Popular singer songwriter Tenzin Choegyal draws on his traditional Tibetan roots to create original compositions which uniquely express his cultural heritage.
Tenzin was born to a nomadic family in southwest Tibet, escaped into Nepal from the Chinese occupation and was raised in the Tibetan refugee community in Dharamsala, India.
Here, where His Holiness the Dalai Lama actively encourages his people to preserve their culture through language, religion and the arts, Tenzin first began to explore his musical talents.
Tenzin feels a particular connection to the music of the wandering people of his homeland. He recalls his father’s mastery of the lingbu (transverse bamboo flute) and his mother’s beautiful singing voice and attributes much of his passion to those early influences.
Tenzin is a master of the dranyen (long necked lute) and lingbu and is well-known for his extraordinary vocal ability. He is an outstanding composer/performer with a great depth of musical knowledge, intuition and inventiveness, who is held in high esteem by other performers from all genres.
Following his Australian debut in 1997, Tenzin has made his mark on the world music circuit performing regularly at such events as Woodford Folk Festival, Port Fairy Folk Festival, the National Folk Festival, Daylesford Singers Festival, Brisbane Multicultural Festival and Womadelaide.
Collaboration with numerous Australian performers has allowed Tenzin room to experiment with rhythm and structure, to challenge traditional Tibetan musical norms and find a place in the complex tapestry of global sounds.
He continues to push the boundaries and enjoys experimenting with various forms of music in collaboration with a wide range of artists - African, Japanese, Indian, indigenous Australian, Mongolian – resulting in many innovative and evocative performances.
Tenzin’s cantering rhythms, soaring vocals and exquisite flute solos have also enchanted audiences around the globe.
He regularly tours internationally to the US, Japan, New Caledonia and New Zealand and has touched the lives of thousands of people with his music, his ready smile and his interest in and concern for his fellow human beings.
Tenzin performed in the Tibet House 21st Annual Benefit Concert at Carnegie Hall, New York alongside Philip Glass, Angelique Kidjo,Taj Mahal, James McCartney, Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Jesse Smith and Michael Campbell.He plays for the H.H Dalai Lama when he comes to Australia.
And now he is coming to the Central Coast Montessori School! Hope to see you there. Please phone me for any more details. Purchase your ticket here or pay at the door on the night.
