A society's culture is comprised of all its ideas and ways of behaving. Language, music, moral ideas, ways of working and playing, the tools and objects made and used by people in society. All of these are reflected in a society's culture. Learning a new culture requires adapting to its norms and rules. Dealing with this kind of change comes with new lessons, new understandings of life and new perspectives. Individuals must learn things from scratch, learn how to understand the culture and most importantly people must stop making assumptions. One culture we can learn a lot from would be that of southern Siberia and western Mongolia. Here, they participate in throat-singing. Let us be honest, it does sound a little weird. But with everything unique comes curiosity.
Throat-singing is a unique vocalization from three cultures. According to a website article called Folkways, it is said that humans were only thought to produce one note at a time. However, with throat-singing, a singer can produce two or more notes simultaneously. It is specialized through a vocalization technique by taking advantage of the throat's resonance characteristics. With precise movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, velum, and larynx, throat-singers produce unique harmonies using only their bodies. It is a style identified with parts of Central Asia, but it is also practiced in northern Canada and South Africa.
Tuva
Tuva is a predominantly rural region of Russia located northwest of Mongolia. Throat-singing here is called Khoomei. In this culture singer use a form of circular breathing which allows them to sustain multiple notes for long periods of time.
Tuvan singers are trained from childhood through a sort of apprentice system to use the folds of the throat as reverberation chambers. It is exclusively practiced by men, although the taboo against women throat-singers is gradually being abandoned. Tuvan herder/hunter lifestyle is reflected in this Tuvan vocal tradition. Tuvans imitate sounds of the natural surroundings. Throat-singing was once only a folk tradition, practiced in the windy steppe, but it is now embraced as an emblem of Tuvan identity.
Inuit
The Inuit are the indigenous peoples of northern Canada. Unlike Tuvan culture, throat0singing is exclusively practiced by women. It is a more communal form of singing than the Tuvan variety. It is performed in groups of two or more women. Their technique relies more on short, sharp, rhythmic inhalations and exhalations of breath. Fun fact, it was traditionally used to sing babies to sleep or in games women played during the long winter nights while men hunted. It was banned in the area over 100 year ago by local Christian priests, but it is experiencing a recent revival.
Xhosa
The Xhosa people of Bantu origins are indigenous to prevent-day southeast South Africa. Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are famous from Xhosa. Their style of throat-singing is called Eefing. Two notes are produced one tone apart while higher tones embedded in overtones are amplified at the same time. This low, rhythmic, wordless vocal style accompanies traditional call and response or group vocal songs. It also accompanies party songs and dances, adding a musical element that is distinctly its own.
Science Stuff
The video above shows the science behind throat singing. It is a critical overlay of harmonized vocals that would usual be heard from a group together. With throat singing, as we've learned, it is one person creating thousands of sounds with their mouth. Tuvan throat singers are able to produce two distinct notes at one time, a feat that takes some practice. In this video, Luke Groskin talks about the different styles of Tuvan throat singing and speech pathologist Aron Johnson discuses how the singers can manipulate their vocal cords and mouth to create this polyphonic sound.
A society's culture is comprised of all its ideas and ways of behaving. Language, music, moral ideas, ways of working and playing, the tools and objects made and used by people in society. All of these are reflected in a society's culture. Learning a new culture requires adapting to its norms and rules. Dealing with this kind of change comes with new lessons, new understandings of life and new perspectives. Individuals must learn things from scratch, learn how to understand the culture and most importantly people must stop making assumptions. One culture we can learn a lot from would be that of southern Siberia and western Mongolia. Here, they participate in throat-singing. Let us be honest, it does sound a little weird. But with everything unique comes curiosity.
Throat-singing is a unique vocalization from three cultures. According to a website article called Folkways, it is said that humans were only thought to produce one note at a time. However, with throat-singing, a singer can produce two or more notes simultaneously. It is specialized through a vocalization technique by taking advantage of the throat's resonance characteristics. With precise movements of the lips, tongue, jaw, velum, and larynx, throat-singers produce unique harmonies using only their bodies. It is a style identified with parts of Central Asia, but it is also practiced in northern Canada and South Africa.
Tuva
Tuva is a predominantly rural region of Russia located northwest of Mongolia. Throat-singing here is called Khoomei. In this culture singer use a form of circular breathing which allows them to sustain multiple notes for long periods of time.
Tuvan singers are trained from childhood through a sort of apprentice system to use the folds of the throat as reverberation chambers. It is exclusively practiced by men, although the taboo against women throat-singers is gradually being abandoned. Tuvan herder/hunter lifestyle is reflected in this Tuvan vocal tradition. Tuvans imitate sounds of the natural surroundings. Throat-singing was once only a folk tradition, practiced in the windy steppe, but it is now embraced as an emblem of Tuvan identity.
Inuit
The Inuit are the indigenous peoples of northern Canada. Unlike Tuvan culture, throat0singing is exclusively practiced by women. It is a more communal form of singing than the Tuvan variety. It is performed in groups of two or more women. Their technique relies more on short, sharp, rhythmic inhalations and exhalations of breath. Fun fact, it was traditionally used to sing babies to sleep or in games women played during the long winter nights while men hunted. It was banned in the area over 100 year ago by local Christian priests, but it is experiencing a recent revival.
Xhosa
The Xhosa people of Bantu origins are indigenous to prevent-day southeast South Africa. Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu are famous from Xhosa. Their style of throat-singing is called Eefing. Two notes are produced one tone apart while higher tones embedded in overtones are amplified at the same time. This low, rhythmic, wordless vocal style accompanies traditional call and response or group vocal songs. It also accompanies party songs and dances, adding a musical element that is distinctly its own.
Science Stuff
The video above shows the science behind throat singing. It is a critical overlay of harmonized vocals that would usual be heard from a group together. With throat singing, as we've learned, it is one person creating thousands of sounds with their mouth. Tuvan throat singers are able to produce two distinct notes at one time, a feat that takes some practice. In this video, Luke Groskin talks about the different styles of Tuvan throat singing and speech pathologist Aron Johnson discuses how the singers can manipulate their vocal cords and mouth to create this polyphonic sound.
Citations
Lim, Alexa. “The Sounds
That Influence Art.” Science Friday, 7 May 2018,
www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-science-of-tuvan-throat-singing/.
Throat Singing: A Unique
Vocalization from Three Cultures.
folkways.si.edu/throat-singing-unique-vocalization-three-cultures/world/music/article/smithsonian.
Hi Quiana! It was interesting to learn that throat singing is specifically practiced by women in the Inuit tribe. In most cultures, most important roles are held by men instead of men so I loved this! This was a very interesting blog.
Hi! I never knew that throat singing was an actual thing, and used as a identity in some places. Its odd that it was once banned at one point. Thank you for sharing!!
Hi Quiana! It was interesting to learn that throat singing is specifically practiced by women in the Inuit tribe. In most cultures, most important roles are held by men instead of men so I loved this! This was a very interesting blog.
ReplyDeleteHi! I never knew that throat singing was an actual thing, and used as a identity in some places. Its odd that it was once banned at one point. Thank you for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteI wrote my blog about throat singing as well am I found it cool to learn some stuff in your blog as well.
ReplyDelete