Enji is the mononym of Erkhembayar Enkhjargal, a Mongolian jazz singer and songwriter based in Munich. Born in 1991, she is from Ulaanbaatar and works between Mongolian folk traditions and jazz.

Early life and training

Enji learns Mongolian folk song and folk dance in childhood, and later studies Urtin Duu, a traditional form of Mongolian long song. She completes a bachelor’s degree in music education in Ulaanbaatar. In 2014, she is among the first students at the Goethe Musiklabor in Ulaanbaatar, where Martin Zenker prepares her for a master’s degree in jazz at the University of Music and Theatre Munich.

Career

Also in 2014, she appears in jazz clubs in Ulaanbaatar and on Mongolian state television. She gives her first concerts in Germany in 2015. In 2016, she and her band are invited to the Koktebel Jazz Festival in Crimea. She later becomes part of Munich’s young jazz scene, appearing as a guest singer and performing with pianists including Sam Hylton and Vincent Eberle, as well as with her own band, in local clubs.

She tours South Korea on behalf of the Goethe-Institut and performs in South Africa with Kevin Gibson and Andrew Lilley. Between 2018 and 2020, she completes a master’s degree in jazz singing in Munich, graduating with top grades.

Recordings

Enji’s debut album, Mongolian Song, is released in 2018. It is followed in 2021 by Ursgal, which consists mostly of her own compositions. Her third studio album, Ulaan, is released in 2023. Her work is noted for combining jazz with Mongolian song traditions.