Tuvan vs. Russian?

[Leslie Root]

Dear SEELANGSers,

I have a bit of a puzzle to solve. A song from the album *Mountain Tale*,
recorded by the Bulgarian choir Angelite, Huun-Huur-Tu and the Moscow Art
Trio has become quite popular among amateur Eastern European vocal groups
in the U.S.

It can be heard on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8R6eg52Dzk

What the top two voices are singing is clear - a Bulgarian song called
"Yana and the Turk" or "Dove Song." The bottom voice, however, is widely
mis-cited - including by groups that perform this piece and by whoever
posted that video to YouTube - as being Tuvan throat singing. There's no
throat singing about it: the liner notes indicate that it's Sergey
Starostin singing (a member of Moscow Art Trio, not Huun-Huur-Tu), and it
seems clear to some Russian speakers (none native, alas) in our group that
it's something East Slavic, but none of us can make heads or tails of the
actual words, aside from sestra, brat, and possibly stavaysya. We are
curious about this, so if anyone enjoys puzzles of this sort, knows
archaic/dialectal varieties of Russian well enough to sort out what's going
on, or recognizes the song, help would be appreciated.

Thank you!
Leslie Root
Member, Slaveya Women's Vocal Ensemble
slaveya.org

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