Namgyal Lhamo

Namgyal Lhamo is an internationally acclaimed Tibetan Opera, classical singer and actor. She is based in Utrecht, The Netherlands.[1]

Namgyal Lhamo
Namgyal Lhamo
Background information
Also known asThe Nightingale of Tibet
OriginTibet
GenresTibetan Traditional, World
InstrumentsTibetan lute, Dulcimer
Years active1964-Present
LabelsMusic & Words, Silk Road communications
Associated actsGangchenpa, The Wolfmen
Websitewww.namgyallhamo.com

Early life

Starting at the age of eight, Namgyal Lhamo, recognized by many as a child prodigy, trained for fourteen years under great masters of Tibetan Opera and Classical Music at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts set up by the Dalai Lama.[2][3] She went on to become the star performer of the Institute and toured extensively.

Through this passage she stepped into the tradition of the various kinds of classical and folk music of her country. Her interpretations of the Nangma and the Toeshe, Tibetan classical songs from the 17th century, have been universally acclaimed and she is popularly known as The Nightingale of Tibet.[4]

Since the 1980s, Namgyal Lhamo has lived in the Netherlands. She continues to perform at concerts in Europe and across the world, still pursuing the mission to preserve Tibetan culture through her music.

Career

She toured in 1998 through the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium with Tibet Impressions and participated in global manifestations such as Earth Dance, World Artists for Tibet, the 50th Anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights and performed at Freedom concerts in Amsterdam and New York City alongside acts like The Beastie Boys, Alanis Morissette and Björk.[5]

In 2008, Namgyal Lhamo teamed up with British musicians Chris Constantinou and Marco Pirroni of the rock band The Wolfmen and recorded the single "Paradise Lost". The music video of the track was directed by former Indian filmmaker Arvind Iyer and was released on the eve of the Beijing Olympics. "Paradise Lost" screened in competition at the Asian Hotshots Berlin film festival in January 2009[6] and the 2010 Tibet Film Festival in London[7] and received the 2009 Best Music Video Award at the Tibetan Music Awards.[8]

Her debut feature film, The Nightingale of Tibet, where Lhamo plays the role of singer Yiga Gyalnang, is loosely based on her own life and has screened across various international film festivals such as the 35th Cairo International Film Festival, where it was nominated for Best International Film on Human Rights.[9][10]

Chinese artist Ai Weiwei called the film "A sad and moving film that made us realize that the plight of the Tibetan people is the plight of all humankind."[11] Sikyong Lobsang Sangay, Prime Minister of Tibet, commented "The manner in which this film has been treated is simple, yet is very potent in depiction. It is a very dignified and restrained interpretation of one woman's struggle to keep her spiritual, cultural and artistic space alive."[12]

Filmography

Executive producer

Co-writer
  • Drapchi (2014)

Actor
  • Drapchi (2014)
  • Paradise Lost (2008)
  • Seven Dreams of Tibet (2001)

Awards and nominations
  • 2006/7: Best female Tibetan singer - Tibetan Music awards.
  • 2007: Best female solo artist Tibet/India-International music awards, Musicaid, U.K
  • 2008: Nominee Best world music act Netherlands/Belgium- MixedMagazine awards.
  • 2009: Best Music Video Artiste-Tibetan Music awards.
  • 2013- Best Traditional Artiste -Tibetan Music awards.
  • 2013- Best Traditional Album -Tibetan Music awards.

Discography
  • Voices from Tibet (with Gang Chenpa: Papyros, MWCD5005, Music & Words, 2000)
  • Songs from Tibet (Papyros MWCD5010, Music & Words, 2005)
  • Pure (Silk Road, 2007)
  • The Enchanted Land (Silk Road, 2007)
  • Musical Offering 1 - An Anthology of Tibetan Songs (Papyros, Music & Words, 2014)

References
  1. Post, Tibet (11 March 2013). "Arvind Iyer's film to screen in Rome". tibet.net. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  2. "Music from the land of Snow". Canada Tibet Committee. 14 February 2000. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  3. "Human Rights film on Tibet sings its way to global success". The Tibet Post. 1 October 2013. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  4. Borpujari, Utpal (30 July 2012). "Drapchi – The Review". Dearcinema.com. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  5. "Drapchi: Putting a Human Face on the Suffering of Tibetans". The Huffington Post. 7 October 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  6. Staff (16 January 2009). "Paradise Lost at Berlin festival". CTA News. Retrieved 7 September 2013.
  7. "Tibet Film Festival opens in London". Central Tibet Administration. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2015.
  8. "Welcome to the Fourth Tibetan Music Awards". Music Tibet. 10 October 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
  9. Cinema, Dear (14 November 2012). "Film on Tibet to screen at 35th Cairo International Film Festival". dearcinema.com. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  10. "Human Rights film on Tibet sings its way to global success". The Tibet Post. 1 October 2013. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
  11. Post, The Tibet (1 October 2013). "Drapchi – The Nightingale of Tibet". thetibetpost.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
  12. Desk, News (11 March 2013). "Drapchi to screen in Rome". tibet.net. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.

Further reading
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