Just found the video above of (my favourite) overtone singer Okna Tsahan Zam. He’s from Kalmykia and here he sings a segment of the heroic epic Dzhangar. Years ago I highlighted him in a radiospecial on overtone singing.
And below a video I already knew, with him also singing the Dzhangar epic:
An artist I’ve been admiring for many years is Natascha Nikeprelevic. With overtone singing as her basic means of musical expression she performs, improvises and interprets contemporary music. For a reference: on her MySpace page she mentions Pina Bausch, Kazuo Ohno, Robert Wilson, Michael Vetter and Karlheinz Stockhausen as her most important influences. Here’s a beautiful excerpt from ‘Alice in Wonderland’, her ‘journey of the human natural voice to the wonderland of synthetic sounds’.
Is there anything Natascha Nikeprelevic can’t do with her voice?
In Natascha Nikeprelevic’s work harmonic melodies and overtone arias emerge from what seem to be amorphous sound structures, noises and almost bizarre atonalities. Since 1997 she collaborates with Michael Vetter. Natascha Nikeprelevic has performed all over Europe and in the Far East and besides performing she also lectures for programmes of musicology, dance/theatre and jazz at several universities in and outside Europe.
An overtone singing workshop led by Natascha Nikeprelevic
If you want to hear from herself about her music and career check out this interview with Deutschland Radio Berlin.
RECITAL’REZITATIV for voice and tambura
And speaking of Natascha’s work, I can’t resist referring to a video and a soundscape I made for fun a few years ago, in which her voice is one of the predominant elements. This one…
Saturday 7 March, at 24.00hrs, another great 6-hour night programme is broadcast on De Concertzender, produced by me, Pieter de Rooij, and by Charlie Crooijmans. You can listen to a great selection of overtone music from all over the world in all its manifestations. From 00.00hrs till 03.00AM a 3-hour special on overtone singing is presented, a rebroadcast of a special I made in 2003. Recently I was listening again to some excerpts of this programme and I thought a rebroadcast would be a great service to our listeners, because radiospecials on overtone singing are nowhere to be found, and my programme really offers a great selection of music of a high artistic level and some of the recordings can’t be found in any musicstore. The great thing is that after this rebroadcast you can listen to these recordings permanently online ‘on demand’, whenever you want.
I decided to make this 3-hour special in 2003 after finishing one of the most interesting books on music I’ve ever come across, “Overtone Singing: Physics and Metaphysics of Harmonics in East and West”, written by dutch overtone singer and musicologist Mark van Tongeren. Overtone singing is a technique by which a single human voice can simultaneously produce two or more clearly audible tones, usually a low drone with seemingly independant tones high above it.
I was so impressed by this book that I decided to make a radio programme on overtone singing, using Mark as ‘tour guide’. He explains the physics and metaphysics of overtone singing and demonstrates several techniques of overtone singing. The book covers its physical and metaphysical aspects and its practice in both East and West. Mark studied throat singing in Tuva, Southern Siberia, and today, Mark is still performing and continuing his research.
Mark van Tongeren
The interview with Mark is in dutch, but for people who don’t understand dutch, I’m sure the programme will nevertheless be a worthwhile listen. Have a look at the playlist below and you can already figure out why I can say this.
One more detail on the 3-hour special: the first hour is presented by great colleague and friend Bart Vonk (1964-2006). I’m sure many people will love to hear Bart once more. It was pure coincidence that Bart was presenting here the first hour of the programme. Since it was a live-broadcast and the regular presenter Paulo Folkertsma didn’t show up in time -he got stuck in the traffic and was delayed- Bart took over and courageously presented my script, while I was answering phonecalls in the studio (I received some nice calls from listeners that evening). In this way Bart really saved my programme’s first hour. The second and third hour Paulo Folkertsma is ‘taking over’. So, in retrospect, here’s my “Well done, Bart!”
After my special The Night of the Overtones continues at 03.00 AM with Charlie Crooijmans’ programming of a fascinating two hours of overtone music by dutch Mouthharptrio Aubergine (03.00-04.00 AM) and by Swiss gong player Verena Jenny (04.00-05.00 AM).
Then, the night finishes with my programming of a unique and very special recording and certainly one of my alltime top favourite recordings. From 05.00 to 06.00 AM I’ve scheduled a fantastic 60-minute recording of singer Okna Tsagan Zam from the Republic of Kalmykia. He gives a spellbinding, mesmerising performance of the Dzjangar epic. It’s a great, never commercially released ‘must-hear’-recording. Nowhere for sale! Don’t miss it!
