![Alash-5x5-300dpi](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Alash-5x5-300dpi.jpg)
Tuvan throat singing, the main technique of which is known as ''khoomei'' ( tyv, хөөмей, xöömej, mn, хөөмий; ᠬᠦᠭᠡᠮᠡᠢ, khöömii, russian: хоомей, Chinese: 呼麦,
pinyin: ''hūmài''), includes a type of
overtone singing
Overtone singing – also known as overtone chanting, harmonic singing, polyphonic overtone singing, and diphonic singing – is a set of singing techniques in which the vocalist manipulates the resonances of the vocal tract, in order to arous ...
practiced by people in
Tuva
Tuva (; russian: Тува́) or Tyva ( tyv, Тыва), officially the Republic of Tuva (russian: Респу́блика Тыва́, r=Respublika Tyva, p=rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva; tyv, Тыва Республика, translit=Tyva Respublika ...
,
Mongolia
Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million, ...
, and
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
. In 2009, it was included in the
of
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
. The term ''hömey'' / ''kömey'' means ''
throat
In vertebrate anatomy, the throat is the front part of the neck, internally positioned in front of the vertebrae. It contains the pharynx and larynx. An important section of it is the epiglottis, separating the esophagus from the trachea (windpipe ...
'' and ''
larynx
The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal inlet is about ...
'' in different
Turkic languages
The Turkic languages are a language family of over 35 documented languages, spoken by the Turkic peoples of Eurasia from Eastern Europe and Southern Europe to Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia (Siberia), and Western Asia. The Turkic languag ...
. That could be borrowed from
Mongolian ''khooloi'', which means throat as well, driven from
Proto-Mongolian
The proto-Mongols emerged from an area that had been inhabited by humans and predecessor hominin species as far back as 45,000 years ago during the Upper Paleolithic. The people there went through the Bronze and Iron Ages, forming tribal allianc ...
word ''*koɣul-aj''.
Overview
In Tuvan
throat singing
Throat singing refers to several vocal practices found in different cultures around the world. The most distinctive feature of such vocal practices is to be associated to some type of guttural voice, that contrasts with the most common types of voi ...
, the performer produces a fundamental pitch and—simultaneously—one or more pitches over that. The history of Tuvan throat singing reaches far back. Many male herders can throat sing, but women have begun to practice the technique as well. The popularity of throat singing among Tuvans seems to have arisen as a result of geographic location and culture. The open landscape of Tuva allows for the sounds to carry a great distance.
Ethnomusicologists
Ethnomusicology is the study of music from the cultural and social aspects of the people who make it. It encompasses distinct theoretical and methodical approaches that emphasize cultural, social, material, cognitive, biological, and other dim ...
studying throat singing in these areas mark ''khoomei'' as an integral part in the ancient pastoral
animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...
still practiced today. Often, singers travel far into the countryside looking for the right river, or go up to the steppes of the mountainside to create the proper environment for throat singing.
The animistic world view of this region identifies the spirituality of objects in nature, not just in their shape or location, but in their sound as well. Thus,
human mimicry of nature's sounds is seen as the root of throat singing. An example of this is the Tuvan story of the waterfall above the Buyant Göl (Deer River in Tuvan), where mysterious harmonic sounds are said to have attracted deer to bask in the waters, and where, it is said, harmonic sounds were first revealed to people. Indeed, the cultures in this part of Asia have developed many instruments and techniques to mimic the sounds of animals, wind, and water. While the cultures of this region share throat singing, their styles vary in breadth of development.
Ordinarily, melodies are created by isolating the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th
partial
Partial may refer to:
Mathematics
* Partial derivative, derivative with respect to one of several variables of a function, with the other variables held constant
** ∂, a symbol that can denote a partial derivative, sometimes pronounced "partial ...
in accordance with the
harmonic series. Thus, if the fundamental frequency were C3, the overtones would be G5, B♭5, C6, D6, E6, G6. However, it is possible to reach as low as the 2nd and as high as the 24th. The fundamental pitch is typically around E and G below
middle C
C or Do is the first note and semitone of the C major scale, the third note of the A minor scale (the relative minor of C major), and the fourth note (G, A, B, C) of the Guidonian hand, commonly pitched around 261.63 Hz. The actual frequen ...
