Huun-Huur-Tu

Tuva emerged as one of the nations created after the Soviet Union dissolved and gave the world the singular vocal ensemble Huun-Huur-Tu. The group’s command of xoomei throat singing, which allows a single performer to sound two or three tones at once, has drawn a devoted worldwide audience. Jazz Times observed that “a rustic joyousness and unadulterated expresiveness come out of these musicians.” The Chicago Tribune characterized the music as “unfamiliar yet very accessible, an other-worldly but deeply spiritual music that is rooted in the sound of nature.” Dirty Linen likewise noted that “this music is both very spiritual and down to earth, grounded in a strong sense of place, yet its appeal is universal.” Beyond their own recordings, the members have lent their distinctive voices to projects by Frank Zappa, The Chieftains, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, The Kronos Quartet, L. Shankar, and Ry Cooder’s score for the film Geronimo. Their continuing work with Angelite, the Bulgarian Woman’s Choir led by Mikhail Alperin, has produced two notable albums: Fly, Fly My Sadness in 1994 and Mountain Tale in 1998. Although the name Huun-Huur-Tu literally means “sun propeller,” founding percussionist Alexander Bapa clarified in a 1994 interview that it refers to “the vertical seperation of light rays that are often seen on the grasslands just after sunrise or just before sunset.” The ensemble first assembled in 1992 under the name Kungurtuk with the aim of reviving “the old and forgotten songs.” Founding members Sasha Bapa, Sayan Bapa, and Kaigalool Khovalyg had earlier belonged to a state-approved group during the Soviet period. Whereas Tuvan music had long been the province of solo singers or instrumentalists, Huun-Huur-Tu’s collective approach distinguished them. Original member Anatoli Kuular departed in late 1993 to establish Yat-Kha and was replaced by Anatoli Kuular, a specialist in the borbangnadyr vocal style and an accomplished player of the mouth harp (xomuz) and byzanchi. Percussionist Alexander Bapa departed in 1995 to work as a producer in Moscow and was succeeded by Alexander Siraglar, a sygyt singer, string player, and percussionist.