New album by Bokanté + Metropole Orkest out now
What Heat follows the band's 2017 debut, and features Jules Buckley as orchestra arranger/conductor.
Fri, 05 October 18
Yungchen Lhamo
The journey from Lhasa in Tibet over the high Himalayas to Dharamsala in India has got to be one the most testing and physically gruelling exploits that anyone can undertake and yet hundreds of Tibetans do just that each year in search of freedom.
Yungchen Lhamo walked this road to exile as a teenager back in 1989. Her musical gifts had already been recognised in Tibet where her name, which means ‘goddess of melody and song’ was given to her by a holy man.
Yungchen moved to Australia in 1993 where her first CD release Tibetan Prayer won an ARIA award and she has been touring the world ever since, sharing prestigious platforms such as the stage of the Carnegie Hall in New York and London’s Royal Festival Hall with rock stars and famous faces. She is now based in New York.
In later years she released three acclaimed albums on Real World Records, Tibet Tibet, Coming Home and, in 2006, Ama, which features duets with Annie Lennox and Joy Askew.
The diminutive and yet visually arresting Yungchen has a voice of astounding clarity and purity. Her songs are intimate tales of love for her homeland and her people and her story is an emblem of courage, perseverance, devotion and musical genius.
Releases
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Tibet, Tibet
This album is a rare insight into the heart of Tibetan spirituality through the devotional songs of Tibet’s most inspiring female singer. At 25, Yungchen Lhamo walked over the Himalayan mountains from Tibet to India, on a perilous journey to meet and receive the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
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Coming Home
From Tibet's most exquisite voice in exile, this is a set of stunning contemporary songs of freedom and beauty in dedication to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
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Ama
On her third album for Real World Records, Yungchen again brings the voice of Tibet to songs infused with the quiet spiritual power of Tibetan Buddhism, but with a decidedly 21st century global feel. Trumpet, strings, African kora, Middle Eastern percussion and the even, sweet tones of a National Steel guitar are delicately woven around Yungchen's magical voice.
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videos
Further reading
The Drummers of Burundi announce European tour
The WOMAD favourites tour Europe for the first time since 2015.
Thu, 27 September 18
10 Years of Big Blue Ball: the sound of the world playing together
On its 10th anniversary, we look back on the global music collaboration project which came from 18 y...
Fri, 27 July 18
Stephen Hague on bringing Big Blue Ball to the finishing line
The New Order producer faced the mammoth task of sifting through years of recording sessions.
Thu, 02 August 18