Came across this very interesting music while surfing at CDBaby (where I bought John Creaven’s “The Story So Far” – a good disc from which to lift tunes, mostly unacompanied flute played at a relaxed tempo).
You can hear some fula flute samples here. It appears that the players use a transverse flute with only the three holes for the right hand, and play a full scale utilizing the overtone series. As well, the player often sings at the same time, producing a pretty compelling sound. The first track at the URL above (“Wali”) gets very interesting about 40 seconds in, when additional flutes enter, and the soloist goes into full multiphonic mode. The second track – “Keme Bourema” – brings other instruments and voice into play, as well; I dig the fluent way the singer can suddenly bring the flute into action while still singing – I have enough trouble playing without talking or singing!
The players seem to use finger ornamentation, as well, with cut- and tap-like gracings.
You can also go straight to Fula Flute’s main webpage here for more info on the band and the music. I picked up this group’s CD at CDBaby (www.cdbaby.com), as well; neat stuff! (And CDBaby is a pretty neat resource, showcasing independently produced music and offering very attentive service; I’m not affiliated with them in any way, just to be clear, except as a customer).
Enjoy.