Did you know the human voice can sing more than one note at the same time? That's the skill of throat-singing -- a tradition deeply rooted in the land-locked republic of Tuva, in eastern Siberia.
A Tuvan quartet - named "Huun Huur Tu" - have come to Beijing embodying the poetic and musical roots of their homeland. And they were a big hit when they appeared at the ongoing Beijing Music Festival on Wednesday.
The quartet's name - Huun Huur Tu - refers to the effect of vertical rays of light shining down from the clouds at dawn and dusk. And they bring to modern downtown Beijing the inspirations of their far-northern landscape.
It's a spellbinding introduction to the musical culture of their homeland. Throat-singing is the most distinctive characteristic of their music, in which the singers sing both a bass note - or 'drone' - and the drone's overtones, thus producing two or three notes simultaneously.
The overtone may sound like a flute, whistle or bird, but is solely a product of the human voice.
Huun Huur Tu also showcase their native Tuvan instruments, such as the Igil, the Khomus - or Tuvan jaw harp, the Doshpuluur, and the Dünggür - or shaman drum.
Since coming together in 1992, the quartet have recorded ten solo albums, and they have collaborated with world-famous names such as Frank Zappa, The Kronos Quartet, and The Kodo Drummers.
Yet, even as they bring experimentation into their art, Huun-Huur-Tu remain true to their original culture.
