Commanding Tuvan Throat Singer Sainkho Namtchylak Unveils Her Naked Spirit, May 24
Commanding the stage dressed in exotic threads, including a scarf draped over her head, 62-year-old Republic of Tuva singer Sainkho Namtchylak never fails to impress audiences with her spellbinding, frequently improvisational throat-singing performances.
Throat-singing, also known as Khöömei in Tuvan, is a singular technique that requires the performer to hit two or three notes simultaneously. It’s so unique that you might have trouble believing the sound is coming from a human being. Rooted in Tuvan and Mongolian culture, throat-singing was officially a male-only undertaking before the 1990s. Even today, the scene is still comparatively dominated by male singers, of which Huun-Huur-Tu is perhaps one of the best-known bands.
Even though that sexist system barred Namtchylak from official throat-singing training, she secretly learned it as a youngster and later left for Moscow to further her studies. After returning from Russia, she joined the Tuvan State folk ensemble Sayani and became the very first female musician to publicly perform Khöömei.
Expanding seven octaves, Namtchylak’s voice makes an immediate and even haunting emotional impact. Although rooted in traditional Tuvan techniques, Namtchylak has explored other styles ranging from abstract experimental music to avant-garde jazz. She has now secured a strong position in the music circuit that used to be dominated by her male counterparts.
Singing in three languages – Tuvan, Russian, and English – Namtchylak has released over 70 solo and collaborative albums. For a better appreciation of her music, we probably have to take a look at Tuva, the small isolated country on the Siberian Plateau, its history and culture, which constantly inspire Namtchylak’s expanding vision.
Take Lost Rivers, from the album of the same name. The track has no lyrics and is instead comprised of vulnerable, heartwrenching moans. The album was released in 1991, a time when Tuva witnessed great social changes as the result of locals fighting for additional social rights before being officially recognized as a part of the Russian Federation in early 1992.
Namthylak was once quoted as saying: “A country going out of control is like a lost river that dried up by natural disasters. I have to convey this feeling in a special way. I want people to sense the pain and fear via a women’s honest, unvarnished scream."
The quite unusual track was included in German music textbooks as a standard for those studying vocal experiments.
Namtchylak’s most celebrated album is probably Stepmother City, released in 2002. The album was a hit not only because of its ingenious combination of avant-jazz and electronica with Tuvan traditional folk songs but also because it subtly yet powerfully highlights the social issues Tuva has faced among the trend of modernization.
Organized by local music management company Stallion Era, Namtchylak returns to Beijing this Friday, May 24 as part of her Naked Spirit tour (watch the preview for her previous Beijing show from last year here). This time she's heading to the Poly Theatre, along with her band Sainkho Kosmos, a group of folk instrumentalists and jazz musicians. She will be performing 16 pieces, including some traditional Tuvan songs, highlights from her expansive catalog, and more.
Sainkho Kosmos' Naked Spirit Concert is scheduled for 7.30pm on May 24 at Dongsishitiao's Poly Theatre. Tickets are RMB 180-580, which you can book here.
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Photos courtesy of Stallion Era