Astonishing Vocal Gymnastics From Around The World

[Clinton Morgan]

Yet another list thread but hopefully this will turn out to be a discussion. Here are my examples of vocal music from around the world that can be classified as astonishing.

Church/Chapel(?) singing in the islands off the coast of Scotland. I saw an example on television once and it sounded very Schoenbergian to me. If you thought hymn singing was either dreary or "Zachariah was up in a tree!/ Yes he was!" then nothing will prepare for that.

Tuvan throat singing or Khoomei, where the voice can split into two notes at once. Huun Huur-Tu are the most famous at doing this. http://www.huunhuurtu.com
I've just found out they were in Reading at the Womad festival. Shit! Shit! Shit!

Bulgarian women. Astonishing use of the female voice. One of my favourite albums is 'The Forest Is Crying' by The Trio Bulgarka. In fact I enjoyed that album and '60 Horses In My Herd' by Huun Huur-Tu so much that I ordered

This appeals to the political idealist in me. Internationalism over nationalism.

Sardinian vocal music. Difficult for me to describe. Tenores Di Britti is one example and they are (if I remember correctly) a group of four musicians. Their general method is to have three vocalists sing the 'riff' rather loudly whilst another vocalist solos over the top. An unsatisfactory description but I cannot find an album of their's on amazon let alone find some extracts to demonstrate how good they are.

[fanny splendid]

I'm just having my tea, and will write more later, but here's an example of

Huun Huur Tu.
http://www.clareanderson.co.uk/marc/huun%20huur%20tu%20Barlyk%20River.mp3

Chirgilchin.
http://www.clareanderson.co.uk/marc/chirgilchin%20Kyshtaglar.mp3

Bulgarian Voices w' Huun Huur Tu.
http://www.clareanderson.co.uk/marc/bulgarian%20voices%20-%20Wave.mp3

Yat-Kha
http://www.clareanderson.co.uk/marc/yat%20kha%20-%20Een%20Kurug%20Kagban-Na%20men.mp3

[Clinton Morgan]

Thanks fanny. Couldn't get the Bulgarian Voices with Huun Huur Tu though nor Yat-Kha come to that matter.

[Clinton Morgan]

Huun Huur Tu at this year's WOMAD
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/womad2005/ram/huun01.ram

[splattermac]

have a look at your PM from a couple of days ago Clint

[Clinton Morgan]

I've got no private messages in my PM box.

[Pinball]

Huun Huur Tu at this year's WOMAD
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/womad2005/ram/huun01.ram

I MP3d WOMAD from Radio 3.

[NattyDread]

Tuvan throat singing or Khoomei, where the voice can split into two notes at once.

I heard some of this yesterday on 'The Freak Zone'. Namely Albert Kuvezin doing 'When The Levee Breaks' by Led Zep.

You can listen again till Sunday:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/shows/freakzone/tracklisting_20050731.shtml

[fanny splendid]

Thanks fanny. Couldn't get the Bulgarian Voices with Huun Huur Tu though nor Yat-Kha come to that matter.

Sorry about that, the links work fine for me.

A couple more.

Sainkho Namchylak
http://www.clareanderson.co.uk/marc/Sainkho%20Namchylak%20and%20Ned%20Rothenberg%20Amulet%2009%202nd%20Dance.mp3

Paul Pena - A blind blues guitarist who taught himself khoomei, then travelled to Tuva to find out more.
http://www.clareanderson.co.uk/marc/19%20-%20Paul%20Pena%20-%20Kargyraa%20Moan.mp3

Is your mp3 any better quality than the stream, Pinball?

[fanny splendid]

I heard some of this yesterday on 'The Freak Zone'. Namely Albert Kuvezin doing 'When The Levee Breaks' by Led Zep.

That's from his latest album called 'Re-covers'. If you go to the Yat-Kha web site http://www.yat-kha.com/  you can hear versions of Love Will Tear Us Apart, and Motorhead's Orgasmatron.

[splattermac]

I was trying to offer Clinton a watch of the Genghis Blues docu that I got off you fanny. Don't suppose you found any more films along similar lines?

[fanny splendid]

No, I'm sorry to say I haven't. The DVD that Yat-Kha were meant to be releasing has been put on hold.

Yat-Kha are playing in Chester on September 13th, but I'm not sure if I can go yet as Clare's due on the 10th.

