I's not the right thing for an -American- talent competition. But he did take second place in a national competition in Tuva, as I recall. So clearly there are some appropriate talent competitions for it.

I've always found it a fascinating sound, if not one I particularly like. The fact that the human body can produce those tones amazes me.

Paul Pena was also featured in an interesting documentary about him traveling to Tuva after learning to throatsing called Genghis Blues http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genghis_Blues

Edit: Woops, guess I should read the whole description before I post

This is from an area called Tuva. It's now part of Russia, but used to be a part of Mongolia.

Tuvan throat singing is, as far as I know, the only style that uses these kinds of techniques. There are other styles known as throat singing, but they sound very different.

I dont really think its racism, if you put a Russain guy next to an American guy, they only differ by race if they are a different race. if russian from southern siberia, like Tuva for example, was compared to an Asian-American, they would look like the same race, and by I guess by some standards they would be the same "race": Asian. Just the asme as a caucasian from Moscow is the same race as a caucasin from New York. The olympics is about national Competition and Pride, not racial pride. Someone from France dosen't cheer when a Austran wins a medal, and someone from Japan dosen't cheer when China wins a medal. Maybe I'm alone in this, but I don't cheer for race, I cheer for nationality.

I remember one of the last shows I saw on Richard Feynman and how he had set up a trip with a bunch of his friends to visit Tuva (somewhere deep in Russia I think). This is similar to the videos taken by one of his friends who wound up going.

A clip from the documentary Genghis Blues. Paul Pena (1950-2005) was a blind blues musician best known for writing the Steve Miller hit "Jet Airliner". After hearing Tuvan throat singing on the radio, Pena taught himself to sing in the Tuvan style, and also taught himself the Tuvan language. Since there are no Tuva to English dictionaries, Pena translated from Tuvan to Russian, and then Russian to English. "Genghis Blues" follows Pena on a trip to visit Tuva. On his visit, the Tuvans nicknamed Pena "Earthquake" because he could sing so low that he "made the ground shake"

So, what exactly is 'throat singing' then? Basically, it involves overtones that are heard in new music, applied to voices. Höömeï is the name applied to it though it is really only one of three or four styles also including sygyt and kargyraa. You hear a deep humming groan, mixed with a high pitched whistling sound.

http://www.furious.com/perfect/tuva.html

Have to try this out-looks like a promising diversion to twelve bar doldrums, thank's arrendk and Yuri......he needs to develop that harmonica skill a bit mo'......

Kinda feels like the same feeling as discovering throat singing, the Tuva way, which incidentally, is simple to master.....

There is an amazing documentary about Tuva, Kongar-ol, and blind blues singer Paul Pena called Genghis Blues. Please check it out if you like the throatsinging clips.