: This documentary is a wonderful story of a blind man who picks up a radio to pass time after the death of his wife. After picking up a strange channel one night, he learns to throat sing and gets good enough to compete in Tuva. This documentary turns into a buddy movie with the introduction of Kongar-ol Ondar, the famous Tuvan throat singer. The relationship that develops between these men is definitely something pleasurable to watch. I definitely recommend this movie not only to fans of throatsinging, but also to the type of person who cries at weddings and enjoys watching people get along.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful story
Review: This documentary is a wonderful story of a blind man who picks up a radio to pass time after the death of his wife. After picking up a strange channel one night, he learns to throat sing and gets good enough to compete in Tuva. This documentary turns into a buddy movie with the introduction of Kongar-ol Ondar, the famous Tuvan throat singer. The relationship that develops between these men is definitely something pleasurable to watch. I definitely recommend this movie not only to fans of throatsinging, but also to the type of person who cries at weddings and enjoys watching people get along.
Rating:
Summary: Truth IS stranger than fiction
Review: This is a great story, with great music and unique people. As Paul Pena says, "It's not for some middle of the roader".
Rating:
Summary: a story of music and friendship
Review: This is simply a gem of a movie. Blues singer Paul Pena hears Tuvan throat-singing on short wave radio and is determined to find out what it is and where it comes from. This was years before world music was widely available and so it takes him a while to track down the source. When he does, he teaches himself this style of singing and before he knows it he's being sponsored to go to Tuva to take part in an international competition. This is a movie about music and you may find yourself singing along (or trying to) before the movie is over. You may understand why Paul Pena was so captivated by the sounds that he was determined to make these sounds for himself. If you're as swept away by this singing as I was, you'll want to hear other Tuvan music. But this is also a movie about a country and about friendship. In Tuva he meets and stays with Kongar-ol Ondar, a singer who is quite famous in his country. The hospitality of Ondar, and the warmth and genuine friendship between the two men, makes this much more than just a music documentary.
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