Overtone Singing: A Journey Across Different Cultures

Overtone singing, also known as overtone chanting, harmonic singing, polyphonic overtone singing, and diphonic singing, is a unique form of vocal music that has been practiced for centuries across various cultures worldwide. It involves the manipulation of the resonances of the vocal tract to create additional notes beyond the fundamental frequency produced. While the technique is practiced differently across various regions, there are some commonalities.
Originating in the Khovd Province and Govi Altai region of southwestern Mongolia, overtone singing has become a significant cultural practice in Mongolia. The most commonly practiced style, known as khöömii, has several categories. For instance, in the Tuvan region of southern Siberia, Russia, overtone singing is based on the appreciation of complex sounds with multiple layers or textures, leading to a wide range of rhythmic and melodic styles.
Similarly, Altai and Khakassia, Tuva's neighboring regions in Russia, have developed forms of throat singing called kai or khai. Altai narrators perform in kargyraa, khöömei, and sygyt styles, similar to those in Tuva. They also have their own style of very high harmonics that emerge from kargyraa. Tibetan Buddhist chanting is a subgenre of throat singing, mainly practiced by monks of Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, India, and various locations in the Himalayan region. Balochi Nur Sur is an ancient form of overtone singing still popular in parts of Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan, especially in the Sulaiman Mountains. Meanwhile, the poet-musicians of Kazakhstan and the Uzbek region of Karakalpakstan, known as zhirau, use throat singing in their epic poetry recitations accompanied by the dombra.
In Kurdistan, the Dengbêj style of bardic chanting often incorporates overtones as part of the chant. It is largely a traditional style of Turkish Kurdistan, and practitioners are mostly Anatolian. However, overtones are rarely heard in Kurdish traditional music outside of dengbêj. On the island of Sardinia, Italy, especially in the subregion of Barbagia, the "singing a tenore" choir uses overtone singing to create one of two different styles of polyphonic singing.
Katajjaq, also known as Inuit throat singing, is a traditional game performed by Inuit women. It originated as a way to pass time during long winters while the men were out hunting. Two women face each other, holding each other's arms, and begin a call-and-response competition, with one person leading by setting a repetitive short rhythmic pattern, while the other responds with another rhythmic pattern. It becomes a fun competition of who can last longer, with each person taking on new challengers until the group has all tried.
Although katajjaq can be used as entertainment, it is a remarkable form of music. Unlike other versions of overtone-singing, katajjaq is performed in groups of two or more, making it more communal than other overtone-singing from Eurasia.
Unfortunately, traditional katajjaq throat singing was banned during Canada's history of trying to assimilate First Peoples and suppress their cultures. But luckily, this beautiful art form survived. Today, contemporary styles of throat singing have grown out of the traditional style.
Overtone singing should not be confused with throat singing, even though many throat singing techniques comprise overtone singing. The key difference between the two is that overtone singing involves the careful manipulations of the vocal tract, whereas throat singing is mostly related to the voice source.
Overtone singing is a fascinating and complex form of vocal music that has been practiced across various cultures worldwide for centuries. The techniques and styles may differ, but they all share a common goal of creating multiple notes beyond the fundamental frequency produced, and it remains an important cultural practice in many regions.