Rising from the mists of Lhasa in
Tibet is a growing number of musicians and recording artistes
who seem capable enough of turning the holy city into the musical
capital of China, according to an International Herald
Leader report on March 3.
There are suggestions that at least one new singer is born a
month in Lhasa. Music stores like the ones along Bakor Street are
packed with customers eager to get their hands on the latest hits
from their favorite singers.
Tibetan pop music forms the ambient sounds of everyday life,
hits blaring from loudspeakers in downtown Lhasa. But it isn't only
Tibetan music that's getting the air-play. Music fans are treated
also to tunes like the theme song of South Korean TV hit Dae
Jang Geum; covered in Tibetan, no less, by Kunsang Lhamo, a
native female vocalist.
Making covers is one of the more effective ways for singers to
gain almost overnight popularity.
Tenzin Benlo, artistic director of Tibet Music Publishing Co.,
Ltd told Tibet Commercial that more and more Tibetan music
lovers want to make their own albums, something that seems to be
increasingly fashionable in Tibet.
Not that there is any shortage of music in Tibet. The albums are
pouring into Lhasa. But most of those recordings were made in
"personal studios" -- big and small, good and bad. There are some
thirty privately funded studios, but only seven or eight of these
are recognized as working studios in the music industry.
There are six noteworthy bands that play original music, four of
which have been releasing albums since 2003: rock band, Tian Chu;
folk band, Nine-Eyed Stones; country music band, Friends; another
rock band, Antelope Horns, formerly known as "Pilgrims"; and pop
groups, Tibetan Mastiffs and Hada, both of which haven't released
any albums yet.
Antelope Horns' self-titled album is said to be the first
locally produced album.
Releasing albums, there's nothing like actually performing live.
But there was nowhere for these talented musicians to jam. Not
until last August, when Snow Pile White opened. The bar has since
then become the de facto practice "studio" for bands that play
their own music.
On November 4 last year, Cui Jian, the godfather of Chinese rock
'n' roll, gave several performances at the bar, shooting it almost
immediately to fame.
"Snow Pile White is where we usually perform now," Tashi
Phuntsok, Tian Chu's lead singer said. "Of the bars here, this is
the only one with the equipment and facilities for live
performances. This is the only reason why Cui Jian's gig made an
impact."
In a telephone interview, Song Ming, the owner of the bar told
International Herald Leader: "Mine is the only music-themed
bar in Lhasa, and the only one that promotes original music. Tian
Chu is the best local band I know, and I hope that they and other
bands like them can share their music through channels like
mine."
But Tian Chu isn't the only band making waves in the Chinese
music scene. Nine-Eyed Stones, which plays a very different sort of
music, could be considered to be just as popular in its genre.
Tian Chu is putting together its second album containing songs
sung in Tibetan and Chinese; Nine-Eyed Stones is also in the
process of cutting its third album to be sung in Tibetan, Chinese
and English. These two bands hold a lot of promise for Tibetan
music, but the question now is whether they should leave Lhasa to
develop their music further.
Renowned Tibetan music guru, Ya Don, who runs his Ya Don Eagle
Music Studio out of Chengdu,
Sichuan Province, said: "I’m very interested in all types of
ethnic music. Tian Chu and Nine-Eyed Stones both sing about their
own people and their ethnic characteristics, which is fantastic! I
look forward to collaborating with both these bands."
However, the members of Nine-Eyed Stones don't read music. "This
is a common problem among Tibetan musicians. I think they prefer to
rely on their instincts and improvise. I'm willing to communicate
with them. I'll try to remember how it was for me before I learned
to read music!"
Tenzin Benlo who is also a music composer who set up one of
Lhasa's first private studios said that there is no lack of singing
or musical talent in Tibet."I think Tibetan people's musicality is
innate. No one has a problem with pitch when they sing."
Benlo's studio produced over 10 albums last year, of which the
ones for Gon Pho and Danpa Darje were the most satisfying. These
two singers sing mainly in Tibetan, sometimes in Chinese. To Benlo,
there is something in their singing that sets them apart from the
usual pop song: "Theirs is original Tibetan New Music."
But Benlo stressed that he is not in a rush to promote and
commercialize this genre just yet. "It depends on what the music
fans want to hear."
However, he does acknowledge that more could be done to promote
Tibetan music. The only international exposure it's had has been
through musicians from Hong Kong or Taiwan, for example, who have
used the mysterious and spiritual Tibetan sound as inspiration for
their work.
Perhaps it's precisely that mystery and spirituality that have
garnered international acclaim for artistes like Zhu Zheqin (also
known as Dadawa) and her world music hits Sister-drum and
Voice from the Sky.
One can only hope that that mystery and spirituality can help
Lhasa realize its dream of becoming a music hub.
|
Rock band Nine-Eyed
Stones |
|
Young Tibetan violinists performed
in August, 2005. |
|
Tian Chu performed at Midi Music
Festival in Beijing in October, 2005. |
(China.org.cn by Zhang Rui, March 17, 2006)
