SoundRoots,
Artist Feature
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There's no separating the cultural mystique of Tuva from the famous throat-singing styles the small Central Asian semi-nation is known for. The sound of vocal overtones -- often sung in imitation of natural sounds and animal calls -- is eerie, fascinating, and exotic to the western ear. These sounds entranced American physicist Richard Feynman, bluesman Paul Pena (documented in the film Genghis Blues), and many others. And one of the main ambassadors of the sound over the years has been the group Huun Huur Tu.
According to a great biography on khomus.com, Huun Huur Tu started in 1992 as a quartet called Kungurtuk with Kaigal-ool Khovalyg, Alexander Bapa, his brother Sayan Bapa, and Albert Kuvezin (later of Yat-Kha). On a visit to the USA in 1993, Huun Huur Tu came to know and begin collaborations with musicians including Ry Cooder, The Chieftains, the Kronos Quartet, and Frank Zappa.
All of which brings us to the two CDs at hand today, both of which pay tribute to traditional Tuvan music, which highlighting influences that the band found in their global travels.
10/11/10
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