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Background

My first encounter with sung overtones was in 1969 at a performance of Karl Stockhausen's "Stimmung" ("Mood") in the studio of the Beethoven Concert Hall in Bonn. The atmosphere created by the entirely new way of handling vocal sounds made me astonishingly alert and curious although I had always enjoyed singing, and had sung a lot, my main interest up until then had been in playing instruments. Just as I had recently heard synthesizer music for the first time, and had had the opportunity to play such an instrument for the first time I ended up experimenting with the voice. In 1972, l experienced Michael Vetter with his wife Atsuko in a concert in the Bonn Center, how he explored the possibilities of the voice with overtones and vocal color using intuition and improvisation. Once again, I was fascinated, this time by how natural deep and matter-of-fact this musical playing was in its subtle possibilities. I visited him frequently and in playing together, I recognized, among other things, the basic ways of making overtones audible by means of sung tones.

During my studies at the Conservatory of Music in Cologne from 1972 to 1980, I concentrated not only on the traditional curriculum, but also on jazz and new music, later on composition, new music theatre, and electronic music. During this time, overtone singing was a kind of "musique privee" a musical form of meditation, in order to recover from the shock of my education, and to encounter once again my own most inner music freely and with inspiration. After some wild times in the most varied constellations, I decided to take time to reorient myself and to find out what I really wanted.

The first thing was to set up seminars for meditative creative music, in which the voice is the center of attention as a "biological organic synthesizer", and thus overtone singing as an important element. Breathe, movement and voice as a familiar and direct instrument in which all participants are equally able to gather musical and human experience, which can be easily applied, to instruments. The second thing was the dream of a small studio, in which I could try out and realize my musical ideas whenever I wanted to. Along the path of working with these two "instruments", there came into being a group for singing overtones, the Workshop Choir, as well as music for theatrical and film productions choral compositions for Antigone the Bacchic, and plays of Aristophanes "Aquamorphose", the piece about the sounds of water with Christoph Müller, and the first compositions for the "Overtone Choir Düsseldorf", which I founded in 1985.

The Overtone Choir Project 90 was formed in the autumn of 1989 to continue the idea of the Overtone Choir Düsseldorf with a large ensemble. The goal of the project is to go together along a path of elemental musical work, and to grow in the experience of community and coming to terms with musical structures, compositions, and free improvisations, with the focus on the overtone series. In consciously dealing with these musical aspects, also contain aspects of social, spiritual, and personal growth (experience of self, group, concert, and recording situations), the universal laws of music become clear, and form the process of personal and communal growth.


Introduction - Possible contents of a lecture

The overtone music which is composed and performed by Christian Bollmann may sound exotic to some ears - it is interesting to note, however, that it has its roots in European musical culture. Early western music was, like the music of all other cultural groups and peoples; shaped by overtones this was especially true for the tone quality of vocal production, as well as the ideal timbre of instruments. The music was oriented towards the fundamental, in other words, exclusively directed at a middle point. Thus the desire of the people of that time to praise the one God and become one with Him found expression in this musical analogy. One example of this is found in the singing of Gregorian chant. It stays entirely within the modal boundaries of the church modes. If one listens to this singing with concentration, it is possible to perceive the overtones.

Spiral dance of overtones

In the course of cultural development, musical aspirations changed. During the Baroque period. For instance, composers wanted to take long harmonic journeys. However, longer modulations could only be carried out within limits, because of the pure tuning. The reason is as follows: if one piles pure fifths on top of each other, as is familiar from the image of the circle of fifths, one does not arrive back exactly at the starting point, but instead at a tone that is a bit higher. To think of it spatially, it means that the circle of fifths is, according to the pure harmonic tuning, a spiral- a three dimensional evolutionary structure! This system, however, could not be applied to keyboard instruments.

The spiral gets flattened

Someone finally came up with the idea of dividing the extra note left over from the piling up of fifths into twelve equal parts. Then the parts were subtracted from each fifth, and thus a circle of fifths was created with an even temperament, which differed only slightly from what the ear was accustomed to hearing. To make the spatial analogy again, the formerly three-dimensional overtone spiral was reduced to a two dimensional circle- the spiral was literally banged flat. As a result, composers could finally modulate endlessly, and Johann Sebastian Bach could write his "Well tempered Klavier".

A new ideal sound: the "slim figure"

There was another problem: the new circle of fifths did not match the other voices and instruments with their sounds full of overtones. The overtones of the instruments competed with the slightly changed tempered intervals of the keyboard instruments. As a result, new instruments with a "slimmer" sound were built and at the same time, the sound ideal of singers was changed. Most overtones were consciously avoided. They disturbed the new tempered system. A new sound aesthetic predominated and determined musical events. Johann Sebastian Bach brought counterpoint to its culmination during the Baroque period. The masters of all following musical epochs reached comparable heights. In the meantime, the serial composition technique was taken over by composers and listeners in the analytical and scientific consciousness of modern music. In this musical landscape, experimental music began, with the help of unusual instruments and newly developed synthesizers, to place single tones at the centre of attention. The natural result was that overtones, suppressed for so long, were able to unfold fully. Revived in this way, they became the real plaything of music.

The voice as instrument gets rediscovered

At the end of the 60's, in a phase of reduction, contemplation, and the development of minimal music, several composers, in different parts of the world, discovered overtones invocal sound simultaneously. Karlheinz Stockhausen made a special mark concerning them. In his composition "Stimmung", written in 1968 for six vocalists, he showed an entirely new way of working with the voice. Michael Vetter, who was working with Stockhausen at that time, developed his "way of the voice" in the area of improvisation and meditation. In 1975, David Hykes founded the Harmonic Choir in New York.

