Alash 
Hailing from Tuva, a region at the southern edge of Siberia, Alash is committed to preserving the Tuvan music and culture, which includes throat singing. Tuvan throat singing is a technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. 

Believing that music can remain true to its roots and evolve, Alash infuses their songs with Western elements, creating a unique style that is fresh and new yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage. Since their early partnership with the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra, they have joined forces with musicians across the spectrum—from country to classical to jazz to beatboxing. Alash appeared on Béla Fleck & the Flecktones’ Grammy-winning holiday CD Jingle All the Way (2008). Most recently, Alash member Bady-Dorzhu Ondar teamed up with beatboxer Shodekeh Talifero in a live recording of original Tuvan songs filtered through the creative artistry of hip hop musicians. 

Shodekeh Talifero 
Serving as Creativity & Innovation Innovator in Residence for spring semester 2024, Shodekeh Talifero is a groundbreaking beatboxer, vocal percussionist, and breath artist who pushes the boundaries of the human voice within and outside the context of hip-hop music and culture. His exploratory collaborations encompass a wide range of traditional artists. He recently concluded a three-year term as Innovator in Residence at Towson University’s College of Fine Art & Communication and is presently a Fellow at Mount Vernon. He has collaborated with many traditional and contemporary artists, including Alash and Silkroad Ensemble. He recently performed his piece, Vodalities: Paradigms of Consciousness for the Human Voice, in collaboration with Sō Percussion at Carnegie Hall (2021). He is also the founding director of Embody, A Festival Series of the Vocal Arts.

The concert is made possible by a generous grant from the Colorado College Cultural Attractions Fund