Links

For articles about Alash, see Media page

Tuva Throat Singers (video) Tuva Throat Singers
Video about Tuvan throat singing, featurng female throat singer Shonchalai Oorzhak-Choodu. Produced by Journeyman Pictures.
Study by Valentina Suzukei of Tuvan music culture in the 20th century Fundamental Research on Musical Culture of Tuva in the Twentieth Century
(Tuva Online, 2 May 2007), translated by Sean Quirk and Theodore Levin.
Famous Tuvan music researcher Valentina Suzukei has finished her multifacetous study of Tuvan music culture in the XXth century. ...
Timbral Listening Timbral Listening (Wikipedia)
... In Timbral Listening "pitch is subordinate to timbre." Instead, the specific quality of a musical tone is determined by considering "the presence, distribution and relative amplitude of overtones." ...
On Point, The Art of Tuva Throat Singing) The Art of Tuva Throat Singing, On Point with Tom Ashbrook (NPR)
There is a land at the vast, windswept meeting of Siberia and Mongolia, where humankind's most ancient, nomadic past still lives in song....
The Throat Singers of Tuva (Scientific American, September 1999) The Throat Singers of Tuva (Scientific American, September 1999) [PDF]
Testing the limits of vocal ingenuity, throat-singers can create sounds unlike anything in ordinary speech and song ...
A Unique Vocalization from Three Cultures Throat-Singing, a unique vocalization from three cultures (Smithsonian Global Sound Feature)
Throat-singing, a guttural style of singing or chanting, is one of the world's oldest forms of music. ...
History of the Study of Khorekteer История Изучения Хоректээр, Международного Научного Центра «Хоомей»
History of the Study of Khorekteer (instrumental music-making that imitates natural sounds), International Science Center "Xoomei" (in Russian)
Tuvan National Orchestra Tuvan National Orchestra
The members of Alash, Sean Quirk, and other well-known Tuvan musicians are current or past members.
Tiny Tuva Is Making Big Sound in World Of Off-Beat Music, Wall Street Journal, April 1, 2006 Tiny Tuva Is Making Big Sound in World Of Off-Beat Music
(Wall Street Journal, 1 April 2006)  ... "I was watching a martial-arts demonstration, when all of a sudden I heard this, uuuuuuuiiiiiieeeeerrrrrrraaaaaahhhh," ...
Revolvy Tuvan Throat Singing (Revolvy)
Overview of Tuvan throat-singing techniques, styles and customs, with links to related articles
Khoomei.com Khoomei.com
Steve Sklar's website about khoomei with articles, lessons, photos, and videos
Busker-Kibbutznik.org Khoomei HOW-TO
A small collection of resources to get anyone started throat singing
Overtone singing, Wikipedia Overtone Singing (Wikipedia)
Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, harmonic singing, or harmonic chant, is a type of singing in which the singer manipulates the harmonic resonances ...
Throat-Singing, All Music Throat-Singing (All Music)
Tuvan throat singing is a distinctively wordless vocal style; as the name suggests, the singing is throaty and guttural, producing buzzing, whistling sounds. ...
Tuvan Throat Singing and the Legend of the Horse Head Fiddle, Sarah Wallin, 2005 Tuvan Throat Singing and the Legend of the Horse Head Fiddle
by Sarah Wallin, 2005 [PDF only]
... the Horse Head Fiddle is an important part of Tuvan pastoral music. According to ancient Mongolian legend ...
A miraculous method of singing A Miraculous Method of Singing: on throat singing of south Siberia by Sami Jansson.  Exercised by a number of Central Asian tribes, throat singing is a peculiar vocal art with three basic vocalizing methods ...
Overtone Singing, Vocal Multiphonics Overtone Singing, Vocal Multiphonics
Also known by the term Harmonic Singing, this is a special vocal technique originating in the Altai - Tuvan - Mongolian region which allows the singer to produce more than one musical note at once. ...
Meistersingers of the Steppe Meistersingers of the Steppe by John Cho (1996)
... arguably the most technically virtuosic vocalists in the world are the herdsmen of Tuva ... singing to themselves in the otherworldly multiple tones of the khoomei style ...
Post-Soviet Tuvan Throat-Singing Post-Soviet Tuvan Throat-Singing (Xöömei) and the Circulation of Nomadic Sensibility [PDF], an ethnographic study by Robert Oliver Beahrs (2014)
In the post-Soviet era, xöömeizhi (master throat-singers) from the Tuva Republic express a revitalized nomadic sensibility through xöömei singing practices ... .
