Katajjaq meets Khoomei (Inuit & Mongolian throat singing), featuring Oktoecho (Montreal) & Orchid Ensemble (Vancouver)
「加拿大原住民喉音唱法」 遇上「蒙古呼麥」 –
蒙特婁Oktoécho樂團、溫哥華蘭韻樂團
À la croisée des chants de gorge inuit et mongol, Oktoecho (Montréal) et Orchid Ensemble (Vancouver) proposent une lecture actualisée du libre-échange par le langage de la musique. Ce concert métissé croise la musique inuite, mongole, chinoise, japonaise, européenne et arabe. Le katajjaq et le khoomei sont des techniques ancestrales de chant guttural qui reproduisent les sons entendus dans la nature : l’eau qui coule, le vent qui souffle, les échos des montagnes, les cris des oiseaux… Ce sont aussi des thèmes majeurs de la musique traditionnelle chinoise.
蘭韻樂團與Oktoecho樂團的合作，融合了因紐特、蒙古、台灣、日本、歐洲與阿拉伯音樂，對許多人來說，這將是首次體驗 katajjaq（加拿大因紐特原住民喉音唱法）和khoomei（呼麥 – 蒙古喉音唱法）的同台呈現。因紐特katajjaq 和蒙古呼麥khoomei都是古老的喉音歌唱技巧，以人聲模仿自然界的聲音，例如流水、風聲、山間迴響、鳥語蟲鳴……而這些也是亞洲傳統音樂中常用的主題。傳統因紐特katajjaq是族中女子的遊戲，通常是母女或姐妹兩人面對面進行，透過對呼吸的調節發出短促的喉音，一個人在前半拍上，另一個人在後半拍上，一唱一和形成規律的節奏。蒙古的呼麥傳統上則是由男子演唱，在粗獷的低音根音的基礎上，演唱類似哨音的高音旋律，因此同時間能演唱不只一個音高。
獲加拿大朱諾Juno音樂獎提名的蘭韻樂團由來自台灣的二胡演奏家董籃 (Lan Tung)、古箏演奏家謝岱霖(Dailin Hsieh) 和加拿大擊樂演奏家Jonathan Bernard組成。蒙特婁Oktoecho樂團由一群來自不同文化的音樂家組成，參加這個項目演出的有因紐特katajjaq演唱家Lydia Etok 與Caroline Novalinga、吹管樂器演奏家Michel Dubeau (西洋長笛、日本尺八、阿爾曼尼亞管子、單簧管、風笛)、以及來自摩洛哥的烏德琴演奏家Khalil Moqadem。特邀嘉賓 Anand Avirmed 除了蒙古呼麥演唱外，也是馬頭琴(morin khuur)演奏的好手。
Established in 1997, the JUNO nominated Orchid Ensemble transforms its Taiwanese roots to create a unique repertoire that breaks down genre boundaries. Made up of internationally renowned Lan Tung (Taiwan/Canada) on the erhu/Chinese violin & vocals, Dailin Hsieh (Taiwan/Canada) on the zheng/Chinese zither, and Jonathan Bernard (Canada) on percussion, the ensemble blends influences from Chinese, Indian, Jewish, and Central Asian music, with spirited improvisation and contemporary expressions. The Orchid Ensemble has toured across North America, performing at concert, festivals, schools, and educational institutes. It has collaborated with artists from different backgrounds and disciplines to present innovative cross-cultural programs. The ensemble’s five CDs have won two International Independent Music Awards and received numerous nominations for JUNO, Western Canadian Music Awards, Canadian Independent Music Awards, and Canadian Folk Music Awards.
This project brings together two ensembles from across Canada to present a unique blend of two throat singing styles: katajjaq (Inuit) and khoomei (Mongolian), as well as a hybrid that crosses between Inuit, Mongolian, Chinese, Japanese, European, and Arabic music.
Katajjaq and khoomei are ancestral throat singing techniques that reproduce sounds heard in nature – water flowing, the wind blowing, echoes in mountains, the calls of birds… Coincidentally, the nature is also a major theme in Chinese music. The Juno nominated Orchid Ensemble (Vancouver) is made up of composer/artistic director Lan Tung on vocals & erhu/Chinese violin, Dailin Hsieh on the zheng/Chinese zither, and Jonathan Bernard on percussion, with special guest Anand Avirmed on khoomei and morin khuur (Mongolian horsehead fiddle). Oktoecho (Montreal) is a collective of musicians from diverse cultures. Oktoecho musicians in this project include composer/co-artistic director Katia Makdissi-Warren, Inuit katajjaq performers Lydia Etok (co-artistic director) and Caroline Novalinga, multi-instrumentalist Michel Dubeau (flutes, shakuhachi, duduk, Irish whistle, clarinet, bagpipe), percussionist Bertil Schulrabe, Turkish kanun player Didem Basar, and Moroccan oud player Khalil Moqadem. (Oktoecho may have 4 to 7 players to join in the performance)
In the first stage of the project, the Orchid Ensemble traveled to Montreal in summer 2019 to workshop with Oktoecho and gave a presentation at the First People’s Festival in Montreal. In June 2022, Oktoecho traveled to Vancouver to further develop the project. This allowed the two ensembles to create a full length program, premiered at the 2022 Sound of Dragon Music Festival.
Traditionally, Inuit throat singing was exclusively performed by women, while Khoomei was performed by men. Katajjaq is a game practiced by two women facing each other. The game ends when one of them is out of breath or laughs. Khoomei was primarily used in shamanic ceremonies, and today also used at festive events. They are both fascinating vocal skills of long traditions.
Katajjaq meets Khoomei has been co-created by Katia Makdissi-Warren (Oktoecho) & Lan Tung (Orchid Ensemble).
Oktoecho guides the listener into a sonic world brimming with hope, aspiration, and lyricism found in the exceptional interlude between the Middle East, Aboriginal and the West. Under the artistic direction of co-artistic directors Katia Makdissi-Warren and Lydia Etok. The group has recorded soundtracks for film and expositions in Canada, France, Singapore, Korea, Lebanon and created the music for a permanent multimedia exhibit at the Burj-Dubaï Tower in Dubai, the highest structure in the world. Oktoecho has toured in Canada and has recently performed at the prestigious Beiteddin Festival in Lebanon, Festival du Monde Arabe de Montréal, Festival Présence Autochtone, Festival Séfarade de Montréal, l’Off-Festival de Jazz de Montréal, Palais Montcalm de Québec, Koerner Hall de Toronto.
click on the photos to download high resolution version. Photographer Diane Smithers
