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.
