Listen here.
These songs are meant to carry us down and into our cores. Many of them are from a Tuvan throat singer Sainkho Namtchylak who was born in far south Siberia. According to patriarchal tradition as reported by patriarchal research, women in Tuva were forbidden to throat sing because it was believed the female voices could hurt male relatives or could cause childbirth problems(no comment necessary). In spite of the taboos, Sainkho’s grandmother taught her much of her traditional repertoire from which Sainkho has produced many albums. There is only one all-female folk ensemble who performs Tuvan throat singing: Tyva Kyzy directed by Choduraa Tumat. Unfortunately, I was not able to access their music.
Also included in this hour is a sister duo called Ibeyi whose music I heard on the website for one of the first returning gatherings this Summer on MichFest’s land. Ibeyi is a French (with Cuban, Venezuelan and Tunisian origins) musical duo consisting of twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé Diaz and Naomi Diaz. The duo sings in English, French, Spanish and Yoruba, a Nigerian language spoken in West Africa by their ancestors before being taken to Cuba as slaves in the 1700s. Ibeyi means ‘twins’ in Yoruba language. Finally, I’ve included a song by Saodaj’ suggested by a listener! Thank you! I love their sound. The group is from La Reunion Island; they create their own interpretation of Maloya, the typical musical genre of this French island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Maloya is sung in Creole, and is born out of the rhythms brought by the Malagasy and Eastern African slaves.
I hope you enjoy this weaving of melodic and deeply entrancing female vocals.
Introduction background: Naked Spirit Sainkho Namtchylak
BaDJirgal’s Wish Sainkho Namtchylak
Inuit Wedding Sainkho Namtchylak
Midnight Blue Sainkho Namtchylak
From Me to You Sainkho Namtchylak
Long Way Home Sainkho Namtchylak
Valley of Shadows Sainkho Namtchylak
Siber-Shaman Sainkho Namtchylak
To the Master Hunashtar–Ool Sainkho Namtchylak
Dance of the Eagle Sainkho Namtchylak
Ritual Virtuality Sainkho Namtchylak
Oya Ibeyi
River Ibeyi
Pokor Ler SaodaJ
Lihkahusat/Entranced Mari Boine