Search - Tuva :: Voices From The Land Of The Eagles [Tuva]

A good intro to Tuvan music if you can still find it

woburnmusicfan | Woburn, MA United States | 06/08/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This was one of the first Tuvan CDs to show up in America, and it's among the best. The three musicians include Kaigal-ool Khovalyg (later of Huun-Huur-Tu, and memorable as Paul Pena's Tuvan host in the documentary "Genghis Blues") and Kongar-ool Ondar (who has his own solo albums available). This CD includes good versions of my favorite two Tuvan songs, the caravan drivers' song "Tying Siirtuktiilerining Iri" (peppier than the Huun-Huur-Tu version) and "Chez Bulungum". Other songs include "Igilding Iizi", "Bayan Dugai Koshkarliimni", and the Orphan's Lament "Iiskistiing Iri", all of which also show up on the first two Huun-Huur-Tu CDs. There are examples of various khoomei throat-singing styles (in which the singer sings two notes AT THE SAME TIME, a low drone and a higher melody). Unfortunately, there are also two jaw-harp tracks; this is customary for Tuvan CDs, and the reason I have yet to give one five stars. Throat-singing began as music that herders would sing while out on horseback in open country--it's interesting to find that the music has the same rhythms as American cowboy music. The musical accompaniment tends to be very simple, played on instruments that are like simplified violins and banjos."