Xoomii, also spelled Höömey is a type of folk music from Tuva.
This word is used both to describe one of the styles of "throat-singing" characteristic of folk music from Tuva (a style which sounds like a nasally whistling) and also to describe all Tuvan throat-singing styles (ranging from eathquake-like rumbling, to mid-tones with beats, and various high-register styles which often include overtones).
The music is inspired by the steppes and the songs are often about horses, thus thematically Tuvan folk music is much like western cowboy music thematically. The Xoomii techniques (and oriental language) makes the music sound alien to western ears, however.
Tuvan singing styles influenced the music of diverse cultures. In ancient times, Tibetan monks adapted their chanting to the subharmonics of Kargyraa, while in modern times, some American new age musicians impress with the otherworldly sounds of höömey and sygyt, inhumanly high-pitched yet not falsetto.
There's debate as to how many techniques the Tuvan's use in their throat singing. Here are some commonly recognized styles- borbangnadyr, chylandyk, dumchuktaar, ezengileer, kanzip, kargyraa, sygyt.
