Voices From The Distant Steppe

Nature has always provided Tuvans with their livelihood. A good breeder of livestock needs to keep a close eye on his animals, their growth and reproduction; a good hunter needs to know the habits and habitat of the animals he tracks. Through intimate contact with their environment Tuvans have attuned themselves to nature’s way, he rules and secrets, and have accumulated a vast and profound knowledge of their environment, and of themselves. Their skills in observing animals enable them to forecast the weather and the wild crops. The low tones of the woodpecker are the first sign of spring, the whirring of locusts signals that the fruits of the taiga and grains of the fields are ripe; a particular cry of the crow means that frost is coming.

This close union with nature is also reflected in shamanism, one of the ancient belief systems of Tuva. The Shamen, both men and women, call the spirits of nature with a drum and speak to all living things. The energies accumulated by the shamen through a state of trance, and fusion with the world of natural spirits, are than redirected into healing forces for the benfit of the community.

Throat-singing predominates in the open steppe in the south of Tuva towards Mongolia. It is used during the day while people work, and as meditation after the day’s efforts. Although the phenomenon can be explained it is still not fully understood. While prolonged use of the technique is said to be harmful to the physical health of the practitioner, it has been used to ease the pains of childbirth and healing, and in the treatment of radiation sickness. Throat-singing in Tuva is the prerogative of men who are said to be “born with the gift” and they start to practise in early infancy. Although women are physically able to produce the same sounds, they are discouraged from practising it by a taboo that says that throat-singing can cause infertility, although this belief is less strong today. Also frowned upon for women is the ugly bulging of the face and neck which occurs when the muscles are strained.

It is said that throat-singing is as old as nature itself, beginning when man made the first melodies imitating the murmur of streams or the echoes in the mountains. Tuvans often compare it to the language a child speaks to its mother. The natural rhythms of nomadic life are all infused in the texture of the songs: the ring of the horse’s bridle, the languages of animals and birds, and the resonance of the empty steppe. While this vocal style has been identified as early as the eighth century, no conclusion have been reached as to its historic emergence.

Throat-singing is practised by very few cultures- Mongolia and Tibet providing the only other strong examples- and Tuvans are arguably the finest exponents. Parallels in western culture might be found in the work of the English Lake Poets, landscape painting and pastoral symphonies, as well as numerous examples in the folk-music tradition. This biphonic voice technique is achieved by the simultaneous production of a drone and a melody, composed of overtones formed by changing the shape of the mouth cavity. The nose, throat, chest and abdomen are used as resonators to producing different octaves and textures. The result is an incredible and piercing, almost unreal, noise: a different sound dimension.

Five styles of throat-singing are widely recognised: Kargyraa which sounds like wheezing or croaking with its extremely low fundamental pitch; ezengileer (from the Tuvan word for stirrup) and borbannadyr (used metaphorically to mean “rolling”) which both feature a pulsating, asymmetrical rhythm; sygyt with a very high fundamental drone and clear, piercing harmonics, which sound like a whistle; and khoomei, sung in the same register as sygyt but with less laryngeal tension and more nasal resonance.

Throat- singing was not encouraged by the Soviet authorities, but it has survived as a markedly living tradition. Originally singers would specialize in a single style or two related styles but today it is common to perform several styles, arranged in short segments, in one piece, Young people now combine throat-singing with rock, pop and disco and professional composers use it in their compositions.

Shu-de! Is the word a rider shouts to their horse, like “gee-up!” It also means “good” or “excellent” in appreciation of a musical performance. The extraordinary music of Shu-de has emerged from these traditions. In performance throat-singers of the group are in a state of trance and a shaman spirit drum is used in some of their songs. Shu-de use throat-singing for both lead and backing vocals and combine the technique with the khomus (jaw harp) which is tuned to the voice of the singer. All songs are in the Tuvan language. On some tracks the vocals are accompanied by the doshpuluur- a two-stringed lute with a naviform soundbox- and the igil- a two- stringed fiddle with a trapezoidal soundbox. The soundboxes of both instruments are covered with goat or sheepskin. Also heard accompanying these songs are the limbi- a Tuvan flute- and the dambyra- a round rattle used by shamen.