Tibet Tibet

TIBET, TIBET is a touching tribute to Yungchen Lhamo's countrymen. These are songs of prayer delivered without restraint or introversion. This music is forged out of struggle and suffering. Despite this, Lhamo's voice is not fragile or weak--her singing is full of conviction and fortitude on all 10 tracks.
Largely a cappella, songs such as "Lama Dorje Chang" and "Par Panee Dawa Shar" bring to life the ancient song style of the Tibetan people. On these selections, Lhamo uses beautiful pentatonic movements and difficult intervallic leaps to create beautiful, longing melodies. Other tracks such as "Om Mani Padme Hung", and "Refuge Prayer" are more solemn. These ritualistic chants, performed with an ensemble of monks from the Drepung Ngakpa Monastery or alternately the Gyuto Tantric College, underscore the resiliency of the Tibetan exile. The final and most arresting track, "Gi Pai Pa Yul Chola" features Lhamo's voice with a string section. While the strings are not credited here, the expressive arrangement really invokes the mournful qualities in Lhamo's voice. Few releases--in any genre--are so transparent yet so unassuming. TIBET, TIBET is music of transcendence.|