The Northern Road to the East

Being fascinated with throat singing, I recently took an introductory class with Raphaël De Cock. More than the subject itself, I got to know Raphaël, a multi-faceted musician with a passion for unconventional singing techniques, and a PhD in sciences: Raphaël is a fireflies and glow-worms specialist! He has a lot in common with our friend Rëmi Decker, and plays the bagpipes in the same band, the Griff Trio. Meeting Raphaël is like opening a door to a world of vocal cultures, with a particular leaning towards the most eclectic ones.

This first collaboration takes its inspiration from the varied singing techniques used by northern nomads. Kargyraa is among the Tuvan throat-singing techniques. It offers the deepest sound; almost a growl. Katajjaq is a traditional Inuit face-to-face performance, where one singer challenges the other in a syncopated rhythm. And then we have Raphaël singing a Yoik mantra, a shepherd's lament that could have been sung by one of his ancestors - perhaps a Sëmi - in some remote place where the vast steppes meet dense Nordic forests; where Europe becomes Asia.

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