I listen to a lot of songs. I have many favourites that aren’t my favourites because they have great lyrics, I often find it hard to catch exactly what the lyrics are saying or they are in a language I don’t even understand, it is because I just love the music and the voice is merely another instrument creating that music. The selection in this post are all tracks where there are no lyrics or where they are obscured (mostly by design). Most of the songs are a showcase for the voice as an instrument rather than telling a story or where they convey something without words (as in the case of Yoiking). All the singers are very different and have been chosen not because they complement each other but more a demonstration of what an amazing instrument the human voice is.
The first two tracks are from the album Treasure by the Cocteau Twins. Elizabeth Fraser sings in such a way that snatches of the lyric are sometimes discernible but mostly not. Sometimes her voice has a light, ethereal quality, others it is strong and forceful…always good though.
The next two tracks are from Lisa Gerrard’s album Immortal Memory. I first fell in love with her voice hearing her on the Gladiator soundtrack, she put me very much in mind of Elizabeth Frazer. I have finally got around to buying one of her solo albums and will definitelt be buying more! The sleeve notes say the following about the tracks I’ve chosen:
Maranatha: The Aramaic mantra Maranatha (“Come Lord”) repeated as a meditative chant in the language of Jesus
Sailing to Byzantium: And therefore I have sailed the seas and come
To the holy city of Byzantium (Yeats)
Next is a track by Yma Sumac. I first heard of her when her recent death was reported on the BBC news web site. Intrigued I looked her up and, on a whim, bought an album of her music. To be honest most of it isn’t to my taste however her voice is stunning! One moment down in her boots, the next so high that it sounds more like whistling than singing.
Hedningarna’s album Hippjokk includes a couple of tracks with Wimme, the first where he yoiks a wolf and the second a bear. This is what the sleeve notes have to say :
Navdi/Fasa: Wimme is jojking the Wolf. Fasa forest was a remote and mythical wild region in the midwestern parts of Sweden that you preferably not entered. [sic]
Bierdna Wimme is jojking the Bear. Our first meeting with Wimme was in Umea up north, when he suddenly entered the stage and started to jojk our music in such ecstasy that he ended up on the floor with the microphone stand on top of himself.
The final two tracks are from an album called Orphan’s lament by Huun-Huur-Tu. I think i came across them whilst looking up Yoiking on the internet. As is the way I ended up at a site that mentioned throat singing and of course had to go and look that up too. It is really an incredible sound! This is what the sleeve notes have to say about the two tracks I’ve picked :
Prayer: “In the name of my people, I ask God to strengthen the spirit of my people and make my land fruitful. Let my hears not suffer from sickness.”
Sayan Bapa said the following about “Prayer”: “Tibetan Buddhist monks came to Tuva in the 16th century, and Buddism was strong there until Tuva became a part of the Soviet Union. We didn’t hear Buddhist chanting when we were growing up, but recently, we’ve heard Tibetan monks several times: in Kyzyl (Tuva), In Mongolia, and on a recording that Mickey Hart plaued for us when we were in California. We have a different musical tradition than the Tibetans, and we didn’t want to do exactly what they did. But the idea of a prayer performed in choral style was interesting. We added high overtones. in our version, it sounds very Tuvan. The test was obtained by Zoya Kyrgyz, a Tuvan Mucicologist.”
Borbanngadyr: “Whether it’s good or not, I’ll sing my borbanngadyr“
Tags: Music
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