Alash
ALASH
Tuvan throat singing
Republic of Tuva (Russian Federation)
One of the world's oldest and most striking vocal traditions is xöömei (throat singing) from Tuva, a tiny republic in Central Asia, situated between Siberia and Mongolia. Throat-singing is a unique style of overtone singing in which a single singer produces two, three, or even four notes of different pitches simultaneously—a continuous low drone, and harmonic tones several octaves higher which are shaped into a melody. The music is colored with sounds embedded in the history of the Tuvan people, who, for centuries, were nomadic herdsmen. Throat singing evokes this natural world—the wind whistling down from the mountains, and the high trill of birdsong—all set to the rhythm of trotting horses. Largely unknown beyond Tuva until the 1990s, Tuvan throat-singing expanded western conceptions of the capacities of the human voice, and quickly became a worldwide sensation.
Members of the Alash ensemble are among the most exciting artists carrying on the singing tradition today. Masters of traditional Tuvan instruments in addition to the ancient art of throat singing, they are fervently committed to Tuvan heritage, music, and culture, with deep roots in their families and villages. Each member has been trained since childhood, learning first from family and later master throat singers. Several group members learned under world-renowned throat singer Kongar-ool Ondar, who achieved fame with western audiences for his role in the documentary Genghis Blues. At Ondar’s urging, they began to expand their musical palette to include both old and new sounds. They incorporated guitar and Russian accordion alongside Tuvan instruments, experimented with harmony and song structure, and looked to western artists like Sun Ra and Jimi Hendrix for inspiration, while always ensuring the integrity of their Tuvan musical heritage remains of utmost importance.
Alash’s respectful and innovative approach has earned them accolades at home in Tuva and abroad. Each member has won top honors in throat-singing competitions, including Tuva’s International Xöömei Symposium in 2008, while the ensemble received first prize in the competition in 2004. In 2007, member Bady-Dorzhu Ondar became the youngest person to ever receive the prestigious title of People’s Xöömeizhi of the Republic of Tuva. Several years later, member Ayan Shirizhik was named Merited Artist of Tuva. The group has also been welcomed and celebrated by American audiences for the last two decades, ever since their inaugural tour in 2006.
In addition to the mesmerizing, multi-textured vocal sounds, audiences will be introduced to traditional Tuvan instruments. Bady-Dorzhu Ondar and Ayan Shirizhik will perform on the igil and the doshpuluur, as well as the guitar. The igil is a two-stringed instrument, with a teardrop-shaped body, that is bowed like a cello. The instrument’s design reflects Tuva’s nomadic roots; a carved horse head often adorns the igil’s peghead, leading many to call it a horse-head fiddle. The doshpuluur is a three-stringed instrument that is plucked or strummed, and the sound box is made either entirely from wood or with goatskin stretched across a wooden frame. The third member of Alash, Ayan-ool Sam, will perform on the Kengire, a large, goatskin frame drum. The sound of the Kengire is enhanced by the playing of the shynggyrash, a bound set of small bells that sit atop the instrument and vibrate when it is struck. Similar bells served as ornaments on the heads or necks of horses; their rhythmic vibration recalls the sounds of horses trotting.
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