Tuvan throat music

Musicians from the Siberian region of Tuva produce unusual music, used across cultural lines

Published January 12, 2004

A musical group from the Siberian land of Tuva will perform at Dartmouth on Wednesday, Jan. 14.

Huun-Huur-Tu, which specializes in throat singing, will appear at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. in Faulkner Recital Hall at the Hopkins Center. Tickets cost $5 for Dartmouth students and $10 for the public. They can be purchased at the door, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

The four singers produce two or more tones simultaneously by amplifying harmonics naturally present in the voice, and they play a variety of unusual instruments. Huun-Huur-Tu is known for accessible performances of traditional Tuvan music, and for collaborations with artists like Frank Zappa, Mickey Hart, the Kronos Quartet and Ry Cooder. Its music has been featured in films like Geronimo and Fast Runner, and has been sampled by pop music groups.

During its two-day stay in the Upper Valley, the group will visit an ethnomusicology class taught by Ted Levin, Associate Professor of Music, and perform at the Ray School, a local elementary school.

Funding was provided by the Dickey Center for International Understanding, which, together with the Music Department, is sponsoring the group's visit. For more information, call 646-3531. The group's website is www.huunhuurtu.com.

By AMANDA WEATHERMAN