ghengis blues

[ken k]

a few months back we had a big discussion/controversy with a trombonist who posted a thread on using throat singing mouth position as a way to aid the production of sound and range on a horn.

If anyone wants to find a little bit more about throat singing or wants to hear some incredible throat singing, rent the movie Ghengis Blues. It is a docudrama about a blind blues singer named Paul Pena from SanFrancisco who hears this singing on short wave radio and learns how to do it himself. through a strange series of events he finds himself in Tuva participating in a throatsinging conference.

A very interesting music-related movie. I know it is not tuba-centric but very enlightening.

ken k

[David Richoux]

Did anybody bring up this in the discussion?

I saw it performed in San Francisco at the Museum of Modern Art about 20-25 years ago. I even got a copy of the score from the performer - probably the same person who did the recording!

I have also talked to several leading Didgeridoo players (including Stephen Kent) about Paul Peña and Tuvan Throat singing - there are interesting crossovers and possibilities related to Tuba playing to explore.

I heard Peña on KPFA a few times before the film was made - it was interesting to see (and hear) more about this very interesting person. There a few Youtube clips available.