Musical Archaeology, Tucson Weekly Musical Archaeology: A Lyrical Trip to Tuva's Past Offers a Glimpse into Its Future
(Tucson Weekly, 30 January 1997)
... a strange, beautiful tapestry of sound and rhythm that taps into something more real, more authentic, than anything you'll likely find on the American musical landscape. ...
Music of Tuva, Wikipedia Music of Tuva (Wikipedia)
... There is debate as to the exact number of styles or techniques the Tuvans use in their throat singing....
Musical Archaeology, Tucson Weekly, Jan 30, 1997 Tuva-Irish Project (All About Jazz, 15 May 2007)
If the collaboration between a Tuvan throat singer and an Irish laptop-ist sounds an unlikely combination, the end results fully justify the experiment. ...
Republic of Tyva Voices from the Center of Asia
Link to tracks from the CD
Every Tuvan Maker of Traditional Instruments should Preserve his Own Style Every Tuvan Maker of Traditional Instruments should Preserve his Own Style (Tuva Online, 15 November 2005)
... A seminar devoted to the problems and prospects of the Tuvan traditional instruments was organized by the Centre of Folk Arts headed by Zoya Mongush. ...
Tuva Throat Singers Tuva Throat Singers (NPR, All Things Considered, 5 September 1999)
... NPR's Michele Kelemen visited Tuva, and reports that officials there are hoping interest in Tuvan music will attract attention to this poor region. ...
Tuva Throat Singers Albert Kuvezin: Tuvan Folk Rock Fusion Trailblazer (Bandcamp Daily, 11 November 2022)
A review of Albert Kuvezin and his band Yat-Kha discusses the fusion of Tuvan folk music with modern western genres.
How Tuvan vocalists sing two notes at once How Tuvan vocalists sing two notes at once (Scienceline, 17 Feb 2022)
These master musicians use the fundamental principles of sound to sculpt their overtone harmonies.
Overtone focusing in biphonic tuvan throat singing Overtone Focusing in Biphonic Tuvan Throat Singing (eLife, 12 Feb 2020)
Researchers use sound analysis, dynamic magnetic resonance imaging, and vocal tract modeling to demonstrate how biphonation is achieved by modulating vocal tract morphology.
The Throat Singers of Tuva (Scientific American, Sept 1999) The Throat Singers of Tuva (Scientific American, Sept 1999) [PDF]
Testing the limits of vocal ingenuity, throat-singers can create sounds unlike anything in ordinary speech and song ...
Harmonic singing vs normal singing, science@unsw Harmonic singing vs normal singing (University of New South Wales)
We explain some of the acoustics of harmonic singing (also called diphonic singing, overtone singing, xoomi singing, sygyt singing, throat singing, Tuva singing etc)
Vocal fold and false vocal fold vibrations in throat singing and synthesis of khöömei Vocal fold and ventricular fold vibration in period-doubling phonation: Physiological description and aerodynamic modeling
... their vibration has been observed during specific vocal gestures: Asian throat singing. ...
TUVA Throat Singing (acoustics) TUVA Throat Singing (University of British Columbia, Theoretical Physics)
... While it sounds as though the singer is producing two separte tones at the same time, this is not true. ... the singer is altering and sharpening the resonance of that vocal tract so as to produce one single very sharp ... resonance at about 2000Hz. ...
How to Sing Three Notes at the Same Time How to Sing Three Notes at the Same Time (La Scena Musicale, 1 June 1997)
... one person can sing in chords and can also provide a melody. ...
Kyzyl time and weather Time and weather in Tuva
Current time and weather in Kyzyl, capital of the Republic of Tuva
Government of the Republic of Tuva Правительство Республики Тыва, ОФициальный сайт
Government of the Republic of Tuva, official site (in Russian)
Tuva History History of Tuva
Republic of Tannu Tuva: The country that voted itself out of independence
Tuva Online (English) Tuva-Online (English)
News Agency of the Russian Republic of Tuva, English edition
Tuva-Online (Russian) Тува-Онлайн, это первое информационное агентство Республики Тува
Tuva-Online, the premier news agency of the Republic of Tuva (in Russian)
The discovery of an outstanding "royal" burial of the Scythian period in Tuva, Hermitage News The discovery of an outstanding "royal" burial of the Scythian period in Tuva, Hermitage News (2006).
Joint Russo-German scientific team excavates and studies an undisturbed grave from the 6th-5th century B.C.
Russia Today Russia Today: two features about Tyva
Coverage of the Fifth International Xöömei Symposium, including the awarding of the grand prize to Bady-Dorzhu Ondar (2008). "Tyva Traditions under Threat" looks at social change in Tuva (2007).
Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, Tuva page Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization
Tuva page of UNPO, an international forum for peoples who are not represented in international fora such as the U.N.
Could Tyva Become Tuva Again? Could Tyva Become Tuva Again? (UNPO)
In the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the people of what Russian and Soviet officials had called Tuva resolved to call their republic Tyva and themselves Tyvans. ...
Tuva, Wikipedia Tuva (Wikipedia)
Geography, history, and demographics of the Tyva Republic
TyvaWiki TyvaWiki
A repository for information about Tyva
Tuva, Center of Asia Tuva, Center of Asia (Eurasia Review, 12 June 2012)
The capital of Tuva, Kyzyl, claims to be the geographical “Center of Asia”, as asserted by the label of a homonymous monument in the city. Whether this claim is true or false, the Tyva Republic is the cornerstone of Russian power in the yellow continent. ...
Tuva Visit A Visit to Tuva (Russia Beyond, 28 November 2021)
I visited Tuva, the geographical center of Asia, and was DELIGHTED
Michael Cline visits Tuva Michael Cline visits Tuva (Russia Beyond, 12 February 2022)
How I visited one of the most controversial corners of Russia - and it blew me away
Sami Jansson's journey to Tuva Sami Jansson's journey to Tuva
Travelogue with links to photos
Talking Dictionary Tuvan ↔ English Talking Dictionary
Tuvan language and culture portal at Swarthmore College
Tuvan Language Tuvan Language (Wikipedia)
The Tuvan language (Tyva dyl), also known as Tuvinian language, is one of the Turkic languages (A subfamily of Altaic languages) ...
Kyzyl, capital of Tyva, wikimapia Kyzyl, capital of Tyva (Wikimapia)
Satellite images of Tyva from wikimapia.org
Tuva, Bing Maps Tuva map (Bing Maps)
Road and aerial map
Contemporary Shamans of Mongolia and Tuva Contemporary Shamans of Mongolia and Republic of Tuva (Facebook)
A Shaman's Prayer A Shaman's Prayer (SBS Dateline)
Story by video journalist Nick Lazaredes about Tuvan shamans. Three musicians from Alash are featured in the segment about throat singing. Transcript only.
Tuva, Land of Eagles Tuva, Land of Eagles
Foundation for Shamanic Studies 1993 Expedition to Tuva
Plural World Interpretations: The Case of the Tyvans of South Siberia Plural World Interpretations: The Case of the Tyvans of South Siberia
Anett C. Oelschlaegel, an Associate Researcher at the Siberian Studies Centre of the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, studies questions of interpretation of the world, religion, and divination in Western Tyva.
Keeper of the Reindeer Keeper of the Reindeer of the Great Taiga
... For three days, the reindeer herder Oleg Orai-ool became the most popular person in the taiga spa "Ush-Beldir", in the East of Tuva ... There are not many [reindeer herders] left in the Todzha district - the only place in Tuva where reindeer herders live. ...
Tuvan Yurts The Republic of Tuva
Five short films by Jonathan Smith and David Gala documenting their trip to Tuva in 2002, including a visit to a working yurt
WikiTravel Tuva WikiTravel Tuva
Tuva is on the border with Mongolia and shares much in common with the adjacent Mongolian regions....
NatGeoVanLang Tuva National Geographic - Vanishing Languages
...The reach of Mandarin and English and Russian and Hindi and Spanish and Arabic extends seemingly to every hamlet, where they compete with Tuvan and Yanomami and Altaic in a house-to-house battle....
Academia.edu Tuvan language Academia.edu - Tuvan Language - Siberian Languages in Contact
Abstract Morphological categories of Siberian Turkic numerals are particularly complex and therefore deemed to be especially advantageous to areal investigations....
Tran Quang Hai's World Tran Quang Hai's World
Ethnomusicologist Tran Quang Hai's blog with links related to Tuvan throat singing and other types of overtone singing
Traditional Music and Instruments of the Mongolian people Traditional Music and Instruments of the Mongolian people
The traditional Mongolian Folk music is influenced by the large variety of tribes ... (site includes photos of traditional instruments)
Music of Mongolia, Wikipedia Music of Mongolia (Wikipedia)
... Traditional long-songs are one of the greatest features of Mongolian music....
Mongolian Music, Sound Transformations Mongolian Music (Sound Transformations)
... On this site you can find out about Mongolian Khöömii (Overtone) Singing, Mongolian Traditional Music...
Mongolian Music, Interview with Altai-Hangai Mongolian Music, Interview with Altai-Hangai (Asia Society)
Altai-Hangai is a Mongolian musical group that fuses the sounds of traditional throat-singing and horse-head fiddle with contemporary forms of jazz....