Christian Bollmann and his New Meditative Music

Christian Bollmann founded the Overtone Choir Düsseldorf in 1985. His compositions and performing instructions contain meditative as well as dynamic aspects. In addition, there are elements that flow from the modality of Gregorian chant, jazz, and other assimilated forms of world music into his works. In the course of years, an independent western overtone culture has developed, which carries on the heritage of the most ancient, original form of music. This original form of music is the root of all musical cultures. It is based on tone, with its inherent law of the overtone series. This overtone culture is also a current in new music. It has moved away from the dissonant and spectacular into the meditative, spiritual domain. The aspiration of this music has been broadened. Thus is the healing quality of these sounds being increasingly holistically explored and included in the compositions.

Many people, upon hearing consciously sung overtones for the first time, speak enthusiastically about sounds of the spheres, which extend brightly and colorful over the listener like a rainbow Like white light, which is sent through a prism and is broken down into its spectrum of colors, the overtones dance delicately and as clearly as a bell, not to be located around the fundamental produced by the singer or instrument. Those who enter the world of overtones find themselves on a many - dimensional acoustical voyage of discovery. The singing of one's own overtones or contemplative listening leads to internal and external soundspaces, which lead into meditation and also have a harmonizing effect on body, soul and mind. The resulting holistic healing effect is used among other things in medicine. A clinic in Hamburg, for instance, successfully treats cancer patients with the overtones of a special Sandawa monochord.

Physical foundations

All notes consist of several parts: a quantitative- the pitch, or fundamental, and a qualitative- the timbre, the overtones. Because of these characteristics, not only the absolute pitch is recognizable, but also the source, be it a piano, an aeroplane, or a blackbird. The individually characteristic timbre is determined by the dominance of individual overtones, the so-called resonance frequencies that vibrate along with the fundamental. Physically, the overtones have an undivided numerical relationship to the fundamental (1:2:3:4 etc.). However, only a few of these overtones correspond exactly to the evenly tempered scale, which is customarily used in western civilization. The higher the overtones get, the more they deviate from it. However, in other cultures, many intervals are derived from overtones.

Overtones in the series of analogous, harmonic laws of nature

The astonishing analogies of overtone intervals to other physical magnitudes, such as the astronomical revolution period of planets, the biological construction of the body, the architectural proportions of the Egyptian pyramids or Gothic cathedrals, the biological construction of the body, and to quantum and atomic physics, have occupied the world of science for thousands of years and place overtones in the series of analogous, harmonic laws of nature.

Pythagoras, a monk, and overtones

In the European cultural region, it was Pythagoras who, living and teaching in a spiritual community, recognized the musical I mathematical transcending realities of overtones. The actual existence of overtones themselves was, however, proven by the French monk Mann Mersenne as late as 1636 and scientifically demonstrated by Josef Sauveur around 1700. These days, overtones are being examined as examples of universal harmonies from around the world at the "Hans Kayser Institute for exploration of the basis of harmony" at the Musikhochschule (college of music) in Vienna.

Feedbacks on his music

• „ . . . his work is characteristic for the fact that it sets art, music, spirit and nature, subject and object into a holistic perspective. Christian Bollmann’s work is of an outstanding quality and originality and unique in Europe . . .“ (Prof. Herman Wedekind)
• „If there is something like Taoism as sound experience, then it is implemented in the best way possible in Christian’s work.“ (Prof. Joachim Ernst Berendt)
• „Again cordial thanks for the great music. It reaches into the deepest layers of the soul and transforms many shadows. I am completely inspired ! “ (Trudi Thali, Swiss)
• „After this weekend there is still deep joy resonating in me – thank you.“ (workshop attendee)
• „Besides the acoustic, the resuming aspects particulary touched me. The Love showing up through your work found its completion in the healing songs we celebrated. This group meditation created a marvelous atmosphere, where really holy moments came to presence and where true miracles can happen.“ (Frank Brakonier, workshop attendee)
• „I just heard you on a CD sampler called, "Planet Chant." A lot of coincidences concern this, it seems. Anyway, I listened to the cut, "Confirmation" which is about 4:30 minutes, non stop for an hour, then I said during the final replay, 'okay, I'm going to make myself get up and leave now.' I felt like I had done some serious meditation, one focus, breathing really slow, heart rate down and a feeling of simple happiness. I was especially struck by the total absence of any sad content, you know? Like, there is no sad content in sun light, the natural world is just beaming away with a smile on its face, that seems to be the message of the overtone series. Olivier Messaien's music is like that too, no darkness anywhere.“ Steve Tortorici music director of WUWF in Pensacola, Florida
• „Your spirit is such a clear angel. Sounds like your journey unfolded with magic as I would have guessed. Thank you for spreading the beautiful vibrations to people and places that need it so much.“ Kimba/Kauai

»Healing Buddha Oratory - a lovesong for Tibet«
Die neue CD von Christian Bollmann und dem Obertonchor

Einen Tag nach dem die CD 2008 aus der Fertigung kam, kamen die ersten Schreckensmeldungen aus Lhasa. Auch nach diesem vergangenen Jahr braucht Tibet weiterhin unsere Unterstützung. Ich hoffe dass diese CD hilft, die Sympathie für Tibet in der Welt zu stärken und damit einhergehend auch dazu beiträgt, das Verhältnis von China und Tibet zu heilen.

Ich freue mich, Ihnen die CD, an der wir 3 Jahre gearbeitet haben, vorzustellen und hoffe auf gute Resonanzen.

