Throat Singing at The World Music Festival...

We saw a Tuvan throat singing band at the Chicago World Music Festival. The band was Tuvergen and though they are actually based in Chicago they travel the world performing a "folk fusion" blend of Mongolian, world percussion, didgeridoo, traditional instruments and melodies that certainly bring to mind blues riffs.   

Throat singing has it's origins in Siberia and Mongolia, places that are distant, isolated and where sound carries a long way. I had heard recordings but this was the first live performance I've seen and I learned that the horse is very important to this culture so most of the songs are about horses or water and grass which horses eat and drink. The various vocalizations and pitches are descriptions of Earth, Sky, Wind or other elements of the natural world. 

I enjoyed all the performers and the stringed instruments brought to mind some sounds I have made myself on various homemade lo-fi instruments and cigar box guitars. I really enjoyed the drummer who played the Australian didgeridoo which harmonized and blended so well with the other instruments and voices that they used him as their tuning pitch. His drum kit was a DIY outfit which I like and could probably assemble from my collection of percussion that I don't play very well. It consisted of Irish Bodhrans, Peruvian cajons, splash cymbals and a variety of shakers and chimes. 

I think the last time I saw a drummer set up with an unusual kit and a didgeridoo was a show in New Orleans where Derek Trucks was one of players and also included Col. Bruce Hampton. This was way before Trucks was famous and before the good Col. died onstage with the band soaring to send his soul out among the stardust of the Universe.     

All the players in Tuvergen were great singers but only the dude playing the square looking instruments was a throat singer.         

The player on the right is using what they called the horse head fiddle. Like I said, the horse, very important. 

I take that back about the last time I saw a guy with a didgeridoo set up. It might have been at my house.  

Actually I own two didgeridoos. The one Miguel plays is a cedar wood Cajun made instrument and I have a small Australian one brought to me by my late father in law Bill after his and Geneva's trip there. 

I certainly missed a good chance to win the internet once when I posted a clip on Facebook of my own didgeridoo playing. The neighbor's donkey wandered up behind me in the frame and in the comments section someone said, "what is that? I need one." I said didgeridoo but I should have said donkey. 

Tuvergen was a free show. This festival sponsored by the Chicago Cultural Center. If you paid to see Willie Nelson this weekend a dope smoking capitalist took your money.