With her shaved head and seven-octave range, Sainkho Namtchylak would stand out on any stage. Add her particular mix of Tuvan throat-singing and avant-garde improvisation, and she becomes an unforgettable figure. The daughter of a pair of schoolteachers, she grew up in an isolated village on the Tuvan/Mongolian border, exposed to the local... [+] Read More

With her shaved head and seven-octave range, Sainkho Namtchylak would stand out on any stage. Add her particular mix of Tuvan throat-singing and avant-garde improvisation, and she becomes an unforgettable figure. The daughter of a pair of schoolteachers, she grew up in an isolated village on the Tuvan/Mongolian border, exposed to the local overtone singing -- something that was generally reserved for the males; in fact, females were actively discouraged from learning it (even now, the best-known practitioners remain male, artists like Huun-Huur-Tu and Yat-Kha). However, she learned much of her traditional repertoire from her grandmother, and went on to study music at the local college, but she was denied professional qualifications. Quietly she studied the overtone singing, as well as the shamanic traditions of the region, before leaving for study further in Moscow (Tuva was, at that time, part of the U.S.S.R.). Her degree completed, she returned to Tuva where she became a member of Sayani, the Tuvan state folk ensemble, before abandoning it to return to Moscow and joining the experimental Tri-O, where her vocal talents and sense of melodic and harmonic adventure could wander freely. That first brought her to the West in 1990, although her first recorded exposure came with the Crammed Discs compilation Out of Tuva. Once Communism had collapsed, she moved to Vienna, making it her base, although she traveled widely, working in any number of shifting groups and recording a number of discs that revolved around free improvisation -- not unlike Yoko Ono -- as well as performing around the globe. It was definitely fringe music, although Namtchylak established herself very firmly as a fixture on that fringe. In 1997 she was the victim of an attack that left her in a coma for several weeks. Initially she thought it was some divine retribution for her creative hubris, and seemed to step back when she recorded 1998's Naked Spirit, which had new age leanings. However, by 2000 she seemed to have overcome that block, releasing Stepmother City, her most accessible work to date, where she seemed to really find her stride, mixing traditional Tuvan instruments and singing with turntables and effects, placing her in a creative firmament between Yoko and Björk, but with the je ne sais quoi of Mongolia as part of the bargain. A showcase at the WOMEX Festival in Berlin brought her to the attention of many, and in 2001 a U.S. tour was planned. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

[-] Hide

Albert Kuvezin, at the fore of Tuva's music scene and founding member of group Huun-Huur-Tu, started Yat-Kha in 1991. Yat-Kha ("yat-ha") is named for the string instrument that it features. Yat-Kha combines "khoomei" (the well-known Tuvan ultra-bass, polytonal throat-singing), high-tech, and homemade instruments in crafting their neo-traditional... [+] Read More

Albert Kuvezin, at the fore of Tuva's music scene and founding member of group Huun-Huur-Tu, started Yat-Kha in 1991. Yat-Kha ("yat-ha") is named for the string instrument that it features. Yat-Kha combines "khoomei" (the well-known Tuvan ultra-bass, polytonal throat-singing), high-tech, and homemade instruments in crafting their neo-traditional sound. Following their live debut at 1992's WOMEX in Berlin, Yat-Kha released Antropofagia in 1993, followed by Yenisei Punk in 1995, and Úlai Beldiri in 1999. Critical acclaim for their music has taken Yat-Kha around the globe, from the Austin, TX, SXSW festival to Hong Kong and Europe, where they've received awards such as the Brian Eno Special Prize at the Voices of Asia festival and the Grand Jury Prize from Radio France International's Rock and Pop in the East. Signed to Chieftains' leader Paddy Moloney's Wicklow label (after Moloney heard Yenisei Punk) Yat-Kha is now a foursome consisting of Kuvezin, Aldyn-ool Sevek (on kargiraa, khoomei, and sygyt vocals), Zhenya Tkachv (mystic drummer), and Alexei Saaia (bass shanzi and morinhuur). ~ MK Hey, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The remote region of Tuva, one of the new countries formed with the dissolution of the U.S.S.R., has produced one of the world's most unusual vocal groups, Huun-Huur-Tu. Masters of the throat singing style of xoomei, in which a vocalist produces two or three notes simultaneously, the group has been warmly by an international following. According... [+] Read More

