Ymai

Khakas traditional music is the folk and ritual music of the Khakas people of South Siberia (Republic of Khakassia, Russia). It centers on epic storytelling, overtone-rich throat-singing (often called kai/khai), and a distinctive set of indigenous instruments. Core timbres come from the chatkhan (a long zither), jaw harp (temir-khomus), shamanic frame drum (tüngür), and various flutes, with vocals ranging from clear narrative chant to deep, droning overtone techniques. Melodies tend to be pentatonic or modal, with narrow ranges, drones, and flexible, speech-like rhythm in epic recitation. Themes reflect steppe life, hero epics, nature, animist/shamanic cosmology, and communal memory. While ancient in origin, the tradition continues today through ensembles, community bearers, and staged folklore performances.

Altai music is the traditional music of the Altai peoples in the Altai Mountains of southern Siberia. It is marked by epic storytelling, overtone (throat) singing known locally as kai, and a timbre-first aesthetic that imitates the sounds of wind, rivers, birds, and horses. Core instruments include the topshur (a two‑string plucked lute), the shoor (end‑blown flute), the khomus (Jew’s harp), and frame drums used in ritual and narrative contexts. Melodies often draw on anhemitonic pentatonic modes and flexible, speech‑like rhythms, while textures tend toward solo voice with drone, or sparse heterophony from a small ensemble. Songs commonly praise mountains, taiga, and rivers, recount heroic epics and clan histories, and invoke Tengrist cosmology, blending practical herder life with a spiritual view of nature.