Tuvan throat singing, also called Mongolian throat singing, is a type of throat singing. The main technique used is called khoomei (pronounced /xuˈmiː/ or /xoʊˈmeɪ/). People in Tuva, Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Altay practice this style. Tuvan throat singing is known for using overtone singing or undertone singing, based on the method used. In 2009, Tuvan throat singing was added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Overview

Tuvan throat singing involves a performer humming a main note while also controlling the higher sounds that naturally occur with that note, creating a melody. This tradition has existed for many years. Many men who raise animals can throat sing, and now more women are learning to do it too. The reason Tuvans enjoy throat singing may be because of where they live and their culture. The wide, open areas of Tuva allow sounds to travel far. Music experts who study this practice say that khoomei, a type of throat singing, is an important part of the ancient beliefs about nature still used today. Singers often travel to remote places, such as rivers or mountain steppes, to find the best conditions for singing.

The beliefs of this region see natural objects as spiritual, not only because of how they look or where they are, but also because of the sounds they make.

Usually, melodies are made by selecting specific notes from a series of sounds that naturally occur with the main note. These notes are called partials. For example, if the main note is C3, the higher notes would be G5, B♭5, C6, D6, E6, G6, and A6. However, singers can also use notes much lower or much higher than these. The main note is often E or G below middle C, and this affects which notes the singer can produce. Higher notes are easier to sing when the main note is lower, and lower notes are easier when the main note is higher.

The people of Tuva have many different ways of throat singing and were the first to develop six-note harmonies. There are several ways to classify Tuvan throat singing. One system groups it into three main styles: khoomei, kargyraa, and sygyt, with substyles like borbangnadyr, chylandyk, dumchuktaar, ezengileer, and kanzyp. Another system lists five main styles: khoomei, sygyt, kargyraa, borbangnadyr, and ezengileer, with substyles including chylandyk, despeng borbang, opei khoomei, buga khoomei, kanzyp, khovu kargyraazy, kozhagar kargyraazy, dag kargyraazy, Oidupaa kargyraazy, uyangylaar, damyraktaar, kishteer, serlennedyr, and byrlannadyr. All these classifications use Tuvan words.

Styles and techniques

Khorekteer refers to the "chest voice." This is the voice used by throat singers when performing khoomei, kargyraa, or other styles that create harmonies. The term can also describe all types of Tuvan throat singing, similar to how khoomei is used. It can also describe the feeling of chest resonance or pressure felt during throat singing. Khorekteer is often used as a starting point for styles like khoomei, sygyt, or kargyraa.

Ethnomusicologist Zoya Kyrgys defines khorekteer as a term for all Tuvan throat singing.

The most popular style of throat singing is called khoomei (or khöömei in Cyrillic: хөөмей). The word "hömei" or "kömei" means "throat" and "larynx" in some Turkic languages. Khoomei is traditionally a softer style, with the main note (or drone) usually in the low-mid to midrange of the singer’s normal voice. In this style, two or three harmonics can be heard between one and two octaves above the main note. The abdomen is relaxed, and the larynx has less tension than in other styles. Pitch is changed by moving the lips, throat, tongue, or jaw.

The term khoomei is also used as a general term for all throat singing techniques in this region.

Sygyt (in Cyrillic: сыгыт), meaning "whistling," has a midrange main note and is known for strong, flute-like or piercing harmonics, similar to whistling. The ideal sound for harmonics is called "Чистый звук," which means "clear sound" in Russian.

To perform sygyt, the tongue rises and forms a seal around the gums, just behind the teeth. A small opening is left near the molars on one side. The sound is directed between the teeth to the front of the mouth. The lips shape into a bell-like form, usually with an "ee" vowel, and the sound passes through the small opening. Pitch is changed the same way as in khoomei.

Kargyraa (in Cyrillic: каргыраа) is a deeper-sounding style of throat singing. It has a growling tone and is related to Sardinian bass singing in Cantu a tenore choirs. This style uses both the vocal folds and the vestibular folds (also called "false vocal cords") at the same time, creating two connected sound sources.

By tightening the larynx, the vestibular folds can be brought together and, under certain conditions, vibrate. This can produce a lower sound exactly half the frequency of the main note from the vocal folds. For every two vibrations of the vocal folds, the vestibular folds complete one full vibration cycle. While the larynx creates this rich sound, the shape of the mouth can be adjusted, like when forming vowels, to select specific harmonics, making the sound seem to have multiple pitches at once.

This technique is the same as in Sardinian bassu, one of the four voices in Sardinian canto a tenore choirs. It is also similar to the chant practiced in Tibet by the Gyuto monastery and other Buddhist groups, even though the methods are different. In beatboxing, the kargyraa sound is called "Throat Bass."

There are two types of kargyraa: dag (mountain) and xovu (steppe). The dag style is deeper, while xovu is raspier, higher in pitch, and uses more throat tension with less chest resonance. There are also distinct styles by Vladimir Oidupaa and Albert Kuvezin, the latter also called kanzat. This style is sometimes described as the sound of winter winds or a mother camel’s cry after losing her calf.

Two effects commonly used in khoomei, sygyt, and kargyraa styles are Borbangnadyr and Ezengileer.