Die »Love-Songs for Tibet« sind Fundstücke auf der Suche nach Hörwelten »jenseits der entferntesten Ufer«. Sie wollen ein Klangtor zur Entgrenzung öffnen und entfalten ihre Liebe, Harmonie und Schönheit allmählich im strömenden Puls der Zeit.

Christian Bollmann und der Obertonchor laden ein:

• zum Mitschwingen in mantrischen Klangkreisen, die sich verdichten - und lösen
• zur Hingabe an tragende Klangmuster, die sich verweben - und verwehen
• zur Einkehr in magischen Klangoasen, die uns schützen, stärken - und innehalten lassen.

»Healing-Buddha Oratory - a lovesong for Tibet« - entstand aus der konzertanten Fassung zentraler Mantren des Buddhismus unter dem Arbeitstitel »Tibetzyklus«.
Anita Holtmann schrieb in ihrem Sabbatjahr Melodien für vierstimmigen Chor zu den Mantren Om Mani Peme Hung, Om Tare Tam Soha und Gate Gate Paragate. Christian Bollmannn lernte etwa zur gleichen Zeit über Jutta Reichardt und Yesche Udo Regel das Medizin-Buddha Ritual kennen und erhielt eine Einweihung in den Gebrauch des Mantras von Lama Phuntsok im Kamalashila Institut, die ihn zu der musikalischen Bearbeitung des Mantras inspirierte. Aus der intensiven Arbeit mit dem Obertonchor und weiteren Musikern entstand unter der Leitung von Christian Bollmann die Komposition des Mantrischen Oratoriums, einem Klangritual für westliche Ohren.

»Klangenergetische Spannungsfelder und rhythmische Entschleunigung gehen eine Symbiose ein. Der aktiv lauschende Hörer wird in Erlebnissphären geleitet, die sonst vielleicht nur träumend im besänftigenden und zugleich Kraft spendenden Schlaf - oder in tiefer Meditation - berührt werden. «(Christoph Cleve)
»Diese Annäherung an die Mantren und ihre geistigen Inhalte hat im Chor einen fruchtbaren Prozess ausgelöst. Dies wünschen wir auch unseren Hörern.« - Christian Bollmann

»Bei der Entstehung meiner drei Stücke hatte ich immer ganz bestimmte Bilder von Orten, von Menschen und Begegnungen während meiner Reisen durch Ladakh und Tibet vor Augen und ich wollte durch die Vertonung der Mantren meine ganz tiefe Verbundenheit mit diesen Menschen zum Ausdruck bringen, die ihre Religion so unbeirrt, so fröhlich und so tief gläubig leben und praktizieren. Es war für mich der Ausdruck für meine erlebten Gefühle, für meine Bewunderung, meine Liebe und auch für eine heimliche Sehnsucht. Allein diese Gefühle waren es, die die Melodien zu den Mantren entstehen ließen. Damit verbunden war auch die Hoffnung, in der Andersartigkeit meiner Vertonung, der westlichen Welt einen Zugang zum Verständnis der tibetischen Kultur zu erleichtern, ohne dabei das religiöse Empfinden dieser Völker zu verletzen.« Anita Anjana Holtmann

Klangbeispiele finden Sie auf meiner Homepage www.lichthaus-musik.de.
Die CD kostet pro Einheit (Stück): 18,00 Euro (inkl. 19 % MwSt.). - ein Euro pro CD geht an die Kinder Tibets.

In memoriam Papizan Badar

(1957-2016)

English (french below)

On the evening of Wednesday, August 3nd 2016, the master of Tuvan khöömii Papizan Badar passed away from liver cancer...

Born in 1957 in Tsengel county, Bayan-Ölgii province in Mongolia, he self-learned khöömii, inspired by Baldan, an elder of his community. In his village, Papizan was the main transmitter of khöömii, as well as other instruments and Tuvan songs. Beyond the music he knew deeply his culture of which he was one of the living emblems in Tsengel. He was decorated for it - alas late - as the best worker of culture (MUSTA) by the Mongolian State.

He mastered several techniques of khöömii: uulyn kargyraa (deep khöömii mountain), khöömii (pressed overtone singing), sygyt (whistled khöömii), ayany khöömii (travel khöömii), golyn khöömii (river khöömii); the play of shuur flute, toshpuluur lute, igil fiddle and khomus jew’s harp. He also played the nose flute (Western style). Luthier and sculptor, Papizan was a complete artist. Tuvan khöömii representative in Mongolia, he taught many students: the children of the secondary school in his village and adults, nomads or villagers in his community. He was invited several times in the National Festival of Traditional Arts in Mongolia and at khöömii competitions at national and regional levels. Nephew of the famous author Galsan Tschinag, his name appears in some of his works, such as The caravan (translated French version) and Mein Altai (original version in German).

The idea on the origin of khöömii from the imitation and dialogue with nature is often limited - alas – by the discourse of musicians. Among the many khöömii singers whom I met in Mongolia, Papizan was certainly the most connected to nature with his music as with his daily life. Hunter, fisherman and gatherer, environmental protector, he perfectly knew the flora and fauna of his region, as well as traditional medicine associated with plant and animal matters.

Longtime unknown for his talent at the national and international scales, Papizan has been much aided by the ethnologist Amelie Schenk on enhancing his transmission of Tuvan culture in Tsengel. Performing abroad and living off the khöömii was one of the dreams of Papizan. For the first time, he had been invited by Routes Nomades to participate in the disc (recorded in summer 2015) and The Anthology of Mongolian Khöömii tour from March to May 2016, with concerts in France and Switzerland. His success and the public attention paid to the quality of his teachings made us considering future collaborations. All these effort would also, we hoped, enhance his khöömii practice and transmission of his knowledge, as well as raise his social value when he gets back home. But the disease would have decided it otherwise. Papizan quickly joined his wife who also died of cancer in March the same year.

