Concert Review: Alash Ensemble

by Laura Seewoester

The Alash Ensemble is a traditional Tuvan throat singing group from Tuva, which borders Siberia and Mongolia. They played to a crowd of about fifty at SMU and pretty much knocked everybody's socks off, receiving a standing ovation after their final song. The style of singing creates two to four different notes simultaneously, ranging from what seems like the lowest possible note to the highest possible note a person can sing. It's sort of like the bagpipes, but not annoying. The high notes create a melodic chirping sound, almost sound like a wooden flute. It's like nothing this part of the world has ever heard before, and quite amazing.