Tuvan Throat-Singing Rap by Ondar, with the voice of Richard Feynman

Filmmaker Ralph Leighton says, "This was the highlight of my recent trip to Vladivostok, Russia, where the film GENGHIS BLUES won the Governor's Prize at the Pacific Meridian Film Festival. It features Tuvan throat-singer ONDAR and the voice of [Nobel laureate and physicist] Richard Feynman. I hope you enjoy it." Back TUVA Future: Ondar in Vladivostok. If you're wondering what the hell Tuva has to do with Feynman, check this out. (Thanks, George Dyson!)

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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FutureNerd

The iTunes version of that track is here.
themindfantastic

For a fairly obscure subject (Tuvan Throat Singing) how is it I am hearing about it like every few days now… there was a short segment in a recent True Blood episode with Tuvan throat singing and another of my friends mentions it recently now this… WTF?
Takuan

Genghis Blues and Paul Pena, do honour.
hallpass

Fun. Did anyone else notice Meatwad in the background?
Bealice

I could hear “black hole” and “rock” (comet?) referenced twice in the song. More homage to Mr. Feynman than I previously thought. Pretty amazing, I wish the lyrics were available as Mongolian and Turkish are not too similar and I can’t make out what he is singing half of the time.
we3bus

@HALLPASS

Although he is meaty and wad-like, I think that’s Krang. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krang
Antinous

Does anyone else prefer sygyt to kargyraa?
holtt

I was going to post about Yat-Kha but someone beat me to it. Karangailyg Kara Hovaa (Dyngyldai) has to be my favorite.
Takuan

George Dyson? Not baidarka George? Forgive me if I am foolish, but the Feynman connection?
SweeBeeps

Heh, in the time it took me to log in someone beat me to mentioning that it looks more like Krang.

Regardless,this is pretty wild.
Xeni “Hussein” Jardin

@Takuan, yes that George. And Feynman was just kind of fascinated with Tuva.
Robbo

I love this!

Wished he could get more of the harmonics happening with the rap itself. Much more danceable than David Hykes.

Love anything Feynman – was it just his voice or did they also use some of him playing bongos in there?

Cheers.
Takuan

So. Truly this thread is triply blessed.
Axx

Whoa. That’s actually…pretty cool.

I doubt that Feynman was on the bongos, but I do request a translation of the Tuva part. =)
Bobdotcom

@15 – “Back Tuva Future!” … very enjoyable album. We first heard about it when we were driving through rural PA not too long after the album was released, and NPR’s Fresh Air interviewed Ondar, Ralph Leighton, and David Hoffner. Played a few clips. We were totally entranced, and then as soon as we could find a decent music store, bought it for the return trip. I bought Ghengis Blues a couple years later – Paul Pena is fantastic.
heyfred

Reminds me of a Nova episode from 15 years ago or so … I haven’t watched the Tuvan video, but I’d bet that’s Feynman on the bongos. The Nova piece is “Last Journey of a Genius” and Feynman is the embodiment of the Einstein-on-a-bike pictures we’ve all seen. Brilliant and beautiful. If someone has the means to link it here, please do. “Gotta get me some orange juice.”
Tom Hale

I don’t really care for RAP, but this version sounds pretty cool. I’ll have to look into “threat singing” a bit.
Bobdotcom

More Ondar, from Letterman. Amazing:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVyyhHFKI8E
Takuan

not so strange interlockings; Surely You’re Joking,Mr.Feyman, Genghis Blues, The Starship and the Canoe, Boing Boing…
heyfred

Found this:
http://www.videosift.com/video/Richard-Feynman-NOVA-The-Last-Journey-Of-a-Genius
MIchaelNightTime

Got this album 6 or 7 years ago. It’s got some truly awesome stuff. Some of the other tracks use even more of Feynman chanting and playing bongos, and Ondar really lets loose on the harmonics. It’s amazing fun to listen to.
Sister Y

HeyFred, thanks for finding that – I have a feeling that, for many of us, that NOVA episode is as much of an emotionally resonant cultural bond as Big Bird.
GauchoAmigo

Thank you, Xeni for inspiring me to get out my old jaw harp.
Takuan

http://www.tarbagan.net/nodo/how/how.html
Phikus

When Bela Fleck was here in Austin last month, he announced that his next project is going to be entirely devoted to Tuvan throat singing.

