Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing (xoomei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. What distinguishes this gifted trio from earlier generations of Tuvan throat singers is the subtle infusion of modern influences into their traditional music. One can find complex harmonies, western instruments, and contemporary song forms in Alash’s music, but its overall sound and spirit is decidedly Tuvan. Alash members have also been influenced by such Western artists as Sun Ra and Jimi Hendrix. Members of Alash were trained in traditional Tuvan music since childhood. Under the guidance of Kongar-ool Ondar (best known to Western audiences for his role in the film Genghis Blues), they began to forge a new musical identity, experimenting with new harmonies and song structures, producing an intriguing mixture of old and new. Alash has collaborated with such diverse groups as the Sun Ra Arkestra, The Horse Flies, and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.
 
“This is some of the most beautiful and haunting music I have heard. If you have not heard them, you have no idea how incredible they are.”
— Jeff Coffin of the Flecktones and Dave Matthews Band, interviewed onJamBands.com
 
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Sho’dekeh Talifero is a professional beatboxer & vocal percussionist currently working in the Baltimore, MD area & beyond. Boldly taking his craft wherever the passion for music brings him, he works in a number of artistic fields for Dance, Music, & the Visual arts. By channeling the concepts of various instruments & sound scapes, he vocalizes dynamic emulations of everything from drum sets, turntables, ocean waves, to sleigh bells. These abilities and keen musical adaptability have brought him far and wide across many genres & artistic traditions within a very short period of time, which has also allowed him to repeatedly become the first Beat Boxer/Vocal Percussionist to serve in array of creative settings.

Shodekeh is the founding director of “Embody, A Music Series of The Vocal Arts” which strives for artistic & cultural unity through the many vocal traditions of the world from Opera, Throat Singing, to Beat Boxing. He has worked directly with many diverse souls from around the globe including Hip Hop Legend KRS-ONE, Alvin Ailey Theatre Dancers Linda Denise Fisher-Harrell & Troy Powell, and the Tuvan band Alash.