Cheers!
Night of the Overtones – Playlist of my special from 00.00-03.00 AM
titel: Khöömei, Sygyt, Kargyraa ; tijdsduur: 2’49 ; uitvoerende: Gennadi Tumat ; componist: trad. ; album: ‘Overtone singing from Tuva’ ; label en jaar : PAN Records PAN 2090 ; P en C 2000
titel: ‘Khöömei, sygyt, kargyraa, borbannadir’, tijdsduur: 3’44 ; uitvoerende : Tumat Kara-Ool (uit Tuva) ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Khöömei kak basla men ; uitvoerende : Andryan Öpei (uit Tuva) ; tijdsduur 1’19 ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Kargyraa ; tijdsduur: 1’24 ; tijdsduur 8’02 ; uitvoerende: Kaigal-ool Khovalyg (uit Tuva) componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Khöömei ; tijdsduur: 3’28 ; uitvoerende: Ganzorig Nergui (uit Mongolië) ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Artii Saayir (sygyt) tijdsduur: 3’00 ; uitvoerende: Andrei Chuldum-ool (uit Tuva); componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002]
Overtone singing from Altai ; tijdsduur: 4’03 ; titel: fragment of epic sung with kai technique ; uitvoerende: Tanyspai Shinzhin ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
Overtone singing from Bashkiria ; tijdsduur: 1’30 ; titel: uzlyau (guttural technique) ; uitvoerende: Robert Zagritdinov ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
Overtone singing from Tibet by the Drukpa Order ; tijdsduur: 1’55 ; titel: Rituals of the Drukpa Order ; uitvoerende: leden Drukpa Orde ; componist: trad. ; album: Tibet Vol.1 – Rituals of the Drukpa Order; label en jaar: Lyrichord LYRCD 7255 ; P 1971
Overtone singing from Kalmykia ; tijdsduur: 1’27 ; titel: Khöömii / The Djangar Palace ; uitvoerende: Okna Tsagan Zam ; componist: trad. ; album: Chants Epiques et Diphoniques – Vol.1 ; label en jaar: Auvidis ; W 260067 ; P 1996
Overtone singing from Sardinia ; tijdsduur: 1’58 ; titel: Cante a boche note – S’incontru Fortunadu ; uitvoerende: Tenores di bittti remunnu e’locu ; componist: trad. ; album: Romanzesu ; label en jaar: Amori AM002 , P en C 1993
Overtone singing from South-Africa ; tijdsduur: 1’00 ; titel: iRhobane ; uitvoerende: Nowayilethi Mbizweni ; componist: trad. ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Ominous ground ; tijdsduur: 8’16 ; uitvoerende : Rollin Rachelle, album: ‘Harmonic Divergence’ ; label en jaar: Cryptic Voices CV 50003 ; C 1997
titel: The Fall ; tijdsduur: 4’58 ; uitvoerende: David Hykes & The Harmonic Choir ; componist: David Hykes ; Album: Hearing Solar Winds ; label: Ocora C 558607 , P 1982 C 1989
titel: Paraphony ; tijdsduur: 2’44 ; uitvoerende: Mark van Tongeren ; componist: Mark van Tongeren ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Improvisation at the bank of the Yenisei ; tijdsduur: 5’05 ; uitvoerende: Biosintes & Mark van Tongeren ; componist: Biosintes / Mark van Tongeren ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Zen dans l’art de la tartine ; tijdsduur: 4’22 ; uitvoerende: Tran Quang Hai ; album: Diva (soundtrack) ; componist: Tran Quang Hai ; label en jaar: MILAN A 120061 ; P 1981
titel : Stimmung ; tijdsduur: 3’03 ; uitvoerende: Collegium Vocale Cologne ; componist: Karl-Heinz Stockhausen ; album: Stimmung (Pariser version) ; label en jaar: opname van WDR geen label vermeld
titel : Stimmung ; tijdsduur: 1’10 ; uitvoerende: Collegium Vocale Cologne ; componist: Karl-Heinz Stockhausen ; album: Stimmung (Pariser version) ; label en jaar: opname van WDR geen label vermeld ; P 1993]
titel: Alleluia. Sancte Michael defende ; uitvoerende: Iegor Reznikoff ; tijdsduur: 5’38 ; componist: trad. Arr. By Iegor Reznikoff ; album: Le Chant du Mont Saint-Michel ; label : Studio SM D2914 ; P 2001