Here are some compositions in which he incorporated it in the past:

Alash Khem (Alash River Song)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKImvikolMM
(More of a solo by Kongar Ol-Andar, followed by a little interview with Bela about it.)

A Moment So Close
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFwrJ1rd_xQ
(Performed by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones with Kongar Ol-Andar, Sandip Burman-tabla, Andy Narell-pans, Paul McCandless-Eng. horn/sop. sax, Paul Hanson-bassoon)

He released both compositions on his Live at the Quick album. Enjoy!
nprnncbl

Halfadrop #22: Did you see the smile on Ondar’s face? I think you belittle his humanity by likening him to a dog in a birthday hat and requiring of him some form of cultural purity. I don’t know any Tuvans, but I imagine their reaction to his would be human: some curmudgeons will take offense, while most will share in Ondar’s obvious good humor and pride.
Editz

You really can’t beat the original though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YevYBsShxNs
Anonymous

You just wait until the tuvans dicover human beatboxing
Alan

Now that is multiculturalism right there.
Jardine

I never noticed it before, but Feynman sounds a lot like Ray Romano.
cusqu

Anyone now what the russian Krang’s speech bubble says?
Beanolini

Yat-Kha did an album of throat-sung covers of western pop & folk songs a couple of years ago.

Their version of ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ is unsurpassed.
Halfadrop

Not to be a party pooper, but I found that quite irritating and verging on disrispectful for Tuvan culture. ‘bit like making the doggy wear the birthday hat.

Anyway – pick-up a copy of GENGHIS BLUES and treat yourself to one of the most incredible stories in recent memory. In the process you will discover PAUL PENA who is the single most underrated musician in American music.
guy_jin

please tell me he’s not rapping about money or sex.
Ignatz

AXX & Guy_Jin: what Ondar is doing is called “durgen chugaa” or fast talk. It’s a sort of tongue twister, done as a contest among singers to see who can get the most nonsense words out in one breath. Personally, I loved this. Woke me up better than coffee.

I’m amazed at how this music is propagating itself around the world. Kongar-Ool Ondar collaborates with all sorts of people, Yat-Kha does metal and punk that would make Genghis Khan sit up and look for his horse, and Seth Augustus continues Paul Pena’s blending of Khoomei and Delta blues. You can even find video throatsinging tutorials. Vladimir Oidupaa Oiun would be proud.
chumprock

There’s also a great track by Ben Wa called “Tuvan Tube Top” that combines Tuvan throat singing with the intro to “Sanford and Son”.

It works amazingly well.
wren

On the ‘dog in a birthday hat’ comment– rest assured that Kongar-ool Ondar knows exactly what he’s doing, and that very few Tuvans would take offense at it. Kongar-ool nearly singlehandedly put Tuva on the map, and it was mostly through things we might consider ‘stunts’– riding in the Rose Bowl parade, putting a little throat-singing kid on the Chevy Chase show, collaborating with everyone under the sun…

And, as someone’s mentioned, this track is pretty much straight up Tuvan. The ‘durgen chugaa’ (fast talk) is completely traditional, and the mixing it with contemporary beats and pop star moves is really what it’s all about in Tuva right now. There are pop bands that use throatsinging, really cool traditional ensembles that use electric bass & drum kit, along with plenty of ‘more traditional’ traditional stuff if that’s what you’re looking for.

Really, if you have the luxury of being able to travel, Tuva is a beautiful place, and there are tons of great musicians happy to share what they know. Of course, the best of the bunch are often touring abroad, since there’s not much money to be made playing in Tuva. Huun Huur Tu (huunhuurtu.com), Chirgilchin (chirgilchin.com) and Alash (alashensemble.com) are all on the road right now. If you’re anywhere close to any of them, go see a concert! They are all absolutely top-notch.
Sekino

Awesome! I really love the part towards the end where the music kicks in.

The sounds he makes remind me of a didgeridoo.
Flying Orca

#21: Better than the live Oysterband & June Tabor rendition from the Big Session album? This I have to hear.
Flying Orca

Oh yeah, if you like this, you might want to check out Stephen Kent’s Oil and Water.