, and this affects the range of partials the singer can reach, with higher partials more easily reached on lower notes, and vice versa.
The people of Tuva have a wide range of
throat singing
Throat singing refers to several vocal practices found in different cultures around the world. The most distinctive feature of such vocal practices is to be associated to some type of guttural voice, that contrasts with the most common types of voi ...
vocalizations, and were the pioneers of six pitch harmonics. There are several different classification schemes for Tuvan throat singing. In one, the three basic styles are , and , while the sub-styles include , , , and . In another, there are five basic styles: , , , and . The substyles include , , , , , , , , , , , , and . These schemes all use
Tuvan terminology.
''Khorekteer''
''Khorekteer'' refers to the "chest voice". This is the voice that throat singers use when using ''khoomei'', ''kargyraa'', or any other harmonic-inducing style. The term can also be used to refer to all styles of Tuvan throat singing, much like ''khoomei''. It can also refer to the feeling of chest resonance or pressure that one experiences when throat singing. ''Khorekteer'' is often used as a launching pad into the ''khoomei'', ''sygyt'', or ''kargyraa'' styles of throat singing.
Khoomei
The most popular style of Tuvan throat singing is known as ''khoomei'' (or ''khöömei'', in
Cyrillic
, bg, кирилица , mk, кирилица , russian: кириллица , sr, ћирилица, uk, кирилиця
, fam1 = Egyptian hieroglyphs
, fam2 = Proto-Sinaitic
, fam3 = Phoenician
, fam4 = G ...
: хөөмей). ''Khoomei'' is traditionally a softer sounding style, with the fundamental (or
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to:
...
) usually in the low-mid to midrange of the singer's normal voice. In this style, usually two or three harmonics can be heard between one and two octaves above the fundamental. In ''khoomei'', the abdomen is fairly relaxed, and there is less tension on the larynx than in other styles. Pitch is manipulated through a combination of movements of the lips, throat, tongue or jaw.
Singing in this style gives the impression of wind swirling among rocks.
The term ''khoomei'' is also used as a generic term to designate all throat singing techniques in this region.
''Sygyt''
''Sygyt'' (in
Cyrillic
, bg, кирилица , mk, кирилица , russian: кириллица , sr, ћирилица, uk, кирилиця
, fam1 = Egyptian hieroglyphs
, fam2 = Proto-Sinaitic
, fam3 = Phoenician
, fam4 = G ...
: сыгыт), literally 'whistling', has a midrange fundamental and is characterized by strong, flute-like or rather piercing harmonics, reminiscent of whistling. Also described as an imitation of the gentle breezes of summer, the songs of birds, the ideal sound for the harmonics is called Чистый звук—Russian for ''clear sound''.
To perform ''sygyt'', the tongue rises and seals around the gums, just behind the teeth. A small hole is left back behind the molars, either on the left or right side. The sound is then directed between the teeth to the front of the mouth. The lips form a bell-like shape, usually with an "ee" vowel, and the sound is directed through this small opening. Pitch is manipulated exactly the same way as in ''khoomei'' style.
''Kargyraa''
The more deep-sounding style of throat singing is known as ''kargyraa'' (in
Cyrillic
, bg, кирилица , mk, кирилица , russian: кириллица , sr, ћирилица, uk, кирилиця
, fam1 = Egyptian hieroglyphs
, fam2 = Proto-Sinaitic
, fam3 = Phoenician
, fam4 = G ...
: каргыраа). ''Kargyraa'' has a deep, almost growling sound to it and is technically related to Sardinian bass singing in ''Canto a Tenore'' choirs, and also to
Tibetan
Tibetan may mean:
* of, from, or related to Tibet
* Tibetan people, an ethnic group
* Tibetan language:
** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
Buddhist chant
A Buddhist chant is a form of musical verse or incantation, in some ways analogous to religious recitations of other faiths.
Traditional chanting
In Buddhism, chanting is the traditional means of preparing the mind for meditation, especially as ...
