Carmen Rizzo and Huun Huur Tu: Tuvan throat singers meet an electronic mix-master

Series: Echo Location: Soundings for New Music
From: John Diliberto

Huun Huur Tu is a band from Tuva specializing in the ancient style of harmonic singing that comes from that region. Their music is combined with the electronics and arrangements of Carmen Rizzo, known for his work with Alanis Morrisette, Seal, Grant Lee Phillips and his own electronica recordings. It's a meeting of cultures when they come together.

Piece Description

Bapa Sayan sings in a group called Huun Huur Tu from the Tuvan region of Siberia. They employ a technique called throat singing or overtone singing. Similar to the chanting ofTibetan monks, they can split a sound in their mouth into multiple simultaneous overtones, yielding two or three separate melodies. They’re undertaking an unusual collaboration with the electronics and arrangements of Carmen Rizzo, known for his work with Alanis Morrisette, Seal, Grant Lee Phillips and his own electronica recordings. It's a meeting of cultures when they come together.

It's part of Echo Location: Soundings for New Music, the weekly digest from Echoes host and Peabody Award winning producer John Diliberto, exploring the latest in modern music with quick hitting interviews, music and commentary. Each edition of Echo Location features a beautifully edited music blend, that's combined with John's thoughtful insights and artists's comments to make a sound-rich journey for listeners. Each episode can stand on its own or be scheduled as a weekly or occasional series.

Broadcast History

WXPN Philadelphia and WITF Harrisburg

Transcript

:04
IN A NEW YORK HOTEL ROOM. BAPA SAYAN IS SINGING.

MUSIC BITE

:18
BAPA SAYAN SINGS IN A GROUP CALLED HUUN HUUR TU FROM THE TUVAN REGION OF SIBERIA. THEY EMPLOY A TECHNIQUE CALLED THROAT SINGING OR OVERTONE SINGING. SIMILAR TO TIBETAN MONKS, THEY CAN SPLIT A SOUND IN THEIR MOUTH INTO MULTIPLE OVERTONES, YIELDING 2 OR THREE SEPARATE MELODIES.
DEMO

:06
OF ALL THE OVERTONE SINGING STYLES IN THE WORLD, TUVAN THROAT SINGING IS LIKE THE HEAVY METAL OF THE GENRE.

:03
CR: Yes. [Laughs] I was like, I was like, just petrified.

:25
THAT'S CARMEN RIZZO. HE'S A PRODUCER AND PROGRAMMER WHO HAS WORKED WITH ARTISTS LIKE NIYAZ AND LAL MERI. WALKING THROUGH HIS LOUNGE AND MEETING ROOM HOLLYWOOD, WALLS THAT AREN'T COVERED WITH TAPESTRIES ARE HUNG PHOTOS, GOLD RECORDS AND POSTERS OF PROJECTS HE'S WORKED ON LIKE COLDPLAY, ALANNIS MORRISETTE AND SEAL. HIS APPROACH TO HUUN...