Tanya ‘Tagaq’ Gillis and her cousin Celina Kalluk are two Inuit women who explore the outer reaches of vocal technique.
→ proceed to episode 8 First get a Goat
- What is Inuit throat singing?
- Meet Tanya and Celina.
- Nunavut, home of Tanya and Celina.
- Watch the full interview.
- See an Inuit throat singing performance.
- Song: Ilunikavi, by Tagaq.
- Song: Ancestors (with Björk).
- Study guide for Extreme Singing.
The human voice is the cheapest and most portable musical instrument, and everyone owns the basic equipment, so it’s not surprising that singing is such an important part of world music. What is surprising is the incredible diversity of techniques used by traditional singers. Throat singing demonstrates just how far that diversity goes – presenting a musical style that many Westerners might not even recognise as singing.
→ Read more about global singing styles.
→ See a demonstration of Tuvan throat singing styles by members of Huun-Huur-Tu.
