- 10/08/2011

Alash Ensemble

Alash Ensemble is a quartet of master throat singers from Tuva, a tiny republic in the heart of Central Asia. The ancient art of throat singing, with its profoundly deep bass notes and complex double tones, developed among the nomadic herdsmen of this region. Inspired by the music of their ancestors, Alash is, at the same time, influenced by such bold western artists as Sun Ra and Jimi Hendrix. Yet Alash never sacrifices the integrity of their heritage to make their music more hip for an American audience. Rather, they look for contemporary ideas that mesh well with the sound and feel of traditional Tuvan music, introducing some western instruments and new harmonies and song structures to create an intriguing mixture of old and new. Alash has collaborated with the innovative jazz ensemble Sun Ra Arkestra, the bluegrass/fusion/jazz band Béla Fleck and Flecktones, and the classical Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's Student Producers Program. They are guest artists on the Flecktones Grammy-winning holiday CD Jingle All the Way.