Two voices fill the stage, and the crowd goes silent.
A high, flute-like melody is laced with a low, throaty pitch. The two voices come together, singing a song in an unfamiliar language.
A second glance reveals that the song is a solo performance. Both pitches are being produced by one singer, Ayan-ool Sam, whose characteristic sound has earned him the nickname “Golden Throat.”
The Alash Ensemble performed in Holloway Hall last Wednesday. Originally from the Republic of Tuva, the four members specialize in throat singing. Throat singers have the ability to sing up to four notes at once; in other words, they self-harmonize.
Alash was inspired by the culture’s nomadic herdsman origins. According to their website, “Alash remains grounded in this tradition while expanding its musical vocabulary with new ideas from the West.”
Manager and interpreter Sean Quirk said that Tuva has a history “of its own.” He explained that Tuvans have a rich oral tradition, and that they communicate through their music.
“Each song tells a story,” Quirk said. “The song “Alash” is a love story between a young couple who live by the Alash River.”
The performance included thirteen original songs, each sung in the original Tuvan language. The singing was accompanied by a variety of traditional instruments. One featured instrument was the murgu, a flute with no holes, played by Ayan Shirizhik. The songs covered a range of themes including love, nature, national politics and spirituality.
“Tuvan language culture is very different from America’s,” Quirk said. “But when it comes down to it we are all singing about the same things. When it comes down to it, it’s just folk music. It’s universal.”
Some students at SU have taken an interest in this style of music. Sophomore David Eberius has been fascinated with the style ever since he saw a group perform on the David Letterman show. He and his dad have been learning the technique ever since.
“My dad…was successful to a certain extent in that you could hear overtones when he was singing,” Eberius said. “But they weren’t nearly as loud as people who have actually trained in throat singing.” He added that he can also create overtones, but said that they are “weak and hard to hear.”
“It wasn’t too difficult to first produce an overtone…mastering it is a totally different story,” Eberius said. “(But) I think it’s really cool that I can even produce that little sound because, well, think about it; I’m singing more than one note at a time!”