. It uses both the vocal and the
vestibular fold
The vestibular fold (ventricular fold, superior or false vocal cord) is one of two thick folds of mucous membrane, each enclosing a narrow band of fibrous tissue, the vestibular ligament, which is attached in front to the angle of the thyroid car ...
s (also known as "false vocal cords") simultaneously, creating two connected sources of sound.
By constricting the
larynx
The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal inlet is about ...
, the vestibular folds can be brought together (adducted) and, under certain conditions, vibrate. It can produce an
undertone exactly half the frequency of the fundamental produced by the vocal folds. Therefore, for each second vibration of the vocal folds, the vestibular fold completes a whole vibration cycle. While the larynx generates such rich sound, the mouth cavity may be shaped, just like in the manipulation of vowels, to select some particular harmonics, resulting in a sound that may be perceived as having different pitches simultaneously.
This vocal mechanism has been elucidated and shown to be similar to Sardinian ''bassu'', which is one of the four voices of Sardinian ''canto a tenore'' choirs. It is also similar to the chant practiced in Tibet by the Gyuto monastery and other Buddhist orders.
There are two types of ''kargyraa'': ''dag'' (mountain) and (steppe). The Dag style is deeper, while is raspier and sung at a higher pitch with more throat tension and less chest resonance. There are also the distinctive ''kargyraa'' styles of
Vladimir Oidupaa
Vladimir Oiunovich Oidupaa (russian: Владимир Ойунович Ойдупаа, tyv, Ойдупаа Владимир Ойун оглу, translit=Oidupaa Vladimir Oiun oglu , 6 September 1949 – 25 September 2013) was a Tuvan musician, ...
and
Albert Kuvezin
Albert Budachievich Kuvezin (Russian: ''Альберт Будачиевич Кувезин'' / Tuvan: ''Күвезин Альберт Будачи оглу'', Küvezin Albert Budachi oglu, , alternatively spelled ''Kögeezin'' (Көгээзин, ) ...
, the latter also bearing the name ''kanzat''. This is sometimes described as the howling winds of winter or the plaintive cries of a mother camel after losing her calf.
Effects and other styles
Of the following list, two effects that commonly employed in the ''khoomei'', ''sygyt'' and ''kargyraa'' styles: ''Borbangnadyr'' and ''Ezengileer''.
* Borbangnadyr (Борбаңнадыр) is a trill reminiscent of birds and traveling brooks, made by rapid movements of the tongue. Another effect that is usually added to this style is the light quivering of the lips, called "byrlang".
* Ezenggileer (Эзеңгилээр) is a pulsating style, attempting to mimic the rhythms of horseback riding. It is named after the Tuvan word for stirrup, ''ezengi''.
* Chylandyk (Чыландык) is simultaneous ''sygyt'' and ''kargyraa''. This creates an unusual sound of low undertones mixed with the high Sygyt whistle. It has also been described as the "chirping of crickets". A careful listener can further break down this style into Dag Chylandyk and Xovu Chylandyk.
* Dumchuktaar (Думчуктаар) could be best described as "throat humming". The singer creates a sound similar to sygyt using only the nasal passage. The word means to sing through the nose (). The mouth does not need to be closed, but of course, it demonstrates the point better.
Women in Tuvan throat singing
![Yurtakonsert med Tyva Kyzy (41573199210)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Yurtakonsert_med_Tyva_Kyzy_%2841573199210%29.jpg)
There were a few female throat singers in Tuva's history, though it was believed a woman performing throat singing could cause infertility. Choldak-Kara Oyun, the mother of the famous throat singer Soruktu Kyrgys and grandmother of the husband of famous Tuvan actress Kara-Kys Namzatovna Munzuk, throat sang throughout her life while milking her cows, singing lullabies to her children and sometimes while she was drinking Tuvan araga (fermented milk alcohol). Close relatives of famous singers, like Khunashtaar-ool's niece (in the 1960s) and Kombu's daughter (in the 1940s or 1950s), performed khoomei (throat singing) in public more than once. The wife of the throat singing shaman Bilek-ool from Manchurek, Aldinsova Tortoyavna, said that she has always sung khoomei "because it was innate to
erfrom birth". She could not resist singing khoomei after she got married and had children, and sang khoomei in public in the 1950s and 1960s. But her sister, who also sang khoomei as a girl, gave up when others repeatedly reminded her of the supposed dangers.
