The soloist singing sections are in free rhythm, and the choir singing sections are metred. The song is performed as an alternation of the soloist (sarnaksh) and the mixed choir of 10-12 singers.
Rabiev recorded in 1964 this polyphonic version of the traditional naksh in Ura-Tiube, in Fergana Vale, northern Tajikistan. I am very grateful to Zoia Tajikova who provided this information together with her own transcription of this unique version: This example of rare polyphonic singing came from Tajikistan. I well remember the excitement among Soviet ethnomusicologists when an example of vocal polyphonic music was found in Central Asia. After some time I came to the conclusion that, although I managed to produce few audible overtones, singing Georgian polyphony was still much easier for me.Īlthough Central Asia is justifiably known as a monophonic region, elements of “usual” polyphony (when polyphony is created by the group of singers) are present in some genres. I remember myself sitting together with my Georgian friend and colleague, Edisher Garakanidze, under a big tree in Switzerland, near Geneva on September 26th, 1991, trying to learn the basics of overtone singing under the guidance of the brilliant performer of this style (and not only!) and ethnomusicologist Tran Quang Hai. There has been a great deal of interest in the overtone singing style, and many singing-loving westerners have learned this unique sound-production technique. I will discuss this interesting question in a separate section (or “Case Study”) in the second part of this book. There has been a diversity of opinion about the origins of overtone singing, ranging from the most archaic periods (30-40 000 years ago), the “pre-speech articulation” epoch of human history (see, for example, Ikhtisamov, 1984:180-181) to the first millennia A.D. Overtone singing was traditionally performed by men only, but now there are women singers as well. Instead they follow their aesthetic and cultural preferences. This fact suggests that singers do not follow the naturally existing sound material. Out of these overtones “B flat” and “F#” are carefully avoided. This part of the overtones contain G, Bflat, C, D, E, F# and G. So, if the drone is on “C”, the singer will be using the overtones from “G” to the next “G”. Interestingly, singers use only the selected set of overtones, carefully avoiding two overtones that do not fit the pentatonic scale (Levin, 2002:982). The singer produces a sustained pitch using a specific tense sound, then, using this sustained sound as a drone, he changes the mouth cavity shape with his tongue, lips and some other parts of the mouth to produce different harmonics (overtones) and construct melodies from these overtones. From a social point of view, overtone singing is not polyphony, as this singing style lacks crucial social element of the polyphonic singing tradition – active musical interaction between several (at least more than one) performers. From a musical point of view overtone singing is polyphony, as two functionally completely different parts (drone and a pentatonic melody) are heard simultaneously. Overtone singing is positioned ambiguously between the polyphonic and monophonic singing traditions. (7) And finally, outside the Russian Federation, six styles of overtone singing have been documented in western Mongolia (under the term khoomei) (6) One style of overtone singing has been documented in Yakutia as well, under the name khabarga. (5) Khakassia has two styles of overtone singing, known as khai. (4) Three styles have been recorded among the Mountain Shoria. Overtone singing in known here under the term kai. (3) Five styles of overtone singing have been recorded in Mountain Altay. Three styles have been documented here (the term khoomei is used here as well). (2) Unlike western Tuva, eastern Tuva is much less known for overtone singing traditions, and singers here are far apart. (1) Northwestern Tuva is the most important region for this style, with 14 styles of singing (term – khoomei). According to the information received from Yuri Sheikin from Yakutsk, there are few different distinct styles of overtone singing in this region:
This singing style has been found on a wide territory comprising Tuva, western Mongolia and Altay and Sayan mountain ranges. A solo performer produces two different sounds simultaneously. The musical symbol of Central Asia is a unique polyphonic style, known by the names “overtone singing” or “throat singing”.