Tuvan Musicians
Huun-Huur-Tu
The best
known group from Tuva. Currently features four musicians led by Kaigal-ool
Khovalyg, a very talented overtone singer and instrumentalist who now teaches
Igil at the music school in Tuva's capital, Kyzyl. Huun-Huur-Tu (the name
means the separation of light on the grasslands after sunrise and before sunset)
promote the varied instrumental music of Tuva as well as overtone-singing
and have collaborated with Frank Zappa, Ry Cooder, the Cheiftains, and the
Kronos Quartet amongst others. They have recorded four albums for Shanchie
to date. Rough Guide to World Music, Volume 2.
Official Website: www.huunhuurtu.com
Kongar-ool Ondar
Kongar-ol
Ondar [Ondar] Ondar was born in 1962 near the Hemchik River in western Tuva,
within sight of the ruins of the Chadaana Buddhist Monastery destroyed by
the communists in the 1930's. Ondar's epic saga would converge around his
singular vocal gift to make him Tuva's musical ambassador to the world. As
a child, he was taught the fundamentals of throat-singing by his uncle. "Throat-singing
is a tradition of Tuva that is very old," Ondar recently remarked. "it is
inspired by the beautiful landscape of Tuva, which is full of sounds -- the
windswept open range with grazing livestock, the mountain forests full of
birds and animals and the countless streams tumbling out of the mountains
onto the open range to form mighty rivers. Our throat-singing has been passed
down for countless generations. It is the immortal part of ourselves."
In 1994, Ondar joined forces with San Francisco artist Paul "Earthquake"
Pena to record a groundbreaking blend of throat-singing and blues, aptly titled
Genghis Blues. He subsequently went on tour with Pena, and after returning
home, sang for an august audience that included Tuvan leader Sherig-ool Oorzhak
and former Russian Federation President Boris Yeltsin, who afterwards named
Ondar a National Artist Of Russia. www.ondar.com
Official Website: www.ondar.com
Yat Kha
Led
by Albert Kuvezin, founding member of Huun-Huur-Tu, Yat Kha are a fairly recent
addition to the Tuvan scene, bringing a punk sensibility to Tuvan sounds.
Kuvezin has a gutteral, almost inhuman-sounding voice and plays the zither
(from which the band takes it's name) alongside a trio of musicians on throat-singing
vocals, horse-head fiddles, and percussion. Rough Guide
to World Music, Volume 2
Official Website: www.yatkha.com
Sainkho Namchylak
Tuva's
most celebrated female vocalist has a background in throat-singing, Siberian
folklore, and shamanistic ritual, throat-singing was almost exclusively the
province of men, although the taboo against women based on the beleif that
it caused infertility is now outdated. Namchylak, by nature adventurous, was
a member of the Tuvan State Ensemble before going to live in Moscow and then
Western Europe from the late 1980s. She has worked with Russian folklore ensembles,
Belgian World Music guru Hector Zazou, and improvisatory free-jazz acts. Rough
Guide to World Music, Volume 2
Website: Sainkho
Chirgilchin
"Chirgilchin"
(which in Tuvan means a mirage or miracle) is a Tuvan folklore group performing
traditional Tuvan songs in various styles of throat singing. The group was
formed in January, 1996. The group consists of the following talented young
people: 1. Aidysmaa Kandan: female member of "Chirgilchin", winner at the
1995 throat singing symposium. 2. Aldar Tamdyn: performs two styles by throat
singing and plays various traditional Tuvan musical instruments. 3. Igor Koshkendej:
winner of symposiums of "Throat singing" in 1995 and 1996 and Grand Prix of
1998. He performs 5 styles of throat singing and plays traditional Tuvan musical
instruments. He has released an album on Amiata Records in 1998. 4. Mongun-ool
Ondar: performs seven styles of throat singing, plays many Tuvan traditional
musical instruments. He is winner of symposium "Throat Singing" in 1995 and
1996 and Grand Prix of 1995.
In October, 1996 the company "Shanachie" produced the first album of the
group titled "The Wolf and the Kid", which has proved very successful among
the connoisseurs of throat singing. In November of the same year the group
went with fortnightly concert and workshops tour in Italy. In July this year
the group "Chirgilchin" received Grand Prix of symposium "Throat singing 1998",
which took place in Kyzyl of the Republic of Tuva. And the soloist of group
Igor Koshkendej received Grand Prix as the soloist. Pure
Nature Music
Official Website: Chirgilchin
Shu-De
Shu-de
is a Tuvan band very popular in the West. The group consists of: 1. Boris
Salchak - throat singer, igil, percussion. - Tuva 2. Christi Doran - guitar,
arrangement. - Switzerland. 3. Sholban Salchak - igil, bysanchi. - Teli Bai-Taiga
kojuun. Discography: 1. Voices of the Steppes - 1992 CD "Real World" England
2. Kongurei - 1996 CD "Robi Droli" Italy 3. Shaman - 1999 CD "MELT 2000 "
England The group performs experimental music based on traditional Tuvan tunes.
They have also been involved in collaborational projects. In particular, the
CD "Shaman" was produced together with the Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira.
Since 1992 the group has participated in many festivals in Australia, Italy,
England, New Zealand, Switzerland. The band also arrange projects in music
colleges and vocalist associations. Pure Nature Music
Official Website: Shu-De
Altai-Hangai
is a Mongolian musical group that fuses the sounds of traditional throat-singing
and horse-head fiddle with contemporary forms of jazz. named after the Altai
Mountains and Hangai Steppes of Central Mongolia, Altai-Hangai's music invokes
Mongolia's harsh climate, the Mongolian reverence for nature, as well as Mongolia's
intense love of horses. The group, made up of Palamshav Childaa, Ganbold Muukha,
Ganzorig Nergui, and Byambakhishig Lhagva, has also received a great deal
of international acclaim. After hearing one of their performances, world famous
cellist YoYo Ma was so impressed that he invited Altai-Hangai to join him
on his solo tour of Europe. Also known as 'Ensemble Altai-Hangai', the group
made their debut in America in July 2001, at an Asia Society Concert in New
York. 
EGSCHIGLEN
in their songs and tunes sing their living with their five jewels: horses,
camels, cattle, sheep and goats. Their music breaths the freedom and the power
of the simples way of life close to the nature. Their name stands for harmony
or beautiful melody. In the songs the themes are taken from the nomad life
(Happy Milker, Legend of a Horse, Song of Praise to Altai and Changaj) but
are also taken from their studies at the Conservatory (5 Different Styles
of Throat Singing, Concert for Joochin, Concert for Jatag). Also elements
from their history are part of their repertoire in particular the figure of
the great Genghis Khan (Song of Praise to Genghis Khan) that built the largest
empire of the history and has shaped the culture and the way of life that
still today mark the regions of Central Asia. The instrumental parts are alternate
with the singing in the characteristic style named Khoomii a special larynx
chant in which the overtones are modulated while at the same time singing
the base melody. There results are astonishing. Just listen! EGSCHIGLEN is
the best known group of Mongolian music in the Western countries. Founded
in 1991 the group interprets songs of the popular tradition but also compositions
by modern Mongolian composers. The group is composed by 7 elements that play
instruments of the local tradition: Morin huur (bowed string instruments similar
to a cello), Jatag (close to our zither) and Joochin (equal to a dulcimer)
and the voices in the typical Khoomii style, throat singing that stress the
overtones in the low and high range of themelody. The band has done several
tours in Europe performing in important Festival such as Neufchatel (Switzerland),
Rotterdam (Holland), Time Zones (Italy) and radio programme (Radio Bremen,
WDR, Bayrischer Rundfunk). 