This is a strange little amateur movie about a depressed blind blues singer who learns throat singing, a few words of Tuva and talks some people to taking him to Tuva, once an independent little country north of Mongolia.The people of Tuva welcome him, fawn over him, and thrill at his remarkably deep voiced throat singing.The people are so sweet to him, so honoured and excited to have him visit. For once in his life he has an absolutely wonderful experience.I am used to seeing only the best looking of people in the movies. Most of the principals in this movie I found difficult to look at. I only gradually warmed to them.The movie is a lesson in not being afraid to laugh, in having a roaring great time, even when nothing in particular has happened to celebrate.

The best of the human spirit. Paul Pena is a blind blues singer who wrote the song "Jet Airliner" which would become a hit for The Steve Miller Band. He was widowed in 1991 and has fallen into some depression, but before the death of his wife, he had heard some Tuvan throatsinging on shortwave radio. After trying to find recordings of it, he stumbles on some and attempts to master it, as well as the singing. During the visit of a master throat-singer, Kongar-ool Ondar, he approaches him and performs some throatsinging. Ondar is impressed, and through a series of events, visits Tuva in 1995 and performs in a competition there. This film is the account of his visit. Pena is an inspiring character-soulful, humorous, real, a fantastic musician, and fragile. You don't want this movie to end. The people of Tuva are incredibly warm and the landscape is gorgeous. Pena and the small group which accompanies him has some medical problems and logistical problems in Tuva which makes the movie even more interesting. That said, if you love music, you should check out this movie. Paul Pena and Kongar are inspirational figures and this is just the sort of unconventional topic to be illuminated by a documentary. Filmmaker Roko Belic took four years to secure the financing and support to edit and have the film released. It truly is one for all lovers of humanity and music.

Genghis Blues is a mythic tale of a musician seeking the source of a musical sound that haunts him. At the depths of his despair he re-engages with life when he hears a short-wave radio program with a singing that captures his spirit. For the next 12 years he persists in his research trying to find the source of the singing he heard. Step by step, he finds the path and this is the story of that search.Blind since he was a young man, Pena had carved out a journeyman's career playing blues behind many leading acts in his day. But the filmmakers find Pena, a recent widower, in a state of depression and one goal in mind. Together, the producers fashion an expedition to find the source of that sound, bringing together an array of synchronous events and people that would one day make this film in a place few people would ever think of visiting. The story is troubling and dark, as is the world of Pena, but throughout this remarkable journey Pena finds the light in the eyes of others a world away. A foreigner with no sight, he wavers in his ambitious plan momentarily, but finds the courage to make the music that eluded him his whole life. This is the story of one's man's dream come true in the worst of situations, showing how the voice of the human spirit remains alive in a sound.

I have known Paul Pena to be a great songwriter and musician for many years. Paul, his wife "Babe" (Debby) and I shared a flat in San Francisco. After Babes passing in 1991, Paul really got into the sound of Tuva and all it held. He went on to learn the tones of the Digereedoo,(sp). The last time I saw Paul on stage was at the Roseland in Portland when he was on the road with Rat Dog. He played the "dige" and performed the art of Tuvan throatsinging at the sametime. It was a great day in April for all. All the best, JAR