[Ciarán2]

Tuvan throat singers are sampled on The KLF's "Chill Out" aren't they? "Dream Time In Lake Jackson", I think.

Anyway, sorry I can't post a link, but I was blown away by Galician folk music when I visited Santiago de Compostela recently. It's similar to Irish folk, but often eschews lyrics, instead they just sing "la la la" type things. Is there a proper musical term for "la la la-ing"?

[splattermac]

Blimey, that's all very grown up. Congrabulations Papa Fanny. Hope everything goes well, best regards to your lady.

[Ghost of Troubled Joe]

I'm not an expert on this niche of music by any means but I've always enjoyed the Trio Bulgarka's work on Kate Bush's "The Sensual World", in particular on the song "Rocket's Tail". Some really lovely vocal work on that.

[Pinball]

Is your mp3 any better quality than the stream, Pinball?

Yes, as it's from the 160kbps DAB broadcast. I'll upload the two recordings I made:

WOMAD festival
29 July 2005
Friday 29 July 2005 21:45-23:30 (Radio 3)

Andrew McGregor is joined by Lucy Duran to start off a weekend of broadcasts from the leading festival of world music on the banks of the River Thames in Reading.

Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation perform live, and there are highlights from the Renegades Steel Orchestra from Trinidad, Les Yeux Noirs from France and the Bajofondo Tango Club from Argentina.

There is also an acoustic set from Syrian qanun virtuoso Abdullah Chhadeh from the Radio 3 Village Stage.

Duration:
1 hour 45 minutes

WOMAD festival
30 July 2005
Saturday 30 July 2005 23:30-1:00 (Radio 3)

Late-night live sets and recorded highlights introduced by Andrew McGregor with Lucy Duran.

Senegalese superstar Youssou N'Dour with Le Super Etoile de Dakar are live from WOMAD's Open Air stage, and Tuvan throat singers Huun-Huur-Tu end the night in the Siam Tent.

In between are Jaojoby from Madagascar, Akim El Sikameya from Algeria and Russian new-folk band the Terem Quartet. Fiona Talkington also introduces Chinese quqin player Zeng Chengwei, live from the Radio 3 Village Stage.

Duration:
1 hour 30 minutes

I'll add the links when they're uploaded. For info, I'm also MP3ing the BBC Proms. There are rather a lot of them, but some incredible stuff! I now have two Bug radios, each with a 2GB SD card :-)

[Pinball]

WOMAD 1 (left-click):

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=39S6MFSM

[fanny splendid]

Thanks very much, Pinball!

[Pinball]

no probs!

WOMAD 2: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=401TEYDI

[Clinton Morgan]

Is there a proper musical term for "la la la-ing"?

It's probably 'singing'. Covention associates songs with words.

Khoomei singing is also sampled on Frank Zappa's 'Dio Fa' ('God Lies') on 'Civilization Phaze III'

[Clinton Morgan]

Is there a proper musical term for "la la la-ing"?

Just had another thought. Vocalising?

[Pseudopath]

An obvious one, but Rahzel's mouth-bass/drum-machine thing on Björk's Medúlla is outstanding. Here's a taster:

http://a425.v8384d.c8384.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/426/8384/3b858b51/mtvrdstr.download.akamai.com/8512/wmp/4/149/29806_1_6_05.asf

[RHX]

An obvious one, but Rahzel's mouth-bass/drum-machine thing on Björk's Medúlla is outstanding.

On the same subject, Rahzel's If Your Mother Only Knew still astonishes me to this day. I've since taught myself how to do it, but I'm still amazed when I hear his version.

[terminallyrelaxed]

Ooh I'm well up for this, will be downloading all when I get home.

[fanny splendid]

Thanks for those  mp3s, Pinball. I saved them for my train journey, yesterday. Excellent!
I think that I'm going to have to invest in one of those digital radio recorder things you have.

[fanny splendid]

For those of you with accounts at dimeadozen.com, there is a fantastic live DVD featuring nearly seventy minutes of Huun Huur Tu.

[Bingo Fury]

Church/Chapel(?) singing in the islands off the coast of Scotland. I saw an example on television once and it sounded very Schoenbergian to me. If you thought hymn singing was either dreary or "Zachariah was up in a tree!/ Yes he was!" then nothing will prepare for that.

Try this:

http://www.musicscotland.com/acatalog/MusicScotland_Vol_6___Gaelic_Psalms_From_Lewis_1400.html

Fantastic album of Gaelic Psalm singing.