The funeral took place at Tsengel on Friday, August 5th 2016.

Mongolia and in particular Tsengel lost one more treasure... His khöömii and his music were recorded and filmed several times but still widely unknown. The film Bi Mongol Hun by a Mongolian director B. Bayar, produced by Amelie Schenk (translated into German Von Bergen und den reichen armen meinem Leben) offers the opportunity to learn about this extraordinary, funny and fascinating man through a moving portrait at the heart of his environment, the High Altai. He will also appear in the upcoming film of J.-F. Castell Voyage en diphonie, the next part of Masters of overtone singing (2010) in which some pictures were already devoted to him.

During the interview we had on the future of khöömii recorded at his home in summer 2015, Papizan recalled that: "If a people loses its art and language, it is no longer a people. Keeping khöömii is to maintain the cultural identity of Tuvans of Tsengel." He leaves behind a piece of this culture that we hope will be inherited in his memory. In obedience shamanic, Papizan joined the wind spirit. May it continue to blow long to keep his knowledge and tribute.

Johanni Curtet

Français

Le soir du mercredi 3 août 2016, le maître de khöömii touva Papizan Badar nous a quitté suite à un cancer du foie…

Né en 1957 sur la commune de Tsengel dans la province de Bayan-Ölgii (Mongolie), il apprit le khöömii en autodidacte, inspiré par Baldan, un doyen de sa communauté. Dans son village, Papizan était le principal transmetteur du khöömii, ainsi que des instruments et autres répertoires chantés touvas. Au-delà de la musique il connaissait finement sa culture dont il était l’un des emblèmes vivants à Tsengel. Il fut pour cela décoré – tardivement hélas – comme meilleur travailleur de la culture (MUSTA) par l’État Mongol.

Il maîtrisait plusieurs techniques de khöömii : uulyn kargyraa (khöömii profond de montagne), khöömii (chant diphonique pressé), sygyt (khöömii sifflé), ayany khöömii (khöömii de voyage), golyn khöömii (khöömii de rivière) ; le jeu de la flûte shuur, du luth toshpuluur, de la vièle igil et des guimbardes khomus. Il jouait aussi de la flûte nasale (modèle occidental). Luthier et sculpteur, Papizan était un artiste complet. Représentant du khöömii touva en Mongolie, il l’a enseigné à de nombreux élèves : aux enfants de l’école secondaire de son village et aux adultes, nomades ou villageois de sa région. Il a été remarqué à plusieurs reprises dans les éditions du Festival national des arts traditionnels en Mongolie et lors des concours de khöömii au niveau national et régional. Neveu du célèbre auteur Galsan Tschinag, son nom apparaît dans quelques un de ses ouvrages, comme La caravane (version française) et Mein Altai (en allemand).

Si l’origine du khöömii prend ses sources dans l’imitation et le dialogue avec la nature, cela s’arrête hélas souvent au discours chez les musiciens. Parmi les nombreux diphoneurs rencontrés en Mongolie, Papizan était sans doute le plus connecté avec la nature, dans sa musique comme sa vie quotidienne. Chasseur, pêcheur et cueilleur, protecteur écologiste de la nature, il connaissait parfaitement la faune et la flore de sa région, ainsi que la médecine traditionnelle associée aux plantes et matières animales.

Longtemps méconnu pour son talent à l’échelle nationale comme internationale, Papizan a beaucoup été aidé par l’ethnologue Amélie Schenk pour valoriser sa transmission de la culture touva à Tsengel. Jouer à l’étranger et vivre du khöömii a été l’un des rêves de Papizan. Pour la première fois, il venait d’être invité par Routes Nomades à participer au disque (enregistré en été 2015) et à la tournée d’Anthologie du khöömii mongol de mars à mai 2016, avec une série de concerts en France et en Suisse. Le succès rencontré et l’attention particulière du public portée sur la qualité de ses enseignements laissaient envisager de futures collaborations. Cela allait, nous l’espérions, valoriser sa pratique et la transmission de son savoir à son retour au niveau local. Mais la maladie en aura décidé autrement. Papizan a rejoint rapidement son épouse, décédée elle aussi d’un cancer en mars dernier.

Les obsèques ont eu lieu à Tsengel, le vendredi 5 août 2016.

La Mongolie et Tsengel en particulier viennent de perdre un trésor de plus... Son khöömii et sa musique ont été enregistrés et filmés à plusieurs reprises mais restent à découvrir. Le film Bi Mongol Hun du réalisateur mongol B. Bayar produit par Amelie Schenk (traduit en allemand Von den reichen Bergen und meinem armen Leben) offre la possibilité de mieux connaître cet homme extraordinaire, drôle et passionnant à travers un portrait émouvant au cœur de son environnement, le Haut-Altaï. Il apparaîtra aussi dans le prochain film de J.-F. Castell Voyage en diphonie, suite de Maîtres de chant diphonique (2010) dans lequel quelques images lui étaient déjà consacrées.

Au cours d’un témoignage sur le devenir du khöömii enregistré chez lui l’été 2015, Papizan rappelait que : « Si un peuple perd son art et sa langue, ce n’est plus un peuple. Conserver le khöömii c’est maintenir l’identité culturelle des Touvas de Tsengel. » Il laisse derrière lui un pan de cette culture qui nous l’espérons sera transmise en sa mémoire.
D’obédience chamanique, Papizan a rejoint l’esprit du vent. Puisse ce dernier continuer à souffler longtemps pour conserver son savoir et son souvenir.