Music of Altai, Wikipedia Music of Altai (Wikipedia)
... The performance of traditional epics, accompanied by the topshur, is an important part of Altay music....
Epics from the golden Altai Mountains Epics from the golden Altai Mountains
... One of the most important forms of Altai art ... is the narration of epics in the falsetto voice to the accompaniment of the topshur ...
Altai Music Altai Music (Last.fm)
Altay Republic is a region in Russia, composed primarily of ethnic Russians and Altaians. Prominent modern performers include....
Nature Photography of Russia Nature Photographs by Konstantin Mikhailov
Photographs of Tuva.
Hans Rossel Travel Photography Hans Rossel Travel Photography
Photographs of Tuva. Stock photography.
Photography by Oleg Kosterin Photography by Oleg Kosterin
Photographs of Tuva.
Photography by K. David Harrison Photography by K. David Harrison
Swarthmore College Linguistics, Field Work 2003
ArcticPhoto Online Arctic Photo (Search for "tuva".)
Photographs of Tuva. Stock photography.
Explorer-Photo Explorer-Photo
Photographs of Tuva. Stock photography.
Siberia Trekking Siberia Trekking
Photographs of Tuva
Bela Fleck Béla Fleck and the FlecktonesBela Fleck
Alash are guest artists on the Flecktones' Grammy-winning CD "Jingle All the Way." During December 2008 and 2009, Alash toured with the Flecktones to promote the CD.
Michael Cline Michael Cline
Michael Cline first discovered the magic of Tuva in 1999 after a harrowing couple of years fighting personal demons. His fascination with a place no one has ever heard of probably saved his life, allowing him to focus on something much more positive. After befriending Alash and other touring Tuvan bands, he eventually took the leap and traveled to Tuva three times. See How I visited one of the most controversial corners of Russia—and it blew me away. Michael's book My Adventures in Tuva tells his story and makes a great field guide for visitors to Tuva.
Fifth House Ensemble Fifth House Ensemble
The Fifth House Ensemble is a Chicago-based chamber music ensemble dedicated to expanding the perceived limits of classical music. They collaborated with Alash in a year-long project called Sonic Meditations.
Friends of Tuva Friends of Tuva
Friends of Tuva (FoT) was conceived by accident in 1981 to commemorate Tuva's 60th anniversary as a distinctive splotch on the world globe. ...
Hazmat Modine Hazmat Modine
Hazmat Modine is a blues band that has collaborated with Alash.
Juniper Green, LLC Juniper Green, LLC
Juniper Green LLC is a U.S.-based Limited Liability Corporation (formed in Wisconsin) focused on promoting Tuvan music and culture. Sean Quirk is the managing member.
Kongar-ol Ondar Kongar-ool Ondar
The late Kongar-ool Ondar, master throat singer, was mentor and artistic director of Alash in the group's formative years. See also: articles about Kongar-ool Ondar and Singing My Life, a biography of Kongar-ool Ondar by Valentina Suzukei (ebook, 2014).
Elliott Levin Elliott Levin
Avant-garde jazz musician from Philadelphia and leader of the Extra Special Terrestrial Guests, a group that has collaborated with Alash. Listen to jam sessions recorded at the Rotunda in Philadelphia in 2007.
Ovaa Ovaa
Ovaa handmakes traditional and non-traditional Tuvan instruments.
Sai-Xonash Sai-Xonash (Сай-Хонаш)
Zhenya and Anai-Xaak Saryglar are an independent couple living in Kyzyl who offer a number of affordable services for tourists, researchers, and students of Tuvan culture.
Naftali Schindler Naftali Schindler
Naftali Schindler is a composer and fan of Tuvan music who invited Alash to perform at Yale.
Shodekeh Shodekeh
Shodekeh is a professional beatboxer and a frequent collaborator with Alash. Along with Alash and other musicians, Shodekeh is featured in the documentary film Shu-de!
Shonchelai Shonchelai
Shonchelai, a Tyvan woman who lives in Canada, has created an English language blog about Tyva. She has also started an English language Google group about Tyva. Only members can view the group's content. Consider joining if you want to exchange information and opinions about Tyva.
Sergei Sotpa Sergei Sotpa
Sergei Sotpa was an original member of Alash.
Sun Ra Arkestra Sun Ra Arkestra
The first American Jazz band to travel to Tuva. Several Sun Ra musicians have joined forces with the Extra Special Terrestrial Guests to collaborate with Alash. Listen to jam sessions recorded at the Rotunda in Philadelphia in 2007.

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