The remote region of Tuva, one of the new countries formed with the dissolution of the U.S.S.R., has produced one of the world's most unusual vocal groups, Huun-Huur-Tu. Masters of the throat singing style of xoomei, in which a vocalist produces two or three notes simultaneously, the group has been warmly by an international following. According to Jazz Times, "a rustic joyousness and unadulterated expresiveness come out of these musicians". Analyzing Huun-Huur-Tu's music, The Chicago Tribune, wrote, 'it is unfamiliar yet very accessible, an other-worldly but deeply spiritual music that is rooted in the sound of nature". Dirty Linen took a similar view, claiming, "this music is both very spiritual and down to earth, grounded in a strong sense of place, yet its appeal is universal." In addition to recording their own albums, the members of Huun-Huur-Tu have contributed their unique vocals to albums and/or performances by Frank Zappa, The Chieftains, Johnny "Guitar" Watson, The Kronos Quartet and L. Shankar and Ry Cooder's soundtrack of the film, Geronimo. Their on-going collaboration with Angelite, the Bulgarian Woman's Choir under the direction of Mikhail Alperin, has yielded two memorable albums -- Fly, Fly My Sadness in 1994 and Mountain Tale in 1998. Although its name translates literally as "sun propeller", Huun-Huur-Tu represents much more. In a 1994 interview, founding percussionist Alexander Bapa explained, "(the name of the band refers to) the vertical seperation of light rays that are often seen on the grasslands just after sunrise or just before sunset". Initially named "Kungurtuk", Huun-Huur-Tu came together, in 1992, to play "the old and forgotten songs". Founding members Sasha and Sayan Bapa and Kaigalool Khovalyg had previously performed a state-sanctioned ensemble during the Soviet regime. Although Tuvan music had traditionally been performed by a solo singer or instrumentalist, the group sound of Huun-Huur-Tu set them apart. Huun-Huur-Tu has experienced several personnel changes. Original member Anatoli Kuular left to form a new band, Yat-Kha, in late 1993, and was replaced by Anatoli Kuular, a master of the borbangnadyr style of singing and a virtuosic player of the mouth harp (xomuz) and byzanchi. Percussionist Alexander Bapa left, in 1995, to become a producer in Moscow, and was replaced by Alexander Siraglar, a sygyt singer, string player and precussionist. ~ Craig Harris, All Music Guide [-] Hide

[-] Hide

[-] Hide

From the first track, their second album, Orphan's Lament grabs your attention with "Prayer" -- the deep, unearthly, sounds of Tibetan Lamaist chant. Next they move to khoomei singing. Known in the West as "throat singing," the performer produces two or more high- and low-pitched tones simultaneously. The resulting sound -- somewhat eerie,... [+] Read More

From the first track, their second album, Orphan's Lament grabs your attention with "Prayer" -- the deep, unearthly, sounds of Tibetan Lamaist chant. Next they move to khoomei singing. Known in the West as "throat singing," the performer produces two or more high- and low-pitched tones simultaneously. The resulting sound -- somewhat eerie, somewhat haunting -- is a combination somewhere between the sounds of a long whistle and a Jew's harp.

But Huun Huur Tu also adds new elements to the traditional sounds of Tuvan music. In addition to the igil, a two-stringed horsehead fiddle played with a bow, and the khomuz, a Jew's harp, (both traditional instruments) the group has incorporated percussion -- not a usual device in Tuvan music. Their use of a large goat-skin drum, generally reserved for shamanistic rituals, gives a rhythm to their music, making it very appealing to a Western ear. Similarly, their use of pouch rattle (made from a bull's scrotum filled with sheep knucklebones) adds a beat.