Johanni Curtet

Some references on Papizan / Quelques références où retrouver Papizan

Writings / Écrits
Curtet Johanni & Nomindari Shagdarsuren, 2014. « Le PCI de Mongolie sur les listes de l’Unesco : traditions musicales et enjeux de sauvegarde », Actes des Rencontres internationales du patrimoine culturel immatériel en Bretagne, Dastum/Bretagne Culture Diversité, p. 51-61.
Curtet Johanni, 2013. La transmission du höömij, un art du timbre vocal : ethnomusicologie et histoire du chant diphonique mongol, thèse de doctorat en musicologie, sous la dir. d’H. Lacombe et A. Desjacques, Université Rennes 2, 613 p. et 1 CD.
Curtet Johanni, 2013. « Une première approche sur la transmission du chant diphonique en Mongolie », Études mongoles et sibériennes, centrasiatiques et tibétaines, 43-44, en ligne, mis en ligne le 20 septembre 2013, URL : http://emscat.revues.org/2123, 22 p.
Jundenbat Sonom-Ishijn (éd.), 2011. Important Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Mongols, Ulaanbaatar : Center of Cultural Heritage, 67 p.
Tschinag Galsan, 2006. La caravane, L’esprit des péninsules (traduction française).
Tschinag Galsan, 2005. Mein Altai, A1 Verlag, München (version allemande).

Music / Musique
Anthologie du khöömii mongol, (septembre 2016, Buda Musique/Routes Nomades).
Uuls tuulisiin oron, shildeg buteeliin tsomog (2011, Amelie Schenk).

Films
Bayar B., 2012. Bi mongol hun.
Teaser : www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbTjG-XoGRE
Castell Jean-François, 2010. Maîtres de chant diphonique.
Teaser : www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCnmrOsPfb4

Online videos / Vidéos sur internet
Papizan & Batsükh / Папизан, Батсүх хоёр / TEASER
www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6cmOG5W-1s
Papizan & Batsükh / Папизан, Батсүх хоёр / Festival Les Détours de Babel
www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5GyEUTCahk
MASTER CLASS KHÖÖMII - PAPIZAN BADAR & JOHANNI CURTET
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFRKk50cWLs

Nous avons le plaisir de vous annoncer la tournée européenne de Khusugtun ce printemps! Une belle occasion d'entendre en live le set de leur dernier album "Jangar"!

We have the pleasure to announce Khusugtun 's European tour this spring! A great occasion to see their new album "Jangar" live!

Хөсөгтөн хамтлагийн Европын аялан тоглолт энэ хавар эхлэх гэж байна! "Жангар" цомгийн шинэ бүтээлүүдээр Франц, Люксембург, Швейцарь, Бельгид уулзацгаая!

Billetterie et informations / Reservation / Тасалбарын захиалга:

25 mars : 20h30, Le Rocher de Palmer, Cenon (33)
Informations : https://lerocherdepalmer.fr/artistes/khusugtun/03.2022.php

26 mars : 20h, Musée Guimet, Paris (75)
Informations : https://www.guimet.fr/.../khusugtun-khoomii-et-chants-de...polyphonie/

28 mars : 19h, Trifolion, Echternach, Luxembourg (LU)
Informations : https://perto.com/.../trifolion-406682/khusugtun-mongolian-ethnic-music-4710749/

30 mars : 18h, Foyer de l’Opéra, Lille (59)
Informations : https://www.opera-lille.fr/spectacle/mongolie-enchantee/

31 mars : 20h, Théâtre Molière, Bruxelles (BE)
Informations : https://muziekpublique.be/.../20220331-khusugtun-mongolie/

1 er avril : 21h, Le Tambour, Rennes (35)
Informations : https://intranet.univ-rennes2.fr/.../concert-khusugtun-mongolie

6 et 7 avril: concert, atelier et conférence, CNSMDL, Lyon (69)
Informations à venir : http://www.cnsmd-lyon.fr/saison-publique/2022-04/

8 avril: 20h, temple Saint Gervais, Festival ADEM, Genève (CH)
Informations : https://adem.ch/fr/evenements/trio-khusugtun

10 avril : Festival Les Détours de Babel, Grenoble (38)
Informations : https://musiques-nomades.fr/agenda/khusugtun

Please go to my website to listen to the CD SHAMAN VOICE
If you like to order it, please do so. I will send it to you!


www.kailani.ch

A friend just showed me two movies of a lecture on extreme vocal techniques. Some basics about not hurting your vocal folds.

I am pleased to announce the publication of a special issue entirely dedicated to khöömii of the "Asian Music" journal, in which I participated:

Transregional Politics of Throat-Singing as Cultural Heritage in Inner and Central Asia, a special issue
ASIAN MUSIC, Volume 52, Number 2, Summer/Fall 2021

Charlotte D’Evelyn, Guest Editor
Robert O. Beahrs, Andrew Colwell, Associate Guest Editors
Johanni Curtet, Assistant Guest Editor

Table of Contents

• From the Editor, Ricardo D. Trimillos
• From the Guest Editors, Charlotte D'Evelyn, Robert O. Beahrs, Andrew Colwell

Grounding Heritage

• Cradle of Drone-Overtone and Timbre-Centered Music: Cultural -Landscapes of the Indigenous Peoples of the Altai Mountain Range and Its Neighboring Areas, Carole Pegg
• Propriety, Property, and Heritage in the Performance of Mongol Khöömii, Andrew Colwell
• Gifts of the Sygytchy-Sons: Tethering Melodies to Land, Kin, and Life Energy at the Khöömei Ovaa, Tyva Republic, Robert O. Beahrs

