We have been in Edinburgh recording Colin Symes singing this wonderful Aaronic blessing in Gaelic – a very special moment.
Gaelic …… Read More
I have been reading a wonderful book written in the 1950’2 called “People of the Deer” by Farley Mowat who as a young man spent time with the Ihalmiut people in the Barrens – what is now the Canadian Arctic. Farley also wrote the short story The Snow Walker which later became a wonderful film.
The Inuit’s “throat singing” is a singing technique almost exclusively practised by women. (Unique in nature compared to the other 2 throat singing styles – Khöömei, from Mongolia and a style called eefing used by the Xhosa people in South Africa. Here are some video clips explaining a little of how the Inuit use this expression.
Yoiking is a very melodic rhythmical way of singing, sometimes with words sometimes without words. Traditionally the songs would have spoken of life and work, reindeer, journeyings, migrations, hunting, weather and love. The Sámi people today can be found in four distinct areas – northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola peninsula in northern Russia. A singer who has pioneered this style is Mari Boine from Norway.
Konnakol is the art of speaking/singing percussion syllables vocally in South Indian music. Very thankful to Ellen for this wonderful example of konnakol (singing percussive syllables) against the hand clap tala (meter).