The fact Huun Huur Tu plays together, as a group, is itself unusual. Not content to blindly follow traditional Central Asian folk music, Huun Huur Tu's four, sometimes five, performers create an ensemble that offers a complex, fascinating, and harmonious mixture. ~ Robert Walker, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Though steeped in the roots of Tuvan folk sounds, Back Tuva Future is anything but a traditional collection of throat music -- over the course of tracks like "Tuva Groove," "Kargyraa Rap" and "The Other Side of the Mountain," Kongar-ol Ondar touches base with Western music idioms ranging from dance-pop to funk to bluegrass, and although not... [+] Read More

Though steeped in the roots of Tuvan folk sounds, Back Tuva Future is anything but a traditional collection of throat music -- over the course of tracks like "Tuva Groove," "Kargyraa Rap" and "The Other Side of the Mountain," Kongar-ol Ondar touches base with Western music idioms ranging from dance-pop to funk to bluegrass, and although not everything works, the results are never less than fascinating. Most interesting of all is "Where Has My Country Gone?," a duet with Willie Nelson which proves once and for all that the human voice need not conform to standard definitions of beauty to achieve grace and power. ~ Raymond McKinney, All Music Guide [-] Hide

While Sainkho is a vocalist from Tuva, she does not sing solely in the distinctive throat singing that has popularized the name of that postage stamp nation, although there are sufficient examples here. Sainkho incorporates the bovine canter rhythms, as in "Badjirgal's Wish," breathy vocalizations, and Oriental, upper-register expression.... [+] Read More

While Sainkho is a vocalist from Tuva, she does not sing solely in the distinctive throat singing that has popularized the name of that postage stamp nation, although there are sufficient examples here. Sainkho incorporates the bovine canter rhythms, as in "Badjirgal's Wish," breathy vocalizations, and Oriental, upper-register expression. Through accompanying her own samples and multi-tracking, production of Naked Spirit allows Sainkho to create an entire universe of sound with her voice. The tracks are often repeated variations on a single verse of three lines. While these stanzas bear haiku-like poetry, it is the rich arrangement and intricate harmonies that add beautiful mystery to these chant-like pieces. As such, Sainkho is the avant-garde, experimental face of the contemporary Tuvan folk scene. Her wondrously adept and entrancing vocalese places Sainkho in the regency of shrinking world vocal jazz. Clearly inspired by the whole of nature and a life outdoors (there is even a song about the Inuit), Sainkho conjures into her pieces many sonic allusions. In "Valley of Shadows," tablas recreate rainfall and she utters a flock of birds. Sainkho's unforgettable improvisations -- summoning for the mind an arena of the boundless steppes -- are here accompanied by mouth harps, varied ethnic percussion, and more, including master of the apricot-wood flute known as the dudu, Djivan Gasparyan, on the title track. Liner notes are in English and Italian. ~ Tom Schulte, All Music Guide [-] Hide

With this album, the members of Huun-Huur-Tu prove beyond a doubt that they're the bridge between the past and present in Tuva: the past because they have deep respect for the tradition (utilizing traditional instruments such as igil and doshpuluur in addition to the wonderful ankle bones of sheep in bull testicles), and the present as they... [+] Read More

With this album, the members of Huun-Huur-Tu prove beyond a doubt that they're the bridge between the past and present in Tuva: the past because they have deep respect for the tradition (utilizing traditional instruments such as igil and doshpuluur in addition to the wonderful ankle bones of sheep in bull testicles), and the present as they bring in contemporary elements (guitar and -- previously unknown in Tuva -- the concept of harmony singing). Of course, it's the throat singing that's the highlight, showcased perfectly on "Tuvan Internationale," where unearthly overtones are produced in the throat, amplifying harmonics, often two or three notes at a time. They take chances, although even their own material doesn't stray far from the tradition, with the omnipresent rhythm of horses (the real sound of Tuva) carrying all the songs. Perhaps the piece of greatest interest is "Song of the Caravan Drivers," included here as an homage to Frank Zappa, with whom they worked before his death. This is folk music, to be sure, but of a kind to mystify and engage the Western ear with its exotic flavors. Don't be fooled into thinking it's a novelty, however; for Huun-Huur-Tu this is a record of life in Central Asia, not just as it was, but as it remains. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide [-] Hide