titel: Lulabells ; uitvoerende: Thomas Clements ; tijdsduur: 3’37 ; componist: Thomas Clements ; album: Round Sound Silence ; label : IRD 9802 ; P 1998
titel: Cavecall ; uitvoerende: Thomas Clements ; tijdsduur: 1’04 ; componist: Thomas Clements ; album: Round Sound Silence ; label : IRD 9802 ; P 1998]
titel: Flautofonie ; uitvoerende: Demetrio Stratos ; tijdsduur: 6’16 ; componist: Demetrio Stratos ; album: cantare La Voce ; label : EMI 724385744228 ; P 1978 C 1998
titel: Terre ; tijdsduur 6’35 ; uitvoerende: Jean Tricot met koor en solisten van het Festival van Minervois ; componist: Jean Tricot ; album: La mécanique de l’aurore ; label : Harmonia Mundi ED 13031 ; P 1994 C 1994
titel: The Second Dream of The High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer from The Four Dreams of China ; tijdsduur : 2’49 ; uitvoerende: The Theatre of Eternal Music Brass Ensemble o.l.v. Ben Neill ; componist: La Monte Young ; album: The Second Dream of The High-Tension Line Stepdown Transformer from The Four Dreams of China ; label : Gramavision GRV 74672 ; P 1991 C 1991
titel: An Archeaology of Stones ; tijdsduur : 2’49 ; uitvoerende: Philip Dadson ; componist: Philip Dadson ; album: The Fourth Window ; label : Gramavision GRV 74672 ; P 1991 C 1991
titel : Aanvankelijk ; tijdsduur: 0’47 ; uitvoerende: diverse solisten en Ay-Kherel Ensemble , Nieuw Artis Orchestra, Mondriaan Kwartet ; componist: Guus Janssen ; tekst: Friso haverkamp ; album: Noach, an opera off Genesis ; Composers Voice CV 42/43 ; P 1994
titel : Arkadisch ; tijdsduur: 1’28 ; uitvoerende: diverse solisten en Ay-Kherel Ensemble , Nieuw Artis Orchestra, Mondriaan Kwartet ; componist: Guus Janssen ; tekst: Friso haverkamp ; album: Noach, an opera off Genesis ; Composers Voice CV 42/43 ; P 1994
titel: Grund- und bodenloses Gelächter (ansteckend) ; uitvoerende: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; tijdsduur: 2’16 ; componist: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; album: Duo oder auch Liebes-Szenen – Opera da Camera ; label: niet vermeld (Copyright Michael Vetter) ; P 1996 C 1997
titel: Interludium: Tantrische Meditation V (Obertöne, selbstironisch sich entfrömmelnd) ; uitvoerende: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; tijdsduur: 2’23 ; componist: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; album: Duo oder auch Liebes-Szenen – Opera da Camera ; label: niet vermeld (Copyright Michael Vetter) P 1996 C 1997
titel: Brummend vor Behagen (am Rande des Verstummens); uitvoerende: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; tijdsduur: 2’02 ; componist: Michael Vetter, Natascha Nikprelevic ; album: Duo oder auch Liebes-Szenen – Opera da Camera ; label: niet vermeld (Copyright Michael Vetter) ; P 1996 C 1997
titel: Pitchendebin ; uitvoerende: Vershki da Koreshki ; tijdsduur: 7’21 ; componist: Vershki da Koreshki ; album: Real Life Of Plants ; label: Long Arms records CDLA 96020 ; P 1996 C 1996
titel: Kargyraa Moan ; uitvoerende: Paul Pena ; tijdsduur: 3’53 ; componist: Paul Pena ; album: Genghis Blues (soundtrack) ; label: Six Degrees Records 6570361038-2; P 2000 C 2000
titel: City Chess ; tijdsduur 2’04 ; uitvoerende: Mark van Tongeren ; componist: Mark van Tongeren ; album: Overtone Singing ; label en jaar: Fusica Fus 001 CD , P en C 2002
titel: Dzjangar ; uitvoerende: Okna Tsagan Zam ; componist: trad. Arr. by Okna Tsagan Zam ; album: Dzjangar ; label: niet vermeld ; C.1999, private release.
btw !: the final title – Dzjangar – will be broadcast later on, entirely (!), at the close of The Night of the Overtones, approx. from 05.00-06.00 AM