Songs of the Earth: Astonishing and Rare Voices

Various Artists

The human voice is not only the world’s oldest musical instrument, but also the most portable, and it can be used in countless ways. This compilation of songs provides nineteen diverse examples.

Selected from across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, North America, Oceania, and Africa, these recordings represent unique vocal arts traditions, including Mongolian overtone singing, Swiss yodeling, an Inuit repetition-based singing game, and Sudanese call-and-response. With songs about love and war, music for religious ceremony and entertainment, and performances that range from quiet soloists to a raucous 250-person vocal percussion ensemble, the album shows the versatility of the human voice as an instrument.

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Please enjoy a free download of the song “Switzerland: Zäuerli”

Switzerland: Zäuerli

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This album is part of the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music. More than 125 albums are being released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings to make the series publicly available, including a dozen never-released albums of musical traditions from around the globe.

Track Listing

101	INDIA: Khyal (extract)	Mohin ud din, Amin ud din Dagar	5:10
102	BALI: Tjak (extract)	Singers of Peliatan	2:07
103	JAPAN: Upopo	n/a	2:10
104	MONGOLIA: The 4-year-old light tan horse	n/a	1:49
105	UZBEKISTAN: Yar-yar (extract)	Nazira Baïjanova	2:20
106	SYRIA: Islamic Ritual Zikr (extract)	n/a	3:28
107	SYRIA: Takhshefto (Like the merchants)	Evelyne Daoud	4:50
108	UKRAINE: The red mountain ash	Rosa Jouk, Lioudmilla Tchijouk, Maria Dorodko	2:00
109	BYELORUSSIA: Round: Spring dance	Tatiana Orlenin, Nadeshda Shogol	2:07
110	BULGARIA: Slow melody	Ianka Rupkina, Stoian Vielichkov	3:57
111	SWITZERLAND: Zäuerli (sung in the inn)	Ernst Pfändler	2:21
112	CANADA: Three Katajjait from Baffin Land	Elijah Pudloo Mageeta, Qaunak Martha Meekeega, Napache Samaejuk Pootoogook, Napache Etidloie Toonoo	2:02
113	SOLOMON ISLANDS: Roiroa (Women's song)	n/a	2:37
114	MALAWI: Buyeni: Kamwana kamwini (Somebody's little child) - Kaya wiyo (Who cares)	n/a	4:13
115	SUDAN: Nagara	n/a	2:33
116	CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Dikoboda sombe (Hut song)	n/a	3:54
117	CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Ulepa	Mvrele Ensemble	4:24
118	CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Ye zame andero (war song)	n/a	2:51
119	BENIN: Song for grinding millet (extract)	n/a	3:00