Mongolia, along with its neighbouring regions, is the cradle of a fascinating vocal discipline called throat singing. It allows, thanks to its harmonious tones, to create sound colours hitherto unknown to Europeans and even to sing several notes at once. Czech audiences know the genre from the groups Huun-Huur Tu or Alash, but the Khusugtun sextet does it differently. The members, on the other hand, were classically trained, not in the West, but at the Ulaanbaatar Conservatory. In addition, the band includes a woman as both singer and player of the formidable big zither yat-kha. And thanks to their professional training, the musicians bring two innovations. They combine guttural chants with polyphony and incorporate the strumming of the jaw harp, one of the most widely used instruments in the area, into their harmonic puns.
