Few things come more naturally to us humans than producing vocal sounds. Beginning at birth with our first breath and cry, we use our voices to express ourselves and convey our needs. Babies instinctively explore a wide array of vocal sounds, sometimes for the sheer joy of hearing their own voices. As they are enculturated, children are encouraged to imitate the spoken and sung sounds they hear. This universal process has yielded not only different languages, but also an array of vocal timbres used in speaking and singing around the globe, each reflecting cultural preferences and context.

The vocal timbre that evolved to dominate Western choral music is rooted in the Italian vocal technique called bel canto. Today bel canto (discussed below) is employed around the globe, leading Western musicians to assume that it thrives because it is the preferred vocal technique across cultures. However, its wide dissemination results from its alignment with European colonization, Christianization, and imperialism. In many countries, a Western musical education is the only formal accredited study of music available, and the only option for voice training is with teachers trained in bel canto technique.

Despite this, numerous other singing traditions around the globe – including in the United States and Europe – have thrived for centuries. Once never heard outside of their native contexts, today diverse vocal styles are finding their way into the Western choral repertory as a result of travel by individual musicians and touring ensembles.