What is a throat singer?
One voice, two notes at once. Here is what a throat singer does, and how women are changing the art.
Quick answer
A throat singer is a singer who can make two or more notes at the same time: a low drone and a higher, whistling melody of overtones. In Mongolia a throat singer is called a khöömiich. For centuries throat singing was done mostly by men, but today many women are throat singers too.
What a throat singer does
A throat singer holds a steady low note and shapes the throat, tongue and lips so that hidden higher notes ring out above it. Many sing with a morin khuur, the horsehead fiddle, or with a drum, and some move from a deep growl to a high whistle in a single song.
Where throat singers come from
The best-known throat singers come from Mongolia, from Tuva (its neighbor inside Russia), and from the Altai and Buryatia. Today you can also hear throat singers in rock bands, film soundtracks and electronic music all over the world.
Female throat singers
In Mongolia and Tuva, old customs kept women away from throat singing. Some Tuvan traditions even warned that it could harm a woman's family or make childbirth difficult. That belief has faded, and women now perform and teach throat singing on stages and online.
A female voice sits higher, so the drone and the whistle above it sound brighter.
UYANA, the throat singer from Norway
UYANA is a Mongolian throat singer from Norway. Her songs pair a haunting female voice with deep throat-singing drones, horsehead fiddle and shaman drums. They are new songs, inspired by the old tradition and sung in Mongolian.
Hear UYANA
Three songs to start with, from her debut album UYANA.
Sarny Okhin · Daughter of the Moon
A haunting ballad about waiting.
Read the lyrics and meaning of Sarny OkhinSalkhiny Duu · Song of the Wind
A duet between UYANA and a deep male voice, the wind of the steppe.
Read the lyrics and meaning of Salkhiny Duu
Quick questions
What is a throat singer called in Mongolian?
A khöömiich (хөөмийч). The art itself is called khöömii.
Can women be throat singers?
Yes. Old customs once kept women away from it in Mongolia and Tuva, but today many women are throat singers.
Who is UYANA?
UYANA is a Mongolian throat singer from Norway. Her debut album UYANA, 12 songs sung in Mongolian, comes out on October 9, 2026.