Transregional Responses

• Khöömii, World Lists, and the Question of Representation, Johanni Curtet
• Khöömii, Chooryn Duu, and Dissonant Heritage in Inner Mongolia, China, Charlotte D'Evelyn
• (Re)Claiming a Vocal Vernacular: Revival and Modernization of Kömei in Contemporary Kazakh Music, Saida Daukeyeva

Afterword

• Khöömei and Heritage: An Afterword, Theodore Levin
• Khöömei—Ambassador to the World: An Afterword, Valentina Süzükei translated by Sean Quirk

Informations, order: https://muse.jhu.edu/issue/45261

This is Mongolian ensemble Egschiglen’s fourth album and the third to feature Amartuvshin’s fine Khöömii (Throat Singing). Amartuvshin comes from Chandman District in Western Mongolia, arguably the birthplace of Khöömii. His powerful singing retains much of the traditional styles of older singers such as Tserendavaa; however the influence of Tuvan Khöömei can be heard in the low Khargiraa (sub harmonic) style particularly on their renamed version of Huun Huur Tu’s classic ‘Kungurei’. Amartuvshin sings lyrics in Khailakh (a tense compressed guttural voice) or Khargiraa styles with the amazing non-verbal high melodic

GEREG ~ music by Egschiglen

overtone style being featured on half a dozen cuts. His mastery enables him to sing the dizzyingly heights of the 16th harmonic and to adapt to unfamiliar musical settings. The one drawback is that his Khöömii can get lost in some of the overly dense arrangements.


1. Hunnu is a song from the 'deep past' of Mongolia - and a homage to the Huns who founded their legendary empire in the 3rd century BC between Lake Baikal, the Altai Mountains, the Chingan range and China, the first nomad empire of Central Asia consisting of 25 peoples. China tried to protect itself against the raids of the "barbarians of the north", as the Chinese farmers called the Huns disparagingly, by building the Great Wall. The empire of fearless nomad horsemen disintegrated after the death of their king Attila in 453 AD.

2. Goviin Magtaal : Paeans or songs of praise (magtaal) are sung to pay tribute to nature in itself, the spirits of nature or the Lamaistic gods or to praise individual mountains, rivers, animals or heroes. It is mainly camel-driving nomads who live in the Gobi Desert, so this paean is sung to the Gobi in the rhythm of the camel's footsteps. "From the blue gleaming steppe you come to visit us in the Gobi. When you visit us in the Gobi, you are cordially invited to our yurt. The doors of our white yurt are always open. With best wishes we invite you: take a seat on the north side of the yurt (place of honour), and the genial Gobi girl will entertain you with freshly brewed tea with camel's milk. Visit us in the Gobi, the home of countless herds - the fabulous Gobi."

3. Duuren Zaan : This composition is based on a myth about the legendary wrestler Duuren Zaan, a young man of the people who was killed by the people of the prince because he had defeated the prince's wrestlers. Earlier the wrestling competitions were arranged by princes, high state officials and religious dignitaries, they had their best fighters compete against each other, not uncommonly with fatal consequences. State and church, represented by their wrestlers, often carried out a power struggle. The church often won ...

4. Aisui Hulugiin Tuvurguun: "The echoing hoofs of the approaching horses", as the title of this piece is translated, is an anthem to the Naadam festival which is celebrated in Mongolia in the middle of July. Its roots go back to the time of the Huns and Genghis Khan. The three warlike 'basic sports' are the focus of the festival: wrestling, archery and horse racing. During the spectacular horse race which takes place over several days, hundreds of riders start well outside Ulan Bator and chase like a cloud of dust through the steppe up to the competition area, followed at break­neck speed by spectators in jeeps who can afford to watch the race from as close up as possible. The festival begins when the six to twelve-year old boys and girls climb into the saddles in order to take the horses into the race as jockeys. The first five winners are given a prize and awarded with a song of praise (moriny tsol). Successful horses can reach astronomical prices when sold - the breeding and the training of the animals are a science in themselves in which the experiences of the nomads and warriors over the centuries are passed down.

5. Jaran Zagaan Aduu: The sad old song of the Tuva people from the northwest tells the story of the time of the Manchu rulers in Mongolia (1691-1911). All men between 18 and 60 were liable to military service, many of them were drafted from the Manchurian central power, and hardly any returned: "Of sixty white horse herds / where are the best, my brothers / Of six regions of our country / Where are half of the people, my sister?"

6. Meeneg : Sun, moon and the endless starry sky have also always exerted their magical fascination on the Mongolian people. Shamanistic practices are also closely connected with the heavenly bodies here. The Buryat people from the northeast of Mongolia are the only ones who practice a round dance (yoohor) which describes the circle of the sun's orbit. It is accompanied by sung strophes which are improvised by individual singers and are answered in the chorus by all dancers. "Meeneg" is a love song and is widespread in the west of Buryatia in particular; in the eastern part it was banned by the Buddhist lamas and may be heard only at weddings.

7. Nutgiin Zamd : Amra, the khöömii virtuoso in the ensemble, comes from Chandman Sum in west Mongolia, the birthplace of overtone singing. Here the khöömii traditions go back more than 1,500 years, and from generation to generation the five most important khöömii variants are passed down. Khöömii is much more than 'just' the art of overtone singing. In Mongolia khöömii is also seen as a spiritual and magical art form which requires power, endurance, perseverance and comprehensive training - almost like a sport. Khöömii teaches the people to overcome difficulties and to enjoy the results of their work. People who do not respect difficulties or are not interested in overcoming them cannot become khöömii singers. In "Nutgiin Zarnd" Amra describes his (spiritual) journey home.

