For hundreds, maybe thousands of years, the herdsmen of the small Siberian nation of Tuva sang to themselves, their herds and nature. They sang of their joy at being alive, their happiness at living a simple life, and their gratitude for the beauty of the Siberian landscape, barren though it may be.

“Their singing is a way to give back to the beauty of the landscapes; it’s a conversation with nature,” Devan Miller, frequent traveler to Tuva, said recently. “They see things as musical compositions, with a sonic quality.”

These shepherd odes to nature took the form of an unusual vocal style, found exclusively in this remote corner of the world. It’s called “throat singing,” with the singers using their vocal chords to produce extended, vibrating harmonic notes. The effect is chilling and beautiful, like a Siberian stream.

Until the last few decades it could be heard only by traveling to Tuva, but now Tuvan throat singing has joined the pantheon of “world music,” complete with touring “supergroups.”

While Tuva is rife with throat singers, Miller said once they leave the country to go on tour their stock rises incountry as well.

“They’re seen as bigger stars in their homeland once they leave,” Miller said. “It’s unfortunate that there is not room on the world stage for more Tuvan performers.”

There are just four major throat singing groups that tour, including the all-female group Tyva Kyzy, which played to a sold out house at Island Center Hall last October, and Chirlgilchin, which will appear at Island Center Hall July 21.

Chirgilchin is an all-male group consisting of Aidysmaa Koshkendey, Igor Koshkendey, Aldar Tamdyn and Mongoun-Ool Ondar.

Since 1996 they have recorded three CDs and traveled around the world, singing and playing traditional Tuvan instruments.

Along the way they’ve incorporated Western musical elements into their repertoire, creating a style that is more than simple folk music.

“They’re creating a whole new way of singing from the ground up,” Miller said. Their new style blends traditional singing with jazz-like improvisations.

They have toured in the United States for several years, and recently joined up with multi-talented performer Laurie Anderson for a summer solstice concert in New York. Anderson is a fan of the ethereal throat singing style, and attended a workshop to learn from Chirgilchin. They then recorded together in a New York studio.

“These sessions were amazing and magical for me,” she said. “. . . We quickly moved into new musical territory. We bonded on several levels and began to make sounds that neither one of us would make on our own.”

Chirgilchin performs 7:30 p.m. July 21 at Island Center Hall, 8395 Fletcher Bay Rd., Bainbridge Island. Tickets are $18 advance, $20 door, $15 age 18 and younger. Advance tickets available at Glass Onion or Winslow Drug.