Arts & intangible heritage
Khöömei (throat singing)
One voice, two notes at once: UNESCO intangible heritage.
Origins
Khöömei is a style of singing in which one performer produces two distinct sounds at the same time: a sustained low drone and, above it, a separate melody of whistling overtones. The word is usually translated as "pharynx" or "throat". According to UNESCO, which added the Mongolian traditional art of khöömei to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, the practice originated in the Altai mountains of western Mongolia and is believed to have been learned from imitating natural sounds, including birds. In the Mongolian Altai it has traditionally been practised by groups such as the western Khalkha, Bait and Altai Uriankhai, and Chandmani district in Khovd province is known for the large number of singers it has produced. Related styles are sung by neighbouring peoples, notably in Tuva.
How it works
In all forms of khöömei the singer holds the drone with very tense vocal folds. The melody is created by changing the shape and size of the mouth: opening and closing the lips, moving the tongue and adjusting the throat so that particular harmonics within the drone are amplified and heard as separate notes.
Mongolian singers distinguish many techniques. UNESCO describes two main styles:
- Kharkhiraa (deep khöömei), in which the singer sings the drone in a normal voice while emphasising an undertone about an octave below, giving a growling bass.
- Isgeree (whistled khöömei), in which the overtones above the drone are emphasised to produce a high, flute-like whistle.
Singers and teachers also classify khöömei by where it resonates, with terms for labial, palatal, nasal, throat and chest khöömei.
How it lives today
Khöömei is performed at state ceremonies and at family gatherings, and traditionally also while herding and to lull babies to sleep. It is passed on orally, from master to apprentice. Today it is also performed by folk ensembles alongside the morin khuur and long song, and heard in modern bands that mix traditional instruments with rock.
What visitors should know
- Ulaanbaatar has regular evening folk performances that include khöömei, especially in the summer season, and it features at Naadam celebrations.
- In western Mongolia, particularly Khovd province, local guides can sometimes arrange meetings with singers.
- Listen for the second voice: the whistle often seems to float separately from the singer.
- Ask before recording a performance in a private home, and consider offering a small payment or gift if a singer performs for you.