8. Huurhun Haluin : This ritual farewell song of parents for the bride is a traditional Mongolian long song (urtyn duu). It consists of three basic forms: extended long song, general long song and abbreviated long song (besreg). The verses of the besreg are short and its musical structure is less complex so that the lyrics - in this case advice to the bride to follow the words of the parents respectfully to maintain friendship with the new sisters - can be understood better: "Your beautiful beige-coloured horse has a gentle character, but you still have to be careful when saddling. The customs are different in the foreign country. Wait until you get used to these."

9. Adagio from the Ballet “Uran Has” : During the socialist period (1924 - 92) European art forms like classical music, opera and ballet came to Mongolia, and traditional Mongolian songs and dance melodies were Europeanised. Revolutionary lyrics were often combined with traditional melodies adapted in such a manner as they were seen as a symbol of the "new music for a new time". Jamyangiin Chuluun (1928 - 96), whose ballet "Uran Has" from 1973 was the basis for the Mongolian ballet school, received the state award in 1966 and later various other awards for his contribution to the development of classical music and ballet.
The ih Nur musician Uugan dedicates this composition to his friend Peter Lindi, with whom he built his Mongolian bass violin which can be heard for the first time on this recording.

10. Byan Hishig daa Lam : The band improvises on a humorous folksong, the title is the name of the protagonist.

11. Udelt : A short song like the Darhad from the northwest of Mongolia sing: the lyrics tell the story of a painful farewell.

12. Shigshergiin Ai : The melodies and rhythms of many short songs imitate noises, movements and the character of animals, especially horses. The gaits of a horse in particular are described meticulously and translated into music: walk, trot, gallop, amble etc. This song of the Dörvöd traces the amble of the fine brown horse and the sound of the harness magnificently decorated with silver work.

13. Chamagaa Gelgui Yahav : A short song of the Dörvöd people in the west of Mongolia: "Of sixty thousand sheep / The red ones are the best / Of a hundred thousand boys / You are my only sweetheart". Short songs (bogino duu) are very popular in northwest Mongolia, they are sung at casual meetings. The singer improvises his (often satirical) lyrics about everyday events, embarrassing behaviour, difficult relationships - or like in this song - about love.

14 Zezegtei Harmai : is a besreg duu, an abbreviated long song of the Darhad who live in the forested Taiga regions and breed yaks or reindeer. It describes the beauty of this region around the Harmai river and traces the contours of the mountains, valleys and steppes.

15. Bonus Track : For a while the band have pitched their yurt in the rural Bavarian area of Röthenbach an der Pegnitz, where they can hear unfamiliar sounds which they readily pick up and turn into music with a humorous wink - and when it is a Franconian peasant song.

I met David last year in Prague at the Overtone Festival in Prague. I can't describe all impressions here but this harmonic meeting was really stunning. David gaves us his teachings about harmonic presence and awareness and since last year I am checking out his website www.harmonicworld.com to be informed about his schedule.
I'm writing this blog post to let you know about the activities this summer of David Hykes, whose Harmonic Presence Foundation has been developing the integral overtone music system called Harmonic Chant since 1975, the year he found The Harmonic Choir in New York. This contemporary sacred sound lineage represents a comprehensive experience of both western and eastern approaches to sound, contemplative music, and healing sounds which has benefitted by David's 34 years of experience studying traditions of mind, music, meditation and the medicine of healing harmonization. His first album, "Hearing Solar Winds," is the best-selling vocal overtone album of all time.
Harmonic Chant is a comprehensive musical system based on "The Twelve Levels," encompassing all aspects of melody, harmony, rhythm and harmonic musical consciousness.



Here are the dates: Starting with a concert and workshop in Paris on June 21th 2009 David Hykes' next harmonic awareness retreat will be held in France from July 1-7th 2009 - Informations are here >>> available in English also >>> in Italian - and of course >>> in French.
David Hykes' other events are the 10th annual harmonic presence in Denmark - from August 15th to 21st in France Harmonic Awareness Retreat and from September 20th to September 25th in the United States in Esalen

New book on Mongolian music to be released in April!

Mongolian Sound Worlds
ed. by Jennifer C. Post, Sunmin Yoon and Charlotte d'Evelyn, University of Illinois Press.

"Insights into musical place, practice, identity, and heritage that arise during moves from steppes to stage, Chinggis Khan’s empire to globalization, and traditional throat-singing and horsehead fiddle to heavy metal fusion will--as with the Mongolian sound worlds so vividly portrayed--reverberate far beyond the borders of Mongolia."
--Carole Pegg, author of Mongolian Music, Dance, and Oral Narrative: Performing Diverse Identities

Abstract:
Music cultures today in rural and urban Mongolia and Inner Mongolia emerge from centuries-old pastoralist practices that were reshaped by political movements in the twentieth century. Mongolian Sound Worlds investigates the unique sonic elements, fluid genres, social and spatial performativity, and sounding objects behind new forms of Mongolian music--forms that reflect the nation’s past while looking towards its globalized future. Drawing on fieldwork in locations across the Inner Asian region, the contributors report on Mongolia’s genres and musical landscapes; instruments like the morin khuur, tovshuur, and Kazakh dombyra; combined fusion band culture; and urban popular music. Their broad range of concerns include nomadic herders’ music and instrument building, ethnic boundaries, heritage-making, ideological influences, nationalism, and global circulation.
A merger of expert scholarship and eyewitness experience, Mongolian Sound Worlds illuminates a diverse and ever-changing musical culture.

