Worlds Greatest Whistle register singer: Debelah Morgan

...Okay. Fine. Second greatest "whistler" after Minnie Ripperton- sorry  Mariah.

To those who her brief career passed by at the start of the new century, Debelah Morgan was a Rnb/pop singer that had a worldwide hit with the single Dance with me. Though her recording career never really set the music world on fire, her unparalleled ability in the whistle register-something she unashamedly liked to demonstrate on near enough all of her songs- has kept her musical legacy alive amongst fans of this unique vocal styling.

What was amazing about Debloah’s voice was the ease that it passed into the whistle register. It was always well connected to the rest of her range, sounding natural with a healthy, bright timbre to it- take note Christina Aguilera’s- that she was able to exectute with pinpoint accuracy. Like Mariah and Minnie, she could even intonate in this part of her range. But this was all nothing in comparison to the impressive complexity and speed of the melisma -vocal runs- she executed whilst in this register; a feat that is still unsurpassed till this day by any other singer.

 Though Debolah’s time in the spotlight was short lived, she managed to not only meet the most famous exponent of the whistle register, one Mariah Carey, but also shockingly out-sing her during an ensemble performance at a benefit concert for victims of 9/11, becoming the surprise star of the whole performance.



Watch the video below to see some of her most amazing whistle notes and her singing with Mariah Carey on the song What more can I give.

Nicole Scherzinger- Vocal Profile/ Range

Nicole Scherzinger

Vocal Type:  Mezzo Soprano
Whistle Register:  Yes

Vocal Range: D3-G#6 (3 Octaves 2 Note and a semi tone)

Vocal Pluses: Strong and resilient voice that has a sultry, pleasant tone to the mid-range and a punchy, rock tinge to the upper-register.

Vocal Negatives:   Belted notes can sometimes sound harsh and more akin to shouting due to improper placement of the the voice, especially so when she forgoes vibrato.

Anything to add? comment below

The Female With The Largest Vocal Range:Georgia Brown

Georgia Brown:The 
woman with the 
largest Vocal range

Georgia Brown, (born June 29, 1980) is an Italian/Brazilian singer noted for her extensive vocal range. She was listed in the 2005 Guinness World Records for hitting the highest vocal note ever and for possessing the greatest range, claimed to be exactly 8 octaves (G2-G10).

I'm not entirely convinced by this claim as no recording of her hitting above the eighth octave-which is still impressive- has been found. She has since been replaced in the Guinness book of world Records by Adam Lopez.

Listen to some of Georgia Brown's high notes in the compilation below.

What do you think? Does a large Range equal a Great singer?

Yma Sumac-Vocal Profile/ Range

Yma Sumac 

Vocal Type:  Soprano

Vocal Range: Bb2-c#7 (4 Octaves 1 Note and a semi tone)

Vocal Pluses: Strong  soprano voice, with a wide range. Unique technique.

Vocal Negatives:   Unusual vocal style may not be to everyone's taste.

Mariah Carey vs Christina Aguilera (Falsetto/Whistles: Note By Note)

Video and blurb by Trent jones. Check out his Youtube channel for more brilliant videos.

trentnjones | 19 August 2008

Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera both possess incredibly rare voices that have a mix of expansive range and power. Christina boasts a stunning 4 octave range (C#3-C#7) and Mariah wields her legendary 5 octave capacity which climbs from G#2-G#7. Over the years these women have had their differences but no one can deny the similarity between their voices. This video demonstrates these commonalities in their famed upper registers as well as several differences. I hope you like it!

This one goes out to all the haters who try to bring down one to promote the other.

Keep in mind that a lot of the notes contain melisma and heavy vibrato so even though I have highlighted them as G6, for instance, the vocal run may also include F6's and F#6 depending on the technique used by the singer.

Whistle Register: Eb6, E6, F6, F#6, G6, G#6

Fully live vocals by Mariah Carey of "Fly like a bird"

I'm incredibly impressed and heartened by this performance. I'm pretty sure this is 100% live and it surprised me because I never really believed she was able to hit those high chest notes without relying on playback.

Mariah Carey comments on her changeable voice

Finally an interview that asks Mariah about the inner workings of her voice!

So can you just stop on a dime and hit those whistle-register high notes?
Sometimes I wake up and that's the easiest thing for me to do. Because I'm still kind of raspy. [Purrs in soprano] I like to do that.

It cleans out the pipes?
Yeah. But sometimes, when my middle register is more clear, those notes are harder to hit. I have a three-dimensional vocal cord situation. The breathy voice is its own thing. It requires a certain amount of sleep.

source:http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/hot-seat/81629/mariah-carey-hot-seat-interview

Whistle Register

Have you ever wanted to know about the Whistle Register? Well here you go. The Whistle Register, also known as the 'Flageolet Register', is the highest human vocal register. Its name is derived from the whistle sound that is produced when notes are sung in this register. A tone is classified as being a "whistle" note typically when it is a C6 or over.

It is also possible for males to sing in this register, the most famous being Adam Lopez.