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Traditional singing

Yodelling – Jollymama – https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2013/11/05/13/38/bavaria-205730_960_720.jpg

Choirs, carols, throat singing: There is an incredible variety of singing traditions around the world. Some of these traditions have found their way into different genres, such as pop and rock, while there are others that you may not have heard of – unless you practise them yourself. Join me on a journey around the world to four unique vocal traditions!

Yodel–Ay–EEE–Oooo. You may have heard of this type of singing – yodelling. Switzerland is most famous for it, but it has a long history in many other mountainous areas. Alpine yodelling is not easy to perform, as the singers have to switch very quickly between the head voice and the chest voice to create the unique sound. This vocal tradition probably originated as a form of communication between alpine villages. They were often far apart, separated by valleys, and yodelling is more likely to be heard from a distance than just shouting. Nowadays it has developed into an art form. Choral songs are performed – usually a soloist improvises and the rest of the group joins in, harmonizing with the melody. An alpine instrument such as the accordion often accompanies the song.

Gospel choir – Erik Lyngsøe – https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2022/07/02/15/39/song-7297501_960_720.jpg

Let’s continue our journey to North America. Here gospel music has a long, sad but fascinating history. The slave trade across the Atlantic existed since the 16th century. In America, many enslaved Africans were forced to work in the cotton fields, for example. They were denied any kind of education, and gospel songs were a way of educating, (secretly) communicating and passing on their culture, often dealing with the theme of freedom. There were also work songs with a simple, strong rhythm to synchronize and motivate the group. But gospel music was also used in religious contexts, such as a church service. The “call and response” form of singing, where one singer sings a short melody and the rest of the group repeats it, is often found in gospel songs. As they are usually performed a capella (without instruments), harmony is also a very important element.
Gospel as a genre of Black Christian music can still be found today as part of religious traditions. It has also influenced many other genres of popular music, such as ragtime, soul, blues and R&B, and is therefore also present in non-traditional settings. You may have heard of the famous singer Aretha Franklin, who started out as a gospel singer and went on to become known as the ‘Queen of Soul’.

Let’s stay a little longer on the American continent. Far up north, in Canada, Alaska and Greenland, you can discover the tradition of Katajjaq. Inuit women perform it as a form of competitive but also cooperative singing. Two singers stand facing each other and practice throat singing – a type of singing that involves the throat, belly and diaphragm. The sounds are meant to imitate the sounds of animals and nature. An Inuit legend says that mythological human-like birds called Tunirtuaruit started this tradition. Probably it developed as a way of passing the time during the long, cold winters. Christian missionaries considered Katajjaq to be of no value, and much of Inuit culture was tried to be extinguished in the 20th century. Today, there are not many people in the world who are able to practice this very unique tradition. Nevertheless, efforts are being made to pass on this unique part of Inuit culture and to promote it around the world, for example through social media.

Finally, there are several singing traditions in Australia. One example is the Manikay. For the Yolngu people who live in Australia’s Northern Territory, these songs are very important. The history of their family or clan, as well as mythological stories and events, are described and passed on through these songs – so they are an essential part of their cultural identity and are usually performed in ceremonies.

So we have learned about four singing traditions on three different continents – some of them have influenced and are present in pop music, some are endangered, but all belong to an interesting and unique culture. Singing is a unifying experience, and these examples show it in all its diversity.

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