Valentina Salchak performed throat singing in public in 1979. Valentina Chuldum from Mongun-Taiga (1960Autumn 2002) toured European countries as a throat singer in the early 1990s. With the start of the International Symposium of Khoomei women could sing publicly there.
Tyva Kyzy Tyva Kyzy (Тыва Кызы, pronounced ) (Daughters of Tuva) is an all-female folk ensemble performing Tuvan throat-singing, under the direction of Choduraa Tumat. It is the first and only women's group in Tuva that performs all styles of Tuvan ...
(Тыва Кызы, pronounced ) (Daughters of Tuva, in Tuvan language), founded in 1998, is an all-female folk ensemble performing Tuvan throat singing, under the direction of Choduraa Tumat. It is the first and only women's group in Tuva that performs all styles of Tuvan throat singing.
In popular culture
*
Richard Feynman
Richard Phillips Feynman (; May 11, 1918 – February 15, 1988) was an American theoretical physicist, known for his work in the path integral formulation of quantum mechanics, the theory of quantum electrodynamics, the physics of the superflu ...
, a
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...
–winning prankster physicist, took an interest in Tuvan throat singing and attempted to travel to Tuva in the 1980s, near the end of his life when he was gravely ill from cancer. Although Feynman never made it to Tuva, his daughter visited there in 2009 and met with Tuvan throat singers during her trip.
**''The Quest for Tannu Tuva'' is a 1988 documentary film about Feynman's quest that was produced for the
BBC TV
BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 19 ...
series ''
Horizon
The horizon is the apparent line that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This line divides all viewing directions based on whether i ...
''; it was also repackaged with American narration and titled ''The Last Journey of a Genius'' for the
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
series ''
Nova
A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
'' in 1989.
**''
Tuva or Bust!
''Tuva or Bust!'' (1991) is a book by Ralph Leighton about the author and his friend Richard Feynman's attempt to travel to Tuva.
The introduction explains how Feynman challenged Leighton, at the time a high school math teacher, "Whatever happen ...
'' is a book published in 1991 by
Ralph Leighton
Ralph Leighton (; born 1949) is an American biographer, film producer, and friend of the late physicist Richard Feynman. He recorded Feynman relating stories of his life. Leighton has released some of the recordings as ''The Feynman Tapes''. These ...
, a biographer and longtime friend of Feynman who had tried to go to Tuva with him. The book includes a
flexi disc
The flexi disc (also known as a phonosheet, Sonosheet or Soundsheet, a trademark) is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable. ...
recording of Tuvan throat singing.
*
Yat-Kha
Yat-Kha is a band from Tuva, led by vocalist/guitarist Albert Kuvezin. Their music is a mixture of Tuvan traditional music and rock, featuring Kuvezin's distinctive ''kargyraa'' throat singing style, the '' kanzat kargyraa''.
Biography
Yat-Kha wa ...
is a band formed in 1991 and led by Tuvan throat singer
Albert Kuvezin
Albert Budachievich Kuvezin (Russian: ''Альберт Будачиевич Кувезин'' / Tuvan: ''Күвезин Альберт Будачи оглу'', Küvezin Albert Budachi oglu, , alternatively spelled ''Kögeezin'' (Көгээзин, ) ...
that performs a mixture of Tuvan traditional music and rock.
*
Huun-Huur-Tu
Huun-Huur-Tu ( tyv, Хүн Хүртү, Hün Hürtü, ; rus, Хуун-Хуур-Ту, ) are a music group from Tuva, a Russian federative republic situated on the Mongolia–Russia border. Their music includes throat singing, in which the singer ...
is a band formed in 1992 that incorporates Tuvan throat singing in its performances and has performed internationally since soon after its inception.
*
Chirgilchin is a Tuvan musical group formed in 1996 led by Igor Koshkendey, who won the Grand Prix of the International Throat Singing Competition in 1998, 2000, and 2002.
