Throat sounds from the Enya of Tuva

Five chairs, five microphones, three speakers and three tables are the stage. The theater is filled with a bunch of middle-aged people who threw 30 bones per ticket. Creeping on the crowd, I can tell several husbands were dragged here by their wives, as before the show has even started, they are already breathing heavily and checking the time on their wrists.

After perusing the background information in the program, I feel totally ignorant and socially unconscious having not known anything about Tuvan throat singing, but I'm about to experience cultural enrichment. I'm about to witness a gender equality movement set in the seed of Tuvan tradition. Basically, I'm about to be schooled. I haven't been to a concert like this since I was 12 years old in Berkeley, Calif.

Reading the program, I learn the Republic of Tuva is a region that separates the Siberian forest from the Mongolian desert. With its setting of high mountains and low valleys, the Tuvan landscape serves as both an inspiration and theme in traditional Tuvan song. In their music, Tuvans pay homage to this surrounding beauty as they honor the rivers, lakes, mountains and pastures with which they harmoniously co-exist. And as a nomadic culture, the music of Tuva also celebrates aspects of daily life as well, including hunting, herding, preparing food, family relationships and falling in love.

Until recently, only men had the opportunity to perform Tuvan throat singing. According to social taboos, female throat singing can lead to unhappiness, infertility and death of family members. These beliefs, therefore, have prevented many women from learning this skill. However, in the 1990s, a revered singer and teacher named Hunashtaar-ool Oorshak encouraged women to learn this vocal talent.

Promoting gender equality and education, Oorshak suggested the formation of Tyva Kyzy, which means "Daughters of Tuva," a singing and musical ensemble composed entirely of women. Tyva Kyzy took shape in 1998 and is the first group of females to perform throat singing not only in Central Asia but around the world. It is still extremely rare to find female throat-singers, and so today, Tyva Kyzy sings in honor of their predecessors, their land and music, and the throat singing tradition that continues daily to grow in depth, range and exposure.

Five women take their seats on stage and silence floods the room. One woman looks like the Queen of Hearts in turquoise. The others wear natural beige colors and begin to chat in a language I don't understand. They pluck their respective instruments that look like banjos and bows without the arrow.

A performer begins to sing and I am hypnotized by her perfect pitch and wail. It reminds me of that song on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon until her internal doppelganger takes over her soul, and he sounds like an 80-year- old chain smoker. It is difficult to describe the sounds of throat singing without sounding like a total jerk, but I will try. One noise evoked an image of a baby alien for me. Others sounded exactly like a buzzing bee, a mosquito in your ear, a bird at dawn and water flowing down a river. Incredibly, these women emulate these sounds in nature with their voices. For once, I am utterly quieted.

The experience becomes a meditation, breeding both moments of pure stillness and stream of consciousness reflection in the audience. In the reigns of their vocals, I can't help but let my mind sprint back to foolish memories of old flames, early hours spent whispering on the phone, John and Yoko's oneness, my little sister at the winter ball in her Audrey Hepburn dress, how much money I used to blow on high school formals.

Wow. It's like sex when their voices and instruments fuse. No, it's better than sex. There's communication in this music! The lights are off already and no one feels inadequate or uncomfortable. Everyone plays a vital role in the ultimate experience, and it doesn't work without every pluck, every tweet, beat and groan. And they climax together! Applause showers the room and continues long after the artists leave the stage.

Not only does this group contribute to music in general, it also represents a progressive step towards gender equality. Who are these talented and inspiring women? And how is their music received back home? Is Tyva Kyzy the Enya of Tuva? I realize it's impossible to draw such a comparison, but I want to know more. The tunes aren't exactly catchy with their sporadic buzzes, trills and hops, but they do lend to easy listening and moments of suspended awe. In a world that's moving so fast, it's really nice once in a while to lean back, relax, and enjoy the show.

[HTML_REMOVED] Riley Rant

arts@thedaily.washington.edu