The story of a blind blues musician's triumphant journey to the lost land of Tuva.
Blind blues musician Paul Pena is perhaps best known for his song "Jet Airliner". In 1993, Pena heard Tuvan throat singing over his shortwave radio and subsequently taught himself how to reproduce these extraordinary sounds. This documentary follows him to Tuva, where he takes part in a throat singing competition. Languages featured in the film include English, Russian and Tuvan.
Genghis Blues (1999) is a documentary and music film directed by Roko Belic, released on July 19, 1999 with a runtime of 1h 27m. It stars Paul Pena and Kongar-ol Ondar. Viewers rate it 7.1 out of 10 across 19 ratings.
Directed by Roko Belic, written by Roko Belic, produced by Adrian Belic.
Average viewer score of 7.1/10 from 19 ratings.
Partially sighted blues musician Paul Peña has become fascinated with the ancient musical traditions of the central Asian province of Tuva. Sandwiched between Mongolia and Russia, this previously independent nation joined the USSR and is now a largely autonomous part of the Federation run from it’s only city Kyzyl. Peña and his friends have been invited to their unique “throat-singing” competition and so make their…
Reviewed on October 17, 2025
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Genghis Blues (1999) is available to stream on DocuramaFilms Amazon Channel, and to rent or buy from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. Streaming availability is checked against JustWatch data and can change by region.
The main cast of Genghis Blues (1999) includes Paul Pena and Kongar-ol Ondar. The film was directed by Roko Belic. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
Genghis Blues was released on July 19, 1999 and runs for 1h 27m.
Genghis Blues (1999) holds an average rating of 7.1 out of 10 from 19 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy documentary and music films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