*
K-Space is a British-Siberian experimental improvisation music ensemble formed in 1996 that features the Tuvan throat singer Gendos Chamzyryn.
*
Tyva Kyzy Tyva Kyzy (Тыва Кызы, pronounced ) (Daughters of Tuva) is an all-female folk ensemble performing Tuvan throat-singing, under the direction of Choduraa Tumat. It is the first and only women's group in Tuva that performs all styles of Tuvan ...
is an all-female folk ensemble formed in 1998 that performs Tuvan throat singing and has performed internationally.
*''
Genghis Blues
''Genghis Blues'' is a 1999 American documentary film directed by Roko Belic. It centers on the journey of blind American singer Paul Pena to the isolated Russian Republic of Tuva to pursue his interest in Tuvan throat singing.
It won the 1999 S ...
'' is a 1999 documentary film that won the
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,66 ...
Audience Award for a Documentary and was nominated for an
Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...
, centers on the journey of blind American singer
Paul Pena
Paul Jerrod Pena (January 26, 1950 – October 1, 2005) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist of Cape Verdean descent.
His music from the first half of his career touched on Delta blues, jazz, morna, flamenco, folk and rock and r ...
to Tuva to pursue his interest in Tuvan throat singing.
*
Alash is an ensemble of Tuvan musicians and throat singers formed at the Kyzyl Arts College in 1999 that has performed internationally since 2006.
*The
Tuvan National Orchestra The Tuvan National Orchestra reflects the complex history of the Tuva, Republic of Tuva (sometimes spelled Tyva), a Federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia which sits at the southern edge of Siberia, with Mongolia to its south. Over th ...
, formed in 2003, often features Tuvan throat singing and includes performances by internationally known artists, including members of Alash, Chirgilchin, Huun-Huur-Tu, and Tyva Kyzy.
*
Batzorig Vaanchig, a member of the band
Khusugtun
''Asia's Got Talent'' is a televised Asian talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Produced and aired by AXN Asia, it was created in the wake of the successes of both ''America's Got Tale ...
, which was a runner-up on ''
Asia's Got Talent
''Asia's Got Talent'' is a televised Asian talent show competition, and part of the global ''Got Talent'' franchise created by Simon Cowell. Produced and aired by AXN Asia, it was created in the wake of the successes of both '' America's Got Tal ...
'' in 2015, is a Mongolian throat singer with tens of millions of views on YouTube.
*
The Hu
The Hu (stylized as The HU) is a Mongolian folk metal band formed in 2016. With traditional Mongolian instrumentation, including the Morin khuur, the Tovshuur, and Mongolian throat singing, the band calls their style of music "hunnu rock", ''h ...
is a band formed in 2016. Hailing from Mongolia, the band blends rock and heavy metal with traditional Mongolian instrumentation, including Mongolian throat singing and the
Morin khuur
The ''morin khuur'' ( mn, морин хуур, morin khuur), also known as the horsehead fiddle, is a traditional Mongolian bowed stringed instrument. It is one of the most important musical instruments of the Mongol people, and is considered a ...
(also known as the horsehead fiddle). The Hu calls their style of music "hunnu rock", with ''hu'' being a Mongolian root word for "human". In 2018, the band made its debut at Download Festival in Donington. A song by the Hu, "Black Thunder", was created for the 2019 videogame ''
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order''. A different version of the song was then translated and recorded by the Hu from the original Mongolian to a new fictional ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
'' language created by the band, with guidance from the game's developers. This version, "Sugaan Essena", was used for the game.
*
Soriah
Soriah (born Enrique Ugalde; April 1, 1971) is an American overtone singing, overtone singer, performance artist, multi-instrumentalist, and shamanism, shamanic ritualist headquartered in Portland, Oregon, Portland, Oregon and The Tuva, Tuvan Rep ...
/Uger Khan is an American
overtone singer,
performance art
Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...
ist, multi-instrumentalist, and
shamanic
Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
ritualist headquartered in
Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, Oregon and The
Tuvan Republic. His music is a synthesis of traditional forms such as Tuvan throat singing,
Shamanic music
Shamanic music is ritualistic music used in religious and spiritual ceremonies associated with the practice of shamanism. Shamanic music makes use of various means of producing music, with an emphasis on voice and rhythm.
