Mongolian throat singing rocks the world
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Gangzi Tuliguer, a ballad singer from Inner Mongolia now based in Beijing: "I didn't know about hoomii until 2006 when I went back to my hometown in Inner Mongolia and my parents told me about this unique technique of throat singing."
"I was captivated by the music of my own ethnic group and immediately started surfing the Internet and imitating other singers," he said, adding, "It was about that time that throat singing began to emerge on the mainland."
Gangzi created a fresh style of his own, a fusion of throat singing with Mongolian ballads and guitar strumming, making himself a fixture on the Chinese folk rock scene.
"One of my most popular hoomii songs is called Suluding, which means "god of war" in Mongolian. In the past, Mongolians used the vocal technique as a wartime battle strategy, because the magnifi cent bass sound could effectively exaggerate the size of their army and frighten away their enemies."
"Like many of my other compositions, the song was inspired by Mongolian history and legend.
“‘The Blue Hometown’ was adapted from a song my mother taught me." He said hoomii performers don't mind blending their legendary folk art into modern electronic music, because it's another way to protect and preserve throat singing.
"Of course, there are groups sticking to the tradition by using the Mongolian fiddle and other conventional percussion instruments," Gangzi explained.
"Gradually, modern elements like the guitar and keyboard are being added to compositions because we want to appeal to a younger audience. "
At the same time, hoomii singers like Huun-Huur-Tu, a pop band based in Tuvan has played mix-and-match with other musical genres, such as blues, putting throat singing on the map of "world music".
"Nowadays, hoomii is blossoming throughout China, even in the south," exclaimed Gangzi. "People who are into music know about this art form and are beginning to practice the skill. They think it's a cool thing to do."
The performing art form is more commonly heard on festive occasions, such as the Nadam Fair, the most important festival for the Mongolian ethnic group.
Gangzi said the prevalence of Internet users in China also helps boost the popularity of the vocal technique.
"You can find many music videos uploaded by hoomii singers online. There are also quite a number of websites and forums dedicated to learning the technique."
"It takes a lifetime to master throat singing," Ganzi added. "Whether it is listed as an intangible cultural heritage or not, we should all do our part to safeguard and preserve this ancient art for all mankind."
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