OVERTONE and THROAT SINGING from Mongolian regions
Training, Practices, Courses, Workshops, Conferences, Retreats, Individual support, Privates
Explore the secrets of the mountains and steppes through our various activities :
Immerse yourself in the mysterious art of guttural and diphonic singing from the vast Mongolian regions!
Join us for an authentic immersion into Mongolian vocal tradition. After two decades of learning from transmitters and mystics from various cultures, we have gained a deep understanding of energetic and artistic teachings. Drawing on this experience, we now share the art of Mongolian Throat Singing. As seasoned vocal practitioners for over a decade, we guide those seeking to master their voice.
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This practice is open to all, but particularly rewarding for those looking to discover or enhance this unique vocal technique. Throat Singing serves as an anchor to reconnect with our deep essence, revealing our full potential and allowing us to explore our true power. This practice is open to all, but particularly rewarding for those looking to discover or enhance this unique vocal technique. Throat Singing serves as an anchor to reconnect with our deep essence, revealing our full potential and allowing us to explore our true power.
Not only does it sharpen the senses, but it also enhances abilities in all areas of life, accelerating processes of evolution, balance, and vitality. Our association aims to promote harmony, both on an individual and collective level. It is with this intention that we transmit Khöömii, a practice that embodies the cultural and spiritual richness of Mongolian regions.
>>>>Khöömii<<<<
: KHÖÖMII: In Mongolian language, it means ‘Pharynx’; We will reveal to you the use of the vocal organ, make it vibrate like a real musical instrument..
Testimonials
Marie Paule: Thank you very much. I retain strength and serene well-being
Maëla: It’s incredible what these four days have triggered in me. In my body, in my emotions, in the deepest part of me, I feel incredible changes. Stability, confidence, strength, childlike joy, everything I had been working on for so long, Khöömii took four days to find it! I also notice a higher quality of sleep, deep dreams, I even wake up several times at night feeling like I’m singing! Now when I sing, very deep and distant things come to me, incredible, indescribable
Tsaka: I loved the experience: a healing art, a different self-knowledge, an awareness of other places, access to other dimensions of oneself.
Sonia: Beautiful encounter with myself, a part of me that I still knew so little about: MY VOICE. This voice that emerged from the depths of my Being is deep, almost masculine, warrior-like. This Voice allowed me to feel my anchor and my confidence.
Marie-France: The exercise is perfect for a morning practice, it connects me directly with the Earth, I feel grounded and my vibration rises
Thierry: A unique and magical experience. The workshop consists of a series of surprising and fun exercises, ending with a communion of voices. What joy to discover what our body can do and the feeling of Well-being at the end. A wonderful gift to give to yourself
Léa: An intense vibratory moment that frees you and takes you on a journey
Yogiman: The workshop clarified some of my questions about overtone singing. The principle of rediscovering childlike instinct in voice exploration resonates with my Yoga practice, of rediscovering one’s own nature… Almost Primordial
Muriel : This one-week course was a discovery of Khöömii practice for me. I generally hesitate to strain my voice, I am a fan of spontaneous singing and vocal exploration. This week of training was very enjoyable and fruitful, thanks to listening to what really happens live for everyone. I could feel the progression happening on its own in my body thanks to the repetition of the practice. This rather physical practice allowed me to circulate emotions in my body, I also liked this liberating experience. My body, my breath, and my voice follow the track
Crystelle: Gentle return after what I experienced as a process of ‘giving birth to myself.’ More than just a singing course, it was a true therapy. I was finally able to let my voice express itself without barriers, to let myself be supported to resume my path. The door to my inner child, which had been shut away for so long, has been opened. The adult I am today is embarking on this path of healing through voice
Sarah: Rich Rich experience
Ariane: I had been searching for a personal morning discipline to connect with my body, with the earth, with the ‘present moment’ for a long time… I finally found it!
Ida: Disappearance of a constant and sharp pain after the first day of four: I could sleep as if it had been a long time since this had happened to me
Franck : Laryngeal gymnastics like I had never experienced before
Bruno : I feel like I’ve just come out of 6 months of meditation!
The volunteer speaker :
By joyfully sharing traditions, revelations, knowledge, and experiences related to music and well-being, I pass on my inspiration while continuing to delve into Khöömii, also known as Mongolian throat singing. Tuned into intuition through the body as a vessel for breath and voice, I love exploring the art of listening and creating sound, feeling both individual and collective rhythms, all within the magnificence of the body and the upliftment of the spirit. » If you’d like to learn more about Mongolian throat singing or other unique musical practices, you can select ‘Green answers’ for additional information.
5-minute informative video in French
Link to the report (better quality) : https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/105628-026-A/gymnastique/
product by Blogothèque, distributed by Arte
2022 Art Documentary presented by Johanni Curtet, Ethnomusicologist and Professional Music Artist,
He is the leading collector and transmitter in France and worldwide of knowledge and techniques of Khöömii, particularly from Mongolian and Tuvan traditions
His organization « Routes Nomades » works wonderfully as a bridge between Mongolia and France. »
What is Khöömii?
‘Khöömii’, literally meaning pharynx, refers to the vocal technique in which one person intentionally superimposes multiple and simultaneous sounds with his/her voice, where appear two distinct partials: a harmonic melody ‘overtones’ over a fundamental tone ‘drone’, accompanied by many resonances.
