The Biggest Myths About Tuvan Throat Singing
All You Need to Know About This Unique Vocal Tradition
I first learned of the vocal technique called throat singing, referred to as “khoomei” by the Tuvans, in 1999, just after an excruciating and difficult struggle with addiction. Thankfully, the universe ensured I stumbled upon the Sundance Film Festival award-winning film Genghis Blues. The rest is history.
Because of this beautiful documentary, I was able to break free from the monkey on my back and move forward into an exciting and action-packed life. Since then, I’ve become known as the guy who started the Facebook Tuvan Music group, the New Yorker who was awarded the Ambassador of Tuvan Culture title, and the author of My Adventures in Tuva, the tale of my entire Tuvan experience, including three trips to the Center of Asia to spend time with its most famous throat singers.
Where is Tuva and What is Throat Singing?
Tuva is located in the geographical center of Asia. It was an independent nation from 1921 until 1944 when it was swallowed up by the USSR. Today it is a part of the Russian Federation and is located in southern Siberia, just north of Mongolia. You won’t find it on a map since it’s a region of Russia, but you can find its capital. Try a Google Maps search for Kyzyl to see its location.
Those already aware of this unique and remote place are probably aware of it because of an interest in either shamanism, stamp collecting, or throat singing. If you have no idea where Tuva is or what throat singing sounds like, don’t worry; you’re definitely in the majority.
Throat singing is when a single singer produces two or more notes simultaneously by a combination of vocal cord constriction and changing the position of the lips, jaw, and tongue. Scholars believe that the unique sounds created while throat singing was the ancient Tuvans’ way of mimicking the sounds of nature. Some believe they were using this vocal technique pre-language.
Is All Throat Singing the Same?
Tuva isn’t the only place where this beautiful way of singing is a part of the culture, but their style is unique and different from the others. To the uneducated ear, Mongolian and Tuvan throat singing may sound the same, but if you listen closely, they’re worlds apart.
For me, and I’m certainly no expert on the topic, there are differences between the way Tuvans and Mongolians sing. Mongolian khoomeizhi (throat singers) tend to exert a tremendous amount of energy and pressure as they force air through constricted vocal cords to produce the sounds associated with throat singing. Even the structure of their traditional songs, in my opinion, feels a bit more rigid and structured.
To my ear, Tuvan khoomei sounds more gentle and free-flowing. While the Mongolian version of sygyt is loud and powerful, the Tuvan version of this high flute-like style is somehow softer yet just as strong as their southern neighbors. Tuvan throat singing is somewhat like jazz as it’s more flexible, free-form, and improvisational, while other regions’ versions fit more into a box, much like Blues music, with rules to adhere to.
Unfortunately, to muddy the waters more, there are khoomeizhi in Mongolia and other parts of Siberia who sing their homeland’s traditional songs but do so in the Tuvan style of throat singing. It’s not uncommon for musicians to borrow aspects of their cultural neighbors' singing techniques. Still, it’s important to understand what makes Tuva, a republic of more or less 300k people, unique in its own way. Their beautiful style of khoomei should be recognized as their own.
And then there’s what is known as Western harmonics or overtone singing, a style that technically is its own thing. Although the uninitiated may lump this genre into the “throat singing” category, it’s actually quite different. Throat singing requires focused vocal cord constriction whereas Western harmonics mostly incorporates changes in the oral cavity.
Can Women Tuvan Throat Sing?
YouTube searches for Tuvan throat singing will yield enough results to keep you busy for months. However, most of the search results will turn up the usual suspects like the Alash Ensemble, Huun Huur Tu, and a bunch of others. Depending on the algorithm’s mood, your search results will vary. What you’ll probably find will be almost entirely men singing.
There’s been much debate and discussion about whether women can or are even supposed to be throat singing. In Tuva, there’s a long-standing myth that if women sing in this style, they’ll become infertile and that khoomei is the sole domain of men. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Tyva Kyzy, the Daughters of Tuva, is an all-female Tuvan throat singing group. Founded by Choduraa Tumat in the early 1990s, they’ve proved this myth to be incorrect. These women, all mothers, have been celebrating the musical tradition of Tuva to the cheers of crowds in their native land and have toured Spain, the United States, the Netherlands, and other parts of the world.
The only female member of the Tuva Ensemble, Shonchalai Choodu, is an accomplished khoomeizhi and the mother of five children. Although there are plenty of accomplished female throat singers, their numbers are in the minority. Throat singing tends to be a male-dominated genre.
Can Anyone Learn Tuvan Throat Singing?
Yes! You don’t have to have been born in Tuva or the surrounding area to learn this unique vocal technique. Throat singing has absolutely nothing to do with genetics, and anyone with the patience and time to practice can accomplish this goal. You may not master it, but you can certainly learn how to do it.
It may, however, come easier for native Tuvans, since it’s something they’ve probably heard since childhood. Children mimic the sounds of the adults around them, and it’s not uncommon for fathers to sing khoomei to them at a very young age. Hearing this singing style as infants and toddlers, they quickly figure out how to do it on their own. Also, growing up in a place where throat singing is a part of the culture makes it easier for them to learn.
