A Musical Trip (Mongolian Throat Singing)

Introduction 

  Mongolian throat singing or Knoomei is a traditional style of music dating back centuries. Knoomei origins are foggy but historians speculate that it came about in the Han Dynasty from 206 BC - 220 AD. It was created by the nomadic people of the Turkic and Mongolian regions and is today almost solely practiced in Mongolia. It is thought that Knoomei was created to scare off enemies or to further connect to the land believing that elements of the land were spirits and communicated through sounds like whistling wind or rushing water. Knoomei is a way to connect with the natural world. The nomadic people believed in animism, a belief that all natural things have spiritual essence and Knoomei is a way to interact with the environment based on this belief. When Knoomei is sung a single vocalist produces two different pitches simultaneously, often a low drone and a higher melodic tone that’s controlled by the vocal tension/mouth shape. The throat singing is practiced by itself or in a harmony but is also often accompanied by a morin khuur or more commonly known as a horse head fiddle. The horse's head fiddle is an instrument that traditionally has a horse head carved into the neck and has bow strings made of horse hair. 

Batzorig Vaanchig 

This performance really captures the essence of what Knoomei represents in my opinion. The performer Batzorig Vaanchig sings and plays his horse head fiddle on a Mongolian mountain side in the summer of 2025. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a name for the song he performs. He uses almost all of the vocal techniques synonymous with Knoomei. In the beginning of the video he starts with Kharkhiraa which is the word for singing coming from the stomach of the performer, then further along he utilizes Isgeree the word for the technique used to produce a whistle sound. Throughout the song he maintains the two pitches, a low drone and the high tone that is subject to change into the whistling or deep gravel tone. The morin khuur is what really brings the music to life with a sweet airy melody throughout the performance. The horse head fiddle really compliments this performance for me because of its significance in the music. It is often referred to as “the soul of the grasslands” because it can sound like the howling wind or a horse's nigh hence why it’s carved like a horse.

The music starts at 1:00 

“Yuve Yuve Yu”

This song is a more modern version of how a Knoomei is intermixed with genres like rock or heavy metal. This is a song called “Yuve Yuve Yu” by The Hu a Mongolian based band released in 2018. It combines Knoomei and rock so seamlessly it really amazes me. The song starts with Knoomei, using Shakhai, a very low gravity tone produced from the depths of the throat. As the song continues lyrics come in and Knoomei fades into the background still low  setting the melody. Through the song the use of a sick looking morin khuur is used alongside a guitar with there being a horse sounding note played at 4:50 in the video. Knoomei is fully voiced a few more times in the song and brings so much more atmosphere and emotion to the song. I think the use of Knoomei in this song is amazing. It adds so much texture and dynamics to the music, further reinforcing the cultural pride shown in this song.

Cultural significance 

Knoomei is extremely important to the culture of the Mongolian people being celebrated and revered to this day. It is performed during ceremonies, festivals, horse races, wrestling matches and cultural performances. The music often expresses a deep respect for the land and their ancestors, even without lyrics this message is still felt through the performance. The music is regarded as one of the central cultural symbols of the Mongolian people acting as a symbol of nationality and pride. A common cultural Mongolian legend on how Knoomei was created is that there was once a boy who became lost in the mountains and began to mimic the sounds of nature, the water, the animals and the wind. Eventually the boy found his way out of the mountains thanks to his ability to interact with the land and returned to his tribe. He told them of his adventures and how he learned the sound of nature, then he began to teach others the singing to connect with the land. Traditionally the singing was performed by nomadic herders expressing their close bonds to their herd and the steppe. Nowadays Knoomei is still often performed in nature but it is also performed all over the world to show this incredible music of the Mongolian culture. This piece of culture is still being passed down to the next generation through masters of the art passing along their teachings. 

 Personal thoughts 

Mongolian throat singing is a form of music I found so mesmerizing. I came across the music when I was researching Mongolia for a paper about a place I’ve always wanted to go and found the singing particularly fascinating. I think it impartially grabbed my attention so much because of the simple methodical sound and how its history lies in connection with the land. It’s so different from the western music I listen to and pretty much every other kind of music it’s so uniquely complex. I will definitely be adding some of these songs to my playlist, the sound just hits a drone that relaxes my mind. I loved learning more about Mongolian throat singing, the different styles, different instrument combinations and the most interesting to me the cultural significance of this hundreds of years practice. 

NomadicExpeditions (2025) Mongolian throat singing demystified, Nomadic Expeditions. Available at: https://www.nomadicexpeditions.com/mongolian-throat-singing-demystified/ (Accessed: 19 March 2026). 

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings (2025) Throat Singing A unique vocalization form three cultures. Available at: https://folkways.si.edu/throat-singing-unique-vocalization-three-cultures/world/music/article/smithsonian (Accessed: 19 March 2026).