Articulo completo de Johanni Curtet en routesnomades.fr
- Performance of the kharkhiraa khöömii: the khöömiich makes a drone in a throaty voice, and then by pressing simultaneously on the throat, abdomen and diaphragm, after taking a deep breath, he/she produces a deep sound that vibrates one octave lower than the fundamental tone. The khöömiich vibrates his/her ventricular band (or false vocal cords) in addition to the vocal cords. This deep and hoarse sound appears in the foreground characterizes the kharkhiraa style. Over this double-bass, the khöömiich makes a high melody of overtones.
- Performance of the isgeree khöömii: the khöömiich makes a drone in a throaty voice, and then by pressing simultaneously on the throat, abdomen and diaphragm, after taking a deep breath, he/she produces an overtone whistle that can vibrate one to several octaves above the fundamental tone. This is how a melody of very high overtones is produced. Isgeree khöömii is also called nariin khöömii (acute khöömii), uyangyn khöömii (melodious khöömii) and Altain shingen khöömii (high khöömii of Altai).
In both cases, for kharkhiraa khöömii and isgeree khöömii, the way to make overtones is common. The melody is created by the modulation of the oral cavity, by opening and closing the lips, or moving the tongue back and forth, while keeping its tip stuck to the palate, or by moving the central part of the tongue back and forth, while keeping its tip placed against the lower teeth.
In addition to that, there are several techniques to enrich vocal timbre, or the ones of ornamental character. They can be used in combination as well. Among more than twenty existing techniques, we can mention bagalzuuryn khöömii (throat khöömii), tsuurai khöömii (echo khöömii), khamryn khöömii (nasal khöömii) and dangildakh khöömii (syllabic khöömii), to name but a few. The khöömiich also uses the shakhaa vocal emission to sing the magtaal praises, retaining a guttural timbre close to the khöömii installation phase.
In Mongolia, practiced in the pastoral nomadic context of the western regions, following its spectacularization and recordings from the 1950s, khöömii started to be widely diffused. Thus, by the cultural policy of the Soviet period, it became one of the emblems of the Mongolian national music, reinforced by its regular participation in international tours from the 1960s
Practiced by the Mongolian and Turkic peoples throughout the area of Altai mountain chain (at national level in Mongolia; the regions of Altai Republic, Khakassia and Tuva in Russia, as well as the north of Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia in China), khöömii is an ancestral vocal technique. Its origins are difficult to date precisely. Legends say that khöömii comes from the imitation of the sound of the wind, the water, and birds singing. It is practiced by men in most cases, but also by women since two generations. A living and dynamic tradition, khöömii is a rich and multifaceted cultural heritage of the Mongols
Regarding the technical aspect of khöömii, emitted from the vocal drone, the overtones are produced by a simultaneous pressure of the pharynx and diaphragm. To perform a melody, the performer of khöömii or ‘khöömiich’ modulates his/her lips or tongue. Depending on the modulation, the height of the drone and the pressure on the throat, found a number of khöömii techniques, identifiable by the vocal timbre variations. They are grouped under two main styles: kharkhiraa khöömii (deep khöömii) and isgeree khöömii (whistle khöömii).
- Performance of the kharkhiraa khöömii: the khöömiich makes a drone in a throaty voice, and then by pressing simultaneously on the throat, abdomen and diaphragm, after taking a deep breath, he/she produces a deep sound that vibrates one octave lower than the fundamental tone. The khöömiich vibrates his/her ventricular band (or false vocal cords) in addition to the vocal cords. This deep and hoarse sound appears in the foreground characterizes the kharkhiraa style. Over this double-bass, the khöömiich makes a high melody of overtones
- Performance of the isgeree khöömii: the khöömiich makes a drone in a throaty voice, and then by pressing simultaneously on the throat, abdomen and diaphragm, after taking a deep breath, he/she produces an overtone whistle that can vibrate one to several octaves above the fundamental tone. This is how a melody of very high overtones is produced. Isgeree khöömii is also called nariin khöömii (acute khöömii), uyangyn khöömii (melodious khöömii) and Altain shingen khöömii (high khöömii of Altai)
In both cases, for kharkhiraa khöömii and isgeree khöömii, the way to make overtones is common. The melody is created by the modulation of the oral cavity, by opening and closing the lips, or moving the tongue back and forth, while keeping its tip stuck to the palate, or by moving the central part of the tongue back and forth, while keeping its tip placed against the lower teeth.
In addition to that, there are several techniques to enrich vocal timbre, or the ones of ornamental character. They can be used in combination as well. Among more than twenty existing techniques, we can mention bagalzuuryn khöömii (throat khöömii), tsuurai khöömii (echo khöömii), khamryn khöömii (nasal khöömii) and dangildakh khöömii (syllabic khöömii), to name but a few. The khöömiich also uses the shakhaa vocal emission to sing the magtaal praises, retaining a guttural timbre close to the khöömii installation phase.
In Mongolia, practiced in the pastoral nomadic context of the western regions, following its spectacularization and recordings from the 1950s, khöömii started to be widely diffused. Thus, by the cultural policy of the Soviet period, it became one of the emblems of the Mongolian national music, reinforced by its regular participation in international tours from the 1960s.
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