COURTESY IMIN CENTER
The throat singers of Tuva use a unique vocal technique to mimic the sounds of nature.
Tuvan throat singers
booked at UHThough it's been called a magnificent land, at once boasting remarkable snowy mountains and windswept deserts, few outside the Republic of Tuva would imagine such an extraordinary place exists. Fewer still would have knowledge of the wondrous art of "xoomei," or throat singing, Tuva's most popular export.
Huun-Huur-Tu, throat singers of Tuva, perform at 5 and 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Jefferson Hall, University of Hawaii-Manoa Imin Center.
Those privy to this staggering vocal technique marvel at its practitioners' ability to mimic sounds found in nature.
By creating a low, guttural hum while simultaneously emitting a soaring, birdlike whistle, throat singers can generate vocal approximations of wind, rivers and waterfalls.
Of its proponents, none are as well known or as well traveled as Huun-Huur-Tu, whose popularity has grown immensely in the past decade through its numerous recordings, international tours and collaborations with such prominent musicians as Ry Cooder, the late Frank Zappa and the Kronos Quartet.
Their accomplishments have not been lost on Hawaii audiences, either, as tomorrow's 7:30 p.m. performance sold out last week, prompting the addition of the 5 p.m. show.
Tickets are $20 general; $15 students, seniors, military and UH faculty and staff. Call 944-2697.
Shawn "Speedy" Lopes, Star-Bulletin
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