Gorgeous costumes, handmade instruments, and the otherworldly overtone sounds of Sygt (a whistling sound, and an imitation of the gentle breezes of summer, the songs of birds), Kargyraa (the howling winds of winter or the plaintive cries of a mother camel after losing her calf), Khoomei (wind swirling among rocks), Dumchuktaar (singing through the nose), and Ezengileer (mimicking the rhythms of horseback riding) from the group that first brought the ancient, animistic art of Tuvan throat singing to the attention of the west.
“Sound mimicry, the cultural basis of Tuvan music, reaches its culmination in throat singing . . . [It is] one of the many ways the pastoralists can interact with and represent their secluded aural environment . . . [It is] the quintessential achievement of their mimesis, the revered element of an expressive language that begins where verbal language ends. For the herders, it expresses feelings of exultation and independence that words cannot.” (Scientific American)

"Throat singing marvels Huun Huur Tu are soon to be movie stars, of sorts. Tuva's favorite sons have a new DVD, "Been Away for a While... Huun Huur Tu in Tuva." It's cool to see the band's stunning, deep music complemented by beautiful images of their remote homeland. But there's no substitute for its haunting power in concert. You only have to close your eyes to visit another world. " (Tom Surowicz, The Big Gigs, Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/9/07)

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