Tibetan monks do the same thing. As do Mongolian monks. Tuva’s are a “cousin” of Mongolians or a sub set or something.
Among the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had, was being in Tibet. Middle of freakin’ no where that took forever to reach, 10 - 13,000 feet in elevation, no road, no electricity, big brass horns booming out in the pre dawn dark with the most brilliant stars, hearing monks for their different huts waking and going to the great prayer hall, lit by hundreds of yak butter lamps, steam rising from the monks mouths as they chanted doing the throat thing, more steam from their closely cropped heads, and being completely mesmerized as dawn slowly broke across the high mountain valley. I was fortunate enough to experience this a few dozen times. Indescribable and incredibly awesome.
Ahhh, a most magical time in my youth. Still achievable but these days you can fly in to a lot of the places I visited, and I guarantee that 30 years later you won’t be the first white boy in them parts.
I just loved the monastaries. Hiking from one to another through desolate uninhabited high elevation hill country with the odd nomad camp or small village in between. No wonder they figured out the throat singing.
I saw what was claimed to be the first performance by a Tuvan throat singer in the United States – this would have been at the Smithsonian in DC back in the late 80s. It (he – was one guy whose name I don’t recall) was amazing.
I would love to learn how to do this! I’ve watched YouTube videos and I just don’t understand enough about music and my own vocal anatomy to understand the instructions.