Alash Ensemble

They even played with banjo virtuoso Bla Fleck during their last visit to New Orleansan ultimate rite of passage.Whether youre a fan of folk traditions, adventurous music, or just want to witness something unlike anything youve ever heard, this is one of those performances youll be talking about long after the last note fades.Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Deeply committed to traditional Tuvan music and culture, they are also fans of western music. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, these talented musicians subtly infuse their songs with western elements, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new but still true to their Tuvan musical heritage.What does throat singing sound like?Imagine a human bagpipea person who could sing a sustained low note while humming an eerie, whistle-like melody. For good measure, toss in a thrumming rhythm similar to that of a jaw harp, but produced vocally-by the same person, at the same time. Newsweek (March 17, 2006)[Tuvan throat singing] sounds like the bewitching, remarkably harmonious marriage of a vacuum cleaner and a bumblebee. . . . [It] sounds as though the singer has ingested a set of bagpipes, with a low drone and a high melody issuing simultaneously from the same mouth. New York Times (August 3, 2013)