SANTA ANA : Asian Musicians to Perform at Museum

Three musicians from the Central Asia region of Tuva will make a rare appearance in Orange County this weekend to present the sights and decidedly different sounds of their culture.

The highlight of the Saturday performance at the Bowers Museum of Cultural Art will be the exotic vocal performance known as “throat singing,” in which the singer lets out a light whistle and a deep chant at the same time.

“The sound isn’t like anything anyone in the West has ever heard,” said Brian Langston, spokesman for the museum. “It’s very unusual.”

The Tuvans are in the United States on a two-month mission designed to expose the West to their unfamiliar culture. Last week, the group participated in the Rose Parade. On Saturday they will dress in traditional costumes, recite folk stories and sing.

The Tuvans come from one of the most remote areas in the world. Their land is located in the mountains between Mongolia and Siberia in the Russia Federation.

Aside from being situated days away from a large city, Tuva was all the more isolated for much of the century because the Soviet government prohibited most foreigners from traveling there.

The event takes place Saturday at 3 p.m. The museum is located at 2002 N. Main St. in Santa Ana. For more information, call 567-3600.