throatsinging recordings coming soon!

i'm very interested in meeting with others who are interested in throatsinging, or khoomei (the word khoomei is from the Mongolian and Tuvan word for throat, and it is pronounced hú-mæ-ee). if you're new to throatsinging and would like to learn more, there are a few links to websites i've found to be helpful ~ tutorials, history, audio files, that sort of thing ~ in the sidebar.

what's especially unique about khoomei is that a single human voice can produce more than one note at once (multiphonics) by creating overtones (and so-called "undertones"). i find the sounds to be enchantingly beautiful, and i think it's safe to call the vibrations an "internal massage."

i've only been throatsinging for a few years, but i enjoy all the styles of khoomei that i've heard, and personally practice the styles karygraa, khoomei and sygyt. i also do another style that sounds similar to the Australian aboriginal didgeridoo (but doesn't have a name as far as i know), and 'Western-style' overtone singing, which sounds slightly similar to the whistling 'sygyt' style.

my goal is to learn more about this beautiful music form, as well as share what i've learned. the names of all the styles and different techniques used in producing them are sometimes interchangable, easily misunderstood, and often debated. my wish is to begin at the source and learn from people who value throatsinging as part of their culture. to that end, i'm working on a grant proposal to travel to Mongolia some time next year to study throatsinging. i'm especially interested in its connection to indigenous spirituality.

meanwhile, i hope to help create a throatsingers network in the Boston area (novice, experienced, musically inclined and not), with the intention of meeting eachother, learning from and teaching one another, and possibly performing together. over time, this website will evolve to include samples of my own throatsinging, a mailing list, and maybe even a calendar of events in the Boston area.

if this sounds like something you'd like to see happen, too, or if you just want to meet with me for tea or coffee and talk, drop me a line. let me know what styles of khoomei you like the most and which ones you do, and how you pronounce your name, too. also, if you're in a band or vocal group and are looking to incorporate khoomei into your music, i'm definitely interested in talking with you.

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more information

the Wikipedia encyclopedia has a short description of throat singing around the world.

Steve Sklar offers tutorials, a discussion board and descriptions of various throatsinging styles at his website, khoomei.com, and provides many links to related websites not mentioned here.

Robert Beahrs' journal, Throat-Singing: In Pursuit of Overtones, is a throatsinging travelogue documenting Robert's journey to rural places around the world where throat-singing or harmonic chanting are traditionally practiced.

Friends of Tuva is a ''clearinghouse'' of information about Tuva, and has an excellent How To's and Why's page.

Brian Grover's Crash Course in Khoomei page offers an audio tutorial.

"The Throat Singers of Tuva" is an article in Scientific American magazine that looks into the science and physiology of throatsinging.

Genghis Blues is a feature-length documentary of American blues musician Paul Pena's trip to Tuva.

Yahoo! Groups has a Tuvan Throatsinging discussion group.

Sed's Khoomei page

music

BBC's The World has an audio interview with Amraamandakh from Black Rose, who combines traditional Mongolian music with rap, house, and hip-hop.

Huun-Huur-Tu, the so-called "Voice of Tuva."

Sainkho Namtchylak, a female throatsinger who taught herself khoomei in spite of Tuva's cultural taboo inhibiting women from throat singing.

Tyva Kyzy ("Daughters of Tuva"), a group of women in Tuva "that performs all styles of Tyvan throat-singing. This form of multiple tone harmonic singing has however been practiced mostly by men and prohibited for women. The members of Tyva Kyzy dared to perform publicly this ancient art of singing in their own unique 'feminine' style."

UbuWeb's archive has high-quality excerpts (and descriptions of them) from the album, Voices from the Center of Asia.

Okna taham Zam

Yat-Kha, a Tuvan heavy rock band that uses a "rock kargyraa" style, was recently featured in the Independent.

what's related

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