One of the richest of the Silk Road musical traditions is folk music, which varies widely with the religious, linguistic, and cultural background of the musicians. The singers often use a technique called melisma, in which the singer sings one syllable of taxing several notes, as Gregorian chant. Unlike the western approach that utilizes the diaphragm for breath support, Central Asians often rely more on their throats to sing, (Flamenco singing is the West's closest equivalent to this technique; indeed, some scholars contend that Middle Eastern styles influenced flamenco). Throat techniques vary over different regions. The Iranian and Azerbaijani mugham singers, for instance call their technique chahchah or jahjah, wherein the artist is said to, be imitating a nightingale. In Tuva, a remote republic in the Russian Federation, a single throat - singer can make several simultaneous groaning tones, creating a wonderfully odd style that to the uninitiated ear sounds like a one-man barbershop quartet of demented ventriloquists.