I first saw the Alash ensemble more than 10 years ago in Ridgefield, Connecticut. They are the ambassadors of Tuvan throat singing in the US, and perhaps the rest of the Western world. Tuvan throat singing is a remarkable vocal trick… You make a tone somewhere in your throat, and then shape your mouth so that a harmonic overtone gets emphasized, making a kind of whistling noise. With practice, you can sing an entire song in overtones while maintaining the underlying note as a kind of drone. Built-in bagpipes.
It’s weird, for sure, and I find it completely mesmerizing. They accompany themselves on banjo-like instruments, guitars, and drums for the most part. Early on in the concert I leaned over to Lee and said the only thing that could make it better would be if they found an accordion somewhere… and then, presto, the guy in the middle pulled out an accordion. Heaven. I should also point out that the red figure in the background is a mannequin, part of the museum’s exhibit. I’m not sure exactly what she is supposed to represent, but she made a colorful backdrop.
The Tuvans are nomadic herders, living in what sounds like a difficult region somewhere between Mongolia and Siberia. Their music is really kind of like bluegrass, all about horses and cold weather and lost love and how you woulda showed that guy if you only had a chance.
This concert was at the Brattleboro Museum, whose director is a former college a cappella singer, which explains his geeky interest in this ultimately geeky musical form.
Once again, Brattleboro lives up to our expectations.
Brattleboro Adventure – the Auckland Edition 