Overtone Singing of Dani Tribe from Papua New Guinea

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I could find surprisingly little information about this highly virtuosic and fascinating style. I am happy to receive any hints. The only sound samples I could find are the CD Les Dani de Nouvelle Guinée Volume 2 and this documentary:

The documentary “Yeleme – La hache de pierre polie en Nouvelle-Guinée” shows in the first seconds how Dani sing overtones. Source: http://www.canal-u.tv/video/cerimes/yeleme_la_hache_de_pierre_polie_en_nouvelle_guinee.8535

In this overtone singing, small repetitive melodic motifs with clear overtones are sung and sometimes extended to three-part harmony with a second pitch. True polyphony with counter-movement of fundamental and overtones can also be found therein. I have no idea how the sounds are produced. Perhaps hollow branches are used. I once tried a kind of 30 cm long didgeridoo with a finger hole in an Asmat exhibition, which produces a similar effect in terms of resonance. Any idea about this?

CD: Les Dani de Nouvelle Guinée Volume 2

Tracks 15 through 27 from CD2 of the album Les Dani de Nouvelle Guinée Volume 2 (amazon.de Partnerlink) demonstrate their overtone singing virtuosity.

Harmoniques de gorge - Yo-Ayo-A-O, Yeleme

Harmoniques de gorge - Ya-Yo, Ibele

Harmoniques de gorge - Ya-Yo, Ibele

Harmoniques de gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema

Harmoniques de gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema

Harmoniques de gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema

Harmoniques de gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema

Harmoniques de gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema

Harmoniques de gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema

Harmoniques de gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema

Harmoniques de gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema

Harmoniques de gorge - Yélou-Ho-In, Pyramid

Harmoniques de gorge - Yélou-Ho-In, Pyramid

Beetle as a Jew’s Harp

My friend Skye Løfvander from Denmark brought this video to my attention, which features another style of Dani music. A living sago beetle is held in front of the mouth with the help of a blade of grass and its buzzing in the mouth is dissolved into overtone melodies like a jew’s harp. (The film in this video has nothing to do with the Dani).

Live Beetle Jew's Harp

Literature & Sources

“Dani People.” In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, February 19, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dani_people&oldid=539077055.
“Dani.” In Wikipedia, January 18, 2013. http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dani&oldid=112287203.
Heider, Karl G. The Dugum Dani: A Papuan Culture in the Highlands of West New Guniea: A Papuan Culture in the Highlands of West New Guinea. Aldine Pub, 2006.
Various. Les Dani de Nouvelle Guinee 2. Nord Sud (CODAEX Deutschland), 2004.
Guinée, Les Dani de Nouvelle. Harmoniques de Gorge - Ya-Yo, Ibele. NordSud, 2001.
Guinée, Les Dani de Nouvelle. Harmoniques de Gorge - Yo-Ayo-A-O, Yeleme. NordSud, 2001.
Guinée, Les Dani de Nouvelle. Harmoniques de Gorge - Yélou-Ho-In, Pyramid. NordSud, 2001.
Guinée, Les Dani de Nouvelle. Harmoniques de Gorge - Lolo-Lou, Habema. NordSud, 2001.
Guinée, Les Dani de Nouvelle. Les Dani de Nouvelle Guinée Volume 2. NordSud, 2001.
Feld, Steven. Sound and Sentiment: Birds, Weeping, Poetics, and Song in Kaluli Expression. Second Edition. University of Pennsylvania Press, 1990.
Pétrequin, Pierre, and Anne-Marie Pétrequin. “Haches de Yeleme, herminettes de Mumyeme.” Journal de la Société des Océanistes 91, no. 2 (1990): 95–113. https://doi.org/10.3406/jso.1990.2880.
Larson, Gordon Frederick. The Structure and Demography of the Cycle of Warfare Among the Ilaga Dani of Irian Jaya. University of Michigan, 1987.
JUILLERAT, BERNARD. “Sammlung : CNRSMH_I_1972_008 - Sound Archives of the CNRS and the Musee de l’Homme. Research Centre of Ethnomusicology (CREM), University of Paris 10 - Telemeta,” 1970. http://archives.crem-cnrs.fr/archives/collections/CNRSMH_I_1972_008/.
Théry, Bruno, Pierre Pétrequin, Anne-Marie Pétrequin, and Etienne Lemaire. Yélémé: la hache de pierre polie en Nouvelle-Guinée. Vanves: Cerimes.
“Yélémé.” Accessed July 10, 2019. https://videotheque.cnrs.fr/doc=726.
“Yeleme - La hache de pierre polie en Nouvelle-Guinée.” Accessed July 10, 2019. https://www.canal-u.tv/video/cerimes/yeleme_la_hache_de_pierre_polie_en_nouvelle_guinee.8535.
“Yeleme - La Hache de Pierre Polie En Nouvelle-Guinée.” Accessed July 10, 2019. https://www.canal-u.tv/video/cerimes/embed.1/yeleme_la_hache_de_pierre_polie_en_nouvelle_guinee.8535.
Yeleme - La Hache de Pierre Polie En Nouvelle-Guinée. Accessed February 28, 2013. http://www.canal-u.tv/video/cerimes/yeleme_la_hache_de_pierre_polie_en_nouvelle_guinee.8535.
PointCulture, asbl. : “: LES DANI DE NOUVELLE-GUINÉE, VOLUME II.” Accessed July 4, 2014. http://pointculture.be/album/MZ3610/?col=0&ser=00&sup=0&ref=MZ3610.
Langda - L’herminette de Pierre Polie En Nouvelle-Guinée. Accessed February 28, 2013. http://www.canal-u.tv/video/cerimes/langda_l_herminette_de_pierre_polie_en_nouvelle_guinee.8557.
“Musik Und Gesang | Die Welt Der Papuas | de - ARTE.” Accessed November 13, 2012. http://www.arte.tv/de/220068,CmC=401636.html.
“File:Papua New Guinea (Orthographic Projection).Svg - Wikimedia Commons.” Accessed February 8, 2012. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Papua_New_Guinea_(orthographic_projection).svg.
“PapuaWeb: Peta Situs - Papuaweb - Site Map (New Guinea).” Accessed September 26, 2011. http://www.papuaweb.org/site/newguinea.html.
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