Николай Ооржак

Nikolay Oorzhak, is a Hereditary Tuvan Shaman, and Master of Khoomei Throat Singing. Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, or harmonic singing, is a type of singing in which the singer manipulates the resonances (or formants) created as air travels from the lungs, past the vocal folds, and out the lips to produce a melody. Another name for overtone singing is throat singing, but that term is also used for Inuit throat singing, which is produced differently. All styles of Tuvan Khoomei involve controlled tension in and manipulation of the diaphragm, throat, and mouth. However, there are great differences between the different types of throat-singing; for example, some styles are multiphonic whereas other styles are not. Even this description must take into consideration the hearing, or conditioned hearing of the listener as much as the intention and execution of the singer. The Tuvan overtone ensemble Huun-Huur-Tu - Prayer track from the album The Orphan's Lament (1994) highlights the outstanding voice of Kaigal-ool Kovalyg.

By North Utsire