When modern heavy metal was combined with traditional Tibetan musical instrument Zhanian to produce a unique rock-and-roll piece, the clamor resounding in the ancient Tibetan city of Lhasa not only ignited the craze of young fans but also triggered the curiosity of old people and even monks and nuns.

The first Tibetan rock'n'roll band, which called themselves ZAJARA, held a release concert for their first album Sunday on Dosengge Street. The insistent drumbeat and furious cry of electronic guitar, accompanied by the hoarse sound of Zhanian, broke the tranquility of Lhasa, which was usually immersed in pilgrims' prayers.

All six band members are from Tibet and all the songs of this album were composed by themselves and sung in Tibetan.

"In many people's eyes, Tibet only has folk and classical music-- this in fact is a misunderstanding. Many young Tibetans love rock'n'roll and they are actually trying to express their thoughts in this fantastic musical form, like us," said Soi'nam Dainzin, the lead singer of the band.

Indeed, many youngsters showed great enthusiasm to the new musical form and almost every song won a big round of cheers and applause from them.

"I am a huge fan of rock'n'roll and it's my first time to hear a Tibetan version. It is so cool and gives me a totally fresh new feeling," said by De'ygi, a Tibetan girl.

Dainzin Dawa, the drummer and also the "soul" of the band, said ZAJARA had a Chinese name -- Tianchu, a ritual implement used in Buddhist services, which has the power to vanquish evil.

"Our music tries to arouse people's awareness of cherishing all the wonderful but simple things in our lives and we hope the audience can also 'see' the cultures, customs and the beautiful natural scenery of Tibet," he said.

For example, the song "Let Me Live" calls for protection for the rare Tibetan antelopes and other wild animals, according to Dainzin Dawa.

A native of Lhasa, Dainzin Dawa received professional music training in Beijing, where he came across the musical works of Cui Jian, who is regarded as the "Godfather" of China's rock'n'roll music, and fell in love with this passionate musical form immediately.

Dainzin returned to Lhasa and opened a bar in 1999, where he found another five young men who shared his dream, and they founded ZAJARA later that year. Like many rock'n'roll bands in China, however, they began by performing in bars.

"We have the modern musical elements, like rap and heavy metal, in our music, as well as some typical traditional Tibetan music elements -- this time, we used Zhanian. It is really a big experiment," said Dainzin.

In fact, Dainzin's "big experiment" is too big for many people.

"Except for Zhanian, I don't know the other instruments they were playing with. Besides, the music is strange and incredible," said a young Lama Zoinzhu Sangbo.

Sixty-two-year-old Zhabsang watched the band's performance for a few minutes and turned away.

"What a show! It is so noisy that it almost drives me deaf," she complained.

Rock'n'roll tends to express strong emotions and feelings, while the traditional Tibetan music reflects grateful feelings and happiness with a lighter tone.

Now, more and more Tibetan young people began to pay more attention to their own feelings, which provides a very timing for the birth of Tibetan native rock'n'roll music, said Geqoi, vice president of the regional folk art institute.

In Lhasa, for instance, more than 20 rock'n'roll bands were active in bars and at colleges and combining Tibetan folk music with modern musical forms, like hip-hop and rap, has been popular among local music artists.

"It's a normal and good phenomenon. As various musical styles have entered Tibet, Tibetan people have been not just satisfied with the original musical expressions," said Geqoi.

"But the original Tibetan folk music still has great vitality and influence," he said. "These new musical forms can not finally root in Tibet unless they assimilate the characteristics of traditional Tibetan music, because that is the only way for most local people to accept them.

That may be the reason why ZAJARA has played Zhanian and sang their songs in Tibetan, Geqoi added.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2003)