I’ve been blessed with being surrounded by the best Tuvan throat singers on the planet, both professional Tuvan khoomeizhi and Westerners. During their many US tours, the Alash Ensemble used my New York home as a home base which they dubbed “Casa de Shu.” Rarely did I ask them for throat singing lessons, as my main interest has always been in promoting the music and culture of their homeland and not learning how to sing khoomei.
That being said, yes, I can throat sing, albeit not too well. I first learned kargyraa, the low growling style. I can also sing a little khoomei, the mid-range and starting point of Tuvan throat singing, but as it’s not my focus, I don’t practice enough to improve.
Many accomplished Tuvan throat singers around the world aren’t Tuvan but have somehow expertly learned this vocal technique. Some have been taught by the masters, while others have taught themselves. I don’t have the time to write about all of them, as there are far too many, so if you’re one of them, my apologies.
Robert McLaughlin; United States
If you’ve done any internet research on Tuvan throat singing, you’ve likely come across Robert. In his early teenage years, he first discovered the magic of throat singing while researching the life of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman who longed to travel to Tuva when it was still a closed region to the rest of the world.
Robert and I first met online when he was a mere 14 years old and he immediately impressed me with his talent as a throat singer. By age 16 I had introduced him to the Alash Ensemble who immediately took him in as their little Tuvan brother. The two of us toured around with Alash up and down the east coast and his throat singing talents continued to grow.
In 2014, Robert sat in with Alash at a small private concert in Chestnut Ridge, NY. Although the band already knew of his vocal prowess, they were just as impressed by Robert’s solo as the audience.
He’s visited the Republic of Tuva a total of three times. He accompanied me on my second trip in 2017, where he competed against native Tuvans and Westerners at the Khoomei in the Center of Asia festival. At the festival, his fame began to grow, and his performance in Kyzyl was met with cheers from the locals. If my memory serves me, I believe he came in 5th place.
Robert is currently living in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with his wife where he’s employed as an English teacher. In his spare time, he builds traditional Tuvan instruments and offers online throat singing lessons.
Guillem Codern; Spain
When one thinks of Spain, Tuvan throat singing probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. Guillem Codern is changing that.
This accomplished musician first traveled to Tuva in 2015 where he competed at the Khoomei in the Center of Asia festival. As the sole representative of Spain, he quickly won over the local crowd. It was in 2018 when I first met this talented guy. I was strolling around the Tuvan Cultural Center in Kyzyl when he approached me, explaining that he was a long-time member of my Tuvan Music Facebook group. We quickly became friends, and since I now live in his hometown of Barcelona, our friendship has grown.
Just like in 2015, Guillem competed in the 2018 festival. He’s well accomplished and can sing in all the styles and substyles of this vocal tradition. When not singing khoomei or jamming on his igil or doshpuluur, he’s out touring with his band, El Pony Pisador, a fun-loving traditional Irish music group.
Fumiko Wada; Japan
Unfortunately, I’ve never crossed paths with this fantastic khoomeizhi from Japan. I know of her from my Facebook group and her YouTube channel which highlights her Tuvan throat singing skills. See; I told you women can throat sing!
Fumiko’s introduction to throat singing occurred when she saw Mongolian singers perform on a TV program in the 1990s. Many years later, she attended a concert held in Japan by the Rainbow Khoomei Ensemble in 2003 and participated in their throat singing workshop. Her love and skill of Tuvan khoomei began to grow.
Her first trip to Tuva was in 2013 when she went on a tour hosted by popular Japanese musician Koichi Makigami, an interesting character I was fortunate enough to have met in Kyzyl during my 2017 trip. Fumiko returned to Tuva again in 2019 on a solo trip, where she stayed in the center of Asia for a month.
Fumiko’s love of all things Tuvan persuaded her to learn the language and began her formal studies in 2017. Her teacher, Kaori Sawada, studied the Tuvan language at the University of Tuva in Kyzyl. She frequently performs Tuvan music at concerts in her home country.
What makes Fumiko stand out is not only her flawless delivery of Tuvan khoomei but her interest in learning the language as well. In a world where there aren’t many female khoomeizhi, she’s living proof that not only can non-Tuvans perform this ancient vocal technique, women can do it just as well as the guys.
Tuvan Throat Singing Myths Debunked
Not all throat singing is the same. Tuvan throat singing has its own unique and distinct sound and style. After you listen to it for a while alongside other similar-sounding singers, you’ll start to notice the differences. What once may have sounded the same soon won’t.
My mission has always been to promote the rich culture of Tuva with an emphasis on its musical traditions. It does my heart good to know that others in the world also hold Tuva close and are doing what they can to keep its music alive.
Be sure and check out all of the links in this article, especially the ones regarding the three Westerners. Their talent is mind-blowing.
If you’re passionate about the world of Tuva and its culture or just first learning about it now, a great source of information is My Adventures in Tuva. It encompasses my entire Tuvan experience from first hearing it to my three trips there. To learn about my pre-Tuvan life, check out New York City Junky Days, a mix of my descent into the horrors of heroin addiction in the 80s and 90s and humorous stories of life in the East Village.
