Kaigal-ool Khovalyg

A master of the throat singing style that calls for a single vocalist to sound two or three notes simultaneously, Kaigal-ool Khovalg has been called the "Pavarotti of throat singing" and "the People's Singer of Tuva". A founding member of Huun-Huur-Tu, Khovalg has been introducing the world to his unique vocalizing. Khovalg, who worked as a shephard until the age of twenty-one, began his musical career as a member of the Kyzyl-based Tuvan State Ensemble. He remained with the group for a little more than a decade, leaving to form Huun-Huur-Tu with Sasha and Sayan Bapa in 1992. Dedicated to preserving the traditional songs of Tuva, one of the new countries formed with the dissolution of the U.S.S.R., the group became an international sensational. During the band's 1994 tour of the United States, Khovalg was a guest vocalist on Frank Zappa's album, Civilization III. Together with the group, he was featured on albums by Ry Cooder, the Kronos Quartet and Angelite. In addition to touring and recording with Huun-Huur-Tu, Khovalg has continued to explore a wide range of musical possibilities. He currently performs with the World Groove Band, the Valkov Trio and the multi-cultural ethno-jazz band, Vershki Da Koreshki. ~ Craig Harris