The noun of the verb ululate, meaning to to deliver a high-pitched cry, or howl, very much like that of a wolf in the forest, though it can also be applied to the human voice.
With the human voice, it can also refer to high-pitched cries of joy with a tongue trill, used across many cultures in Africa or Asia, where in the Middle East it can also be known as zaghrouta with use of the tongue.
The word is also the self-titled album of a hard bop/avant-garde jazz record, fronted by baritone saxophonist John Lee Krasnow, featuring the septet of Jerry Vejmola on tenor saxophone; Valery Ponomarev on trumpet; Jeff Hitman on alto saxophone; Janice Friedman on piano; Bill Patton on bass; and Yoshitaka Uematsu on drums. Whether or not there’s vocal ululation here is open to question, though there’s arguably that effect in some of the sax and trumpet parts.
However, this more recent track by the Edinburgh trio Young Fathers, from their 2023 album, Heavy Heavy, certainly echoes the meaning of the word:
So then, any more related to the ululation, in music and culture? Feel free to suggest examples, or even from film, art, or other contexts in comments below.
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