• Borbangnadyr (Борбаңнадыр) is a trill that sounds like birds or flowing water, created by fast movements of the tongue and lips. A light quivering of the lips, called "byrlang," is often added.
• Ezengileer (Эзеңгилээр) is a pulsating style that mimics the rhythm of horseback riding. It is named after the Tuvan word for "stirrup," "ezengi." It is made by opening and closing the velum, the part that separates the nasal cavity from the mouth.
• Chylandyk (Чыландык) combines sygyt and kargyraa, creating a unique sound of low undertones mixed with high-pitched whistles. It is sometimes described as the "chirping of crickets." This style can be further divided into Dag Chylandyk and Xovu Chylandyk.
• Dumchuktaar (Думчуктаар) is best described as "throat humming." The singer produces a sound similar to sygyt using only the nasal passage. The word "dumchuk" means "to sing through the nose." The mouth does not need to be closed, but keeping it open helps demonstrate the technique.

Women in Tuvan throat singing

In Tuva's history, there were a few women who throat sang. Some people believed that if a woman performed throat singing, it might cause infertility. Choldak-Kara Oyun, the mother of the famous throat singer Soruktu Kyrgys and grandmother of the husband of Tuvan actress Kara-Kys Namzatovna Munzuk, throat sang throughout her life. She sang while milking her cows, sang lullabies to her children, and sometimes while drinking Tuvan araga (fermented milk alcohol). Close relatives of famous singers, such as 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. Aldinsova Tortoyavna, the wife of throat singing shaman Bilek-ool from Manchurek, said she always sang khoomei "because it was innate to [her] from birth." She could not stop singing khoomei after she married and had children. She performed in public during the 1950s and 1960s. However, her sister, who also sang khoomei as a girl, stopped singing after others reminded her of the supposed dangers.

Valentina Salchak performed throat singing in public in 1979. Valentina Chuldum from Mongun-Taiga (1960–Autumn 2002) toured European countries as a throat singer in the early 1990s. Women could sing publicly at the International Symposium of Khoomei when it began.

Tyva Kyzy (Тыва Кызы, pronounced [tɯˈva kɯˈzɯ]) (Daughters of Tuva, in the Tuvan language), founded in 1998, is an all-female folk ensemble that performs Tuvan throat singing. It is directed by Choduraa Tumat. This group is the first and only women's group in Tuva that performs all styles of Tuvan throat singing.

In popular culture

• Richard Feynman, a scientist who won a Nobel Prize, was interested in Tuvan throat singing. In the 1980s, near the end of his life, he was very sick with cancer and tried to visit Tuva. He never reached Tuva, but his daughter visited there in 2009 and met Tuvan throat singers. A 1988 documentary film called The Quest for Tannu Tuva was made about Feynman’s attempt to visit Tuva. The film was part of the BBC TV series Horizon and later shown on PBS as The Last Journey of a Genius. In 1991, a book titled Tuva or Bust! was written by Ralph Leighton, a friend of Feynman. The book includes a recording of Tuvan throat singing on a flexi disc.

• Yat-Kha is a band formed in 1991 and led by Tuvan throat singer Albert Kuvezin. The band plays a mix of traditional Tuvan music and rock.

• Huun-Huur-Tu is a band formed in 1992. It uses Tuvan throat singing in its music and has performed internationally since it began.

• Chirgilchin is a Tuvan musical group formed in 1996. It is led by Igor Koshkendey, who won the Grand Prix at the International Throat Singing Competition in 1998, 2000, and 2002.

• K-Space is a music group formed in 1996. It includes British and Siberian musicians and features Tuvan throat singer Gendos Chamzyryn.

• Tyva Kyzy is an all-female folk group formed in 1998. It performs Tuvan throat singing and has performed internationally.

• Genghis Blues is a 1999 documentary film that won an award at the Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award. It follows the journey of blind American singer Paul Pena to Tuva to learn about Tuvan throat singing.

• Alex Brightman used Tuvan throat singing in his performance as Beetlejuice in the Broadway musical Beetlejuice The Musical.

• Alash is a group of Tuvan musicians and throat singers formed in 1999 at the Kyzyl Arts College. It has performed internationally since 2006.

• The Tuvan National Orchestra was formed in 2003. It often includes Tuvan throat singing and has featured performances by artists from Alash, Chirgilchin, Huun-Huur-Tu, and Tyva Kyzy.

• Batzorig Vaanchig is a Mongolian throat singer and member of the band Khusugtun. The band won second place on Asia's Got Talent in 2015. Batzorig has millions of views on YouTube.

• The Hu is a band formed in 2016. It is from Mongolia and combines rock and heavy metal with traditional Mongolian music, including throat singing and the Morin khuur (a horsehead fiddle). The band calls its style "hunnu rock," with "hu" meaning "human" in Mongolian. In 2018, the band performed at the Download Festival in Donington. A song called "Black Thunder" was created for the 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. A new version of the song, "Sugaan Essena," was translated into a fictional Star Wars language and used in the game.

• Soriah/Uger Khan is an American musician, performer, and artist based in Portland, Oregon, and the Tuvan Republic. His music combines traditional styles like Tuvan throat singing, shamanic music, and Raga with modern styles like Industrial and Ambient. His performances mix costumes and rituals from Tuva, Mexico, Native American cultures, and Western traditions.

Audio examples

• Kargyraa.mp3
• Khoomei.mp3
• Sygyt.mp3
• For more information, visit https://www.alashensemble.com/ to find a complete and correct list of audio samples.