Contributors:
Bayarsaikhan Badamsuren, Otgonbayar Chuluunbaatar, Andrew Colwell, Johanni Curtet, Charlotte D’Evelyn, Tamir Hargana, Peter K. Marsh, K. Oktyabr, Rebekah Plueckhahn, Jennifer C. Post, Tserendavaa Dashdorj, and Sunmin Yoon

Informations: https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=66exs8ec9780252044373

There is one major hurdle for most singers who set out to learn to sing overtones:

It may be difficult to hear one's own accentuated harmonics

On the other hand the majority of participants in a beginners workshop, fortunately will be able to hear the harmonics of the others, so we are reassured that it is something that most singers can crack in a relatively short time.

If you have the noble ambition to reach a sense of what is actually taking place, noone gets away without practice in private, and then it may be useful to have access to various aids. Here, the development of IT came in handy, and below I shall present a few programs which manage the task of showing our voice content spectrographically. Thereby it becomes clear that what we normally understand as a tone is in fact a composite sound (what the Germans and Scandinavians call 'klang'): It consists of a series of harmonic overtones that are more or less clearly accentuated in the overall sound.

The Germans Wolfgang Saus and Bodo Maass have developed the program Overtone Analyzer specially for overtone singers. It is so far only available for PC, but not as a smartphone app or for Mac and i-products. It is almost inevitable for harmonic aspirants, and it is fortunate that the developers generously have made it available for free download for three months of testing at this link. At this link is an example of how I have used the program to illustrate some basic situations in overtone singing based on a widely circulated video where Anna-Maria Hefele demonstrates her skills.

I have not had the opportunity to test the options for Mac, iPad and iPhone users, but I found a few apps in iTunes, which may do the job: App1; App2; App3

In the following I shall refer to available apps for users of Android based smartphones, and here I had the opportunity to test two free programs, both absolutely functioning: Sound Analyser PRO and Spectral Audio Analyzer. The easiest way to communicate how they work, will be by screen shots of the user interface. The first example shows differences in the sound structure of cardinal vowels: On a steady tone I have sung [α], [o] and [i] respectively and it is immediately apparent that they are composed of different overtones. The first partial, about 150 Hz is accompanied by harmonic overtones at about 2x150 Hz, 3x150 Hz, 4x150 Hz etc. respectively.

Below spectrographies are shown from Sound Analyser PRO, which displays both landscape and portrait view and further down from Spectral Audio Analyzer, which has only landscape mode. Lettering in white at the actual time-frequency field has been added by me subsequently. Note the different colour codes! For the sake of precision I have used symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), which I recommend every harmonic aspirant to learn for an understanding of the organic relations between roundedness, primary resonance, opennness etc. There is a fine interactive chart, where you may hear the pronunciation of each sound (click the relevant symbol) at this link:



- [α] (open rounded back vowel, like in arm) presents a broad spectrum. The first seven partials (displayed as horizontal strips) are relatively strong and there is a steadily decreasing response for partials well into their twenties.

- [o] (rounded back vowel) is especially characterized by the first four partials, after which impact weakens markedly, although the sound is also influenced by partials #15 and #16 and around the #21-22.

- [i] (unrounded front vowel – 'ee') weakens even quicker off the bottom, but is strongly influenced by partials around #14 (14x150 Hz = 2,100 Hz). Other partials of an even higher frequency - including about no. 24 - ad colour to the sound.







The following screen shot shows the first real steps to deliberately accentuating each of the overtones by choice. Here we have our basis in the rounded back vowels and their organic development from narrow to open: [u]-[o]-[ɔ]-[α]. The lower elements of the harmonic series, 2-3-4-5-6 can be heard unfolding along this line, but there is not a 1:1 relationship, particularly as it also depends on the pitch. It should also be noted that the way we shape the vowels in overtone singing is somewhat different from speech and other ways of singing.
In the exercise here I have accentuated the harmonics # 2-3-4-5-6-5-4-3-2 so that the spectrography takes shape of a 'pyramid'. Twice in the Sound Analyser PRO, three times in Spectral Audio Analyser.







About the programs should also be mentioned that the Sound Analyser PRO, which I prefer, has far more configuration options, including the logarithmic display of frequencies, which I have chosen. Below are screen shots of the settings that I have used. The program's only real drawback - besides that you need time to familiarize yourself with its possibilities - is that the screen size is not optimal.
Spectral Audio Analyser is more stripped down, but also easier to go to. It has one function that is not available on the Sound Analyser PRO, that you can turn off the colors so that the relative strength of the partials is only displayed by degrees of light.

Austrian overtonemusic ensemble Aionigma combines the spheric soundworlds of overtone singing and instruments rich in overtones with elements of Early-European, Indo-European and Central-Asian music forms. The result is a unique music that moves in the seemingly so different genres of New Age, World Music, Early Music, Gregorian Chant, Folk and Classical Music.

Recorded live in the wonderful acoustics of Göttweig Abbey, the album Aionigma offers a first sound imprint and leads into mysterious worlds of sound full of floating tones and natural harmonies.

Musicians: Bernhard Mikuskovics (Overtone Singing, Jodel, Fujara, Jew´s Harp, Dulcimer, Dombra, Tampura, Guitar), Gerhard Kowarz (Overtone SInging, Jodel, Monochord, Klangmühle, Dombra)

WHAT THE PRESS SAYS

"Aionigma by Aionigma has to be one, if not the most original albums I have had to write about for a few years, the productions and performances that are contained within are some of the finest, and should appeal to listeners who had a fond passion for Gregorian chants and folk music across a general musical landscape, and for those intelligent musical seekers who are always searching for something to satisfy their melodious desires." (Steve Sheppard, One World Music)

CD & Digital Album Aionigma is available worldwide: http://www.aionigma.com

I developed a hearing test for professional musicians. It aimes on the development of a better awareness of overtones in singing voice. The website is in German right now, use google translate if needed. But the main content is the sound samples anyway.