October 2007
Traditionally, throat singing used to be a male only preserve in Siberia.

But Shonchulai Choodu has well and truly broken that taboo.

She's been practising since she was five or six years old. "When I was little, going out and herding the sheep I would sing for the nature around me", Sonchulai tells Griffiths.

When she appeared at the annual music festival in the eastern city of Chadan Shonchulai Choodo mesmerised the crowd.

Among those mightily impressed was master throat singer, Vladimir Oidoopaa, "I am especially amazed when women sing. How is that? Such sounds from a woman's throat!"

Oidoopaa struggled during the Soviet era when, he says, throat singing was regarded as an act of "dissent"

He defied government bans for the most powerful of reasons. "Throat singing prevents our nation from dying, spiritually."

"To me, throat singing means power and philosophy, love for my nation, love for my people, to respect other opinions and to be tolerant of different religions. " (less info)