Shamanistic music can ...
,
Raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...
, and pre-Columbian
Mexica
The Mexica (Nahuatl: , ;''Nahuatl Dictionary.'' (1990). Wired Humanities Project. University of Oregon. Retrieved August 29, 2012, frolink/ref> singular ) were a Nahuatl-speaking indigenous people of the Valley of Mexico who were the rulers of ...
music and language; with
avant garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or 'vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical De ...
musical styles like
Industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
,
Ambient
Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to:
Music and sound
* Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds
* Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere
* ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby
* ...
,
Noise
Noise is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water. The difference arise ...
, and
Goth
A Goth is a member of the Goths, a group of East Germanic tribes. Two major political entities of the Goths were:
*Visigoths, prominent in Spanish history
*Ostrogoths, prominent in Italian history
Goth or Goths may also refer to:
* Goth (surname) ...
. Likewise, his live performance is a fusion of costume and
ritual
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, b ...
from
Tuva
Tuva (; russian: Тува́) or Tyva ( tyv, Тыва), officially the Republic of Tuva (russian: Респу́блика Тыва́, r=Respublika Tyva, p=rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə tɨˈva; tyv, Тыва Республика, translit=Tyva Respublika ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, North American Native cultures, and Western Ceremonial Magic traditions; as well as
chaos magic
Chaos magic, also spelled chaos magick, is a modern tradition of magic. It initially emerged in England in the 1970s as part of the wider neo-pagan and magical subculture.
Drawing heavily from the occult beliefs of artist Austin Osman Spare, ...
,
butoh
is a form of Japanese dance theatre that encompasses a diverse range of activities, techniques and motivations for dance, performance, or movement. Following World War II, butoh arose in 1959 through collaborations between its two key founders ...
, and
modern primitive
Modern primitives or urban primitives are people in developed, or modern nations who engage in body modification rituals and practices inspired by the ceremonies, rites of passage, or bodily ornamentation in what they consider traditional cultu ...
movements of the 20th century.
MP3 audio examples
Kargyraa.mp3Khoomei.mp3Sygyt.mp3Ezengileer.mp3Borbangnadyr.mp3
See also
*
Throat singing
Throat singing refers to several vocal practices found in different cultures around the world. The most distinctive feature of such vocal practices is to be associated to some type of guttural voice, that contrasts with the most common types of voi ...
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Music in the Tuva Republic
Tuva is a part of Russia, inhabited by a Turkic people. Tuvans are known abroad for ''khoomei'' (''xöömej''), a kind of overtone singing.
Traditionally, Tuvan music was only a solo effort. The musician's intention was usually to emphasise timb ...
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:Tyvawiki:Artists
References
;Bibliography and further reading
* Emory, Michael. Khomeii-How To's and Why's. 7 March 2007. http://www.fotuva.org/music/emory.html
* Fuks L., Hammarberg B. and Sundberg J. "A self-sustained vocal-ventricular phonation mode: acoustical, aerodynamic and glottographic evidences", KTH TMH-QPSR 3/1998, 49–59, Stockholm.
* Lindestad, P. A., Sodersten, M., Merker, B. and Granqvist, S. "Voice source characteristics in Mongolian throat singing studied with high-speed imaging technique, acoustic spectra, and inverse filtering". Journal of Voice, vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 78–85, 2001
* Levin, Theodore C. and Edgerton, Michael. The Throat Singers of Tuva. ''
Scientific American
''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many famous scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it. In print since 1845, it i ...
''. September 1999 Vol. 81 Issue 3 p. 80
External links
Khoomei.coma site for throat-singing, overtone singing, harmonic singing, chanting, online lessons, and more
tutorial on beginning throat singing
general information as well as links to artists and recordings
A demonstration of throat singing(YouTube)
Tuvan Throat Singing(YouTube)
The Art of Tuva Throat Singing, On Point Radio, aired January 13, 2006
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tuvan Throat Singing
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity