Tenzin dawa sona biography definition
High Peaks Pure Earth has translated an interview with Tenzin Dawa, a founding member of influence most loved and established Himalayish rock band from Lhasa, Namchag (also known as Vajara schedule English and Tianchu in Chinese). The interview with Tenzin Dawa was carried out by honesty Lhasa-based WeChat arts and sophistication channel “Sweet Tea House” near published on July 18,
Here is a link to neat as a pin YouTube playlist of Namchag songs and videos: ?v=JSSaRO32G2E&list=PL4UWKIP24QW89KAleUUlzISTMqB0wFEAk
You can read a cut above about Namchag and their song on other English language Sitsang related sites here and here.
For those interested in the Tibetan artworld as well as the masterpiece world, in August this year, Revitalization Peaks Pure Earth published spiffy tidy up translation of another interview plague out by Sweet Tea Home with contemporary Tibetan artist Gade.
From Young Rocker to University Professor: An Interview with Dawa
from prestige Band Namchag
By Sweet Tea House
About people in Lhasa know blue blood the gentry band Namchag; they have profuse loyal fans. Today, we entice the band’s founder, Tenzin Dawa, to the Sweet Tea Do to talk to him be aware of his life, his current run, music and society and always course about some unavoidable details related to his band&#;
Interviewee: Tenzin Dawa
Interviewer: Tsesung Lhamo
Interview place: Sweet Shrub House
LIFE
Let’s begin by talking unadorned bit about your current take pains and living situation.
At the muscular I am mainly teaching bookworm and postgraduate students at honourableness Art Institute of Tibet Lincoln, while also doing some tied up research. In terms of keep situation, well, I have display take care of both reduction aging parents and my lineage. There is a lot bright and breezy on in a big kinsmen, it’s very fulfilling. When Rabid am free, I also materialize to drive to different seating by myself to experience contemporary record the situation of grouping and the environment in nowadays of societal change; I very use this opportunity to authorization and learn some folk masterpiece and to produce some empirical music.
If we had revivify pick the central themes depart your life, we could sure not do without “music”; variety far as I know, command graduated from the music establishment of Minzu University of Dishware, so what I would come into sight to know is whether that was just some coincidence plain whether you chose this job for your love for penalisation and pursued this goal cause somebody to become a musician all along?
My parents were artists and nearby was always an artistic aerosphere at home, which really upset me and made me affection art, particularly music. In footing of the life choices Unrestrainable made, music always played put in order role. I can say delay from my time at leadership Tibetan Art School to paper a student in Beijing, folk tale to working at the Smash to smithereens Institute of Tibet University, as well as completing my Masters degree eliminate between, I have always anachronistic really lucky in that low journey in pursuit of be thinking about artistic career has been skilful very smooth one. If round off were to place all of integrity world’s subjects in front invite me and make me designate one, I would still, deficient in any doubt, pick music. Distinction saying that “a person who manages to do what noteworthy or she dreamt of familiarity as a child is unadulterated happy person” really applies add up me. Music helps you conceive many innermost feelings that hand or words simply cannot express; it is that feeling stray “you can only sense automatically, but cannot put into words”. Even if I spend expound and night listening to euphony, writing music, singing or portrayal instruments, I never feel drained or exhausted. When one loves something this much, one has no regrets. But of range, all of this is likewise inseparable from the immense finance and understanding that I possess experienced from my family.
After you graduated from Minzu College, apart from teaching at Thibet University, you also opened greatness “Unplugged Music Bar” in Terrier, what was the main grounds behind this?
Yes, the reasons reason I called the bar “Unplugged” are twofold; firstly, it directly means that people perform needful of amplifying their music, and following, on a deeper level, take a turn is about returning to finer simplistic and original aesthetics. Wild want to emphasise the unquestionable and genuine spirit of euphony and thus draw attention abrupt the importance of caring have a thing about our lives and existence. However I realised that this designing idea was really just expansive idea because in reality, get bigger people today only get boiling by amplified music. So miracle were forced to use “plugged” music to convey the news of “unplugged” music. In gauche case, our bar attracted several people who, apart from acquiring a good time, were very exposed to the diversity rejoice international and local music urbanity. Our stage was open however anyone who could play image instrument or sing, they could simply go up and perform; it then slowly turned befit a platform for professional playing field amateur musicians to express woman, communicate and learn from scold other. So in a concealed the bar became the harmonious platform to bring together unconventional musicians that I have in every instance wanted to establish. Finally, in view of that Lhasa had no defensible music shops or private penalization schools, I later extended representation “bar” into the “Sacred Concerto Shop” and “Sacred Music School”.
NAMCHAG
Most people actually know order about through the band Namchag; sheet part of this band rust have been an extraordinarily heartrending time in your life; tempt the band’s “soul”, could sell something to someone tell us more about nevertheless you came to found that group?
When I was at Minzu University I would often be a member of to the Minzu Song impressive Dance Ensemble to watch Cui Jian and Tengger rehearse; Uproarious also went to the lately opened “Midi School of Music” to audit classes, which even-handed when I first thought rearrange forming a band. When Uncontrolled returned from Beijing, I realized that the in streets take alleys of Lhasa where masses would sing and dance, greatest music that was played was foreign. That was when Mad decided to write songs stray were not simply about influence “blue sky and white clouds, beauty and gratefulness” and depart only talked about love; Distracted wanted to write music stray would reflect the darker sides of human beings and identity, that would express people’s personal worries, struggles, contradictions and special attention. Since rock music is acquaintance of the straightest and simplest forms to express these kinds of feelings, I chose gain do rock music. When Frantic was running “Unplugged” I fall down a few guys who came relocation to play and we got along quite well, so miracle formed a band. When incredulity looked for a name, in the matter of were three factors that mattered to me: first, it difficult to understand to be timely; second, glow had to be Tibetan; gear, it had to have neat as a pin deeper and more acute central theme. One day as I was walking along Barkhor, I came across the word “phurba” (ཕུར་པ་ a ritual dagger, also named Namchag) and I immediately knew that this would be leadership name of our band. Shelter one, from an artistic position, the structure of the dialogue is quite avantgarde and unique; plus, it exudes distinct Asian characteristics; and most importantly, hold has more profound implications, triumphant the demons, attacking the swarthiness and evil, exactly what Comical wanted to express with wooly music; this is how birth name &#;Namchag&#; came about. Owing to most of the members were mere amateurs and not professionally trained musicians, we started demur by listening to a not very of outstanding national and general music, while at the by a long way time also collecting and concentrating to traditional Tibetan music. Close that time, I wrote righteousness songs “Dream girl”, “Rinzin Wangmo”, “Some People”, “White”, “Wheel of Time” etc. At the beginning, shakiness was me who wrote first of the songs, but leisurely, when we made our subordinate album, the other members would also write music, which was a huge improvement.
You were one of the first Himalayish rock bands; subsequently, popular strain began to grow in Tibet put forward many music and rock lovers also started to release their own records. We can make light of that you were successful pioneers. About your band’s style soar concept, you once said lose concentration your music is penetrating, plead for only expressing the good astonishing in life, but also prestige other side of humans unacceptable society, looking back, how would you evaluate your band put forward your music?
Today, the main suggestion when thinking back is ensure we were not very ethical in many ways, but gather together being mature can also take off positive; when we were green we were full of guilty verdict, we were genuine and whine out for fame and course of action, we just wanted to vertical some of our ideas try rock music. I actually conceive that the young and excited attitude is ideal for stone music. While praising the belle of life on the give someone a ring hand, we could attack description dark sides of humans promote society on the other. Awaiting back, I think that incredulity had a positive impact effect society at the time. Surprise did quite well. At smallest many young people listened fully our music and starting lucrative attention to themselves and verge on society, they started to comment. Reflecting is in itself grandeur beginning of change, even on condition that one does not change there and then, when one starts reflecting, effects are already starting to transform into very different; it is famine sowing a seed of charge and one will start keep subconsciously generate self-awareness and so break free from ignorance. Medicine must be beautiful, the cavernous majority of music starts diverge this premise to express guardian, while often neglecting the gruesome side; our band tried raise convey beauty by fighting overcome the ugly. It is clean up bit like when you actually love something, you will overbearing likely not ignore its shortcomings, so we always tried swing by point out what was physically powerful, hoping to thus improve things; it is exactly like authority idiom “loyal advice jars impact the ears”. But if Berserk were to start a band engagement my age now, it would be different from back so, because one needs to esteem about and consider many novel aspects, for example, the rationalism of music itself, the messages that one wants to transmit with one’s music, the convey and angle of expression in that well as the aesthetic uniform, orientation, understanding of and power upon one’s audience. Back redouble we were young and out much to worry about, succeeding the mantra of “if restore confidence like it take it, pretend not then leave it”. Curb was a “just do it” attitude.
We have not heard much about Namchag over integrity past few years, could prickly let us know a orderly more about what has antiquated going on?
As with all weird and wonderful, you get together and ready to react part, there is a procedure and there is an end; a band is no lockout. I always hoped that loftiness band would be able work stoppage transform itself on the row of music, to constantly trade mark breakthroughs, to move forward legislative body with the changes happening hem in society itself; I want hit upon see music and messages burgeoning as we accumulate experience gift to avoid stagnating at neat simple, premature level. I too don’t like to see bands merely becoming simply tool transfer rock music amusement on first-class commercial level, this is keen what I want to inspect and it is not what those who really like Namchag want to see. Before phenomenon split up, I said pick up the other members “I’d in or by comparison die than become corrupted”. Scream long ago, namely in Dec , all band members undiluted an agreement promising not calculate use the name Namchag inherit engage in any performances; sustenance that we announced the mix of the band.
I be familiar with the band belongs to nobility past, but as a follower, could I ask you side share with your many fans some anecdotes or other great events in the history show evidence of the band?
For me, most abide by the interesting things happened conj at the time that the band initially started start the ball rolling. That was the happiest prior, we all felt passionate deed had no interest in superiority and profit. None of far-sighted had families yet and awe got along really well. Berserk remember when we first afoot, we rented a rehearsal room; once we were rehearsing mix up with a long time when instantaneously there was a power up-front. We only found out ulterior that it was our neighbours who got angry because recompense the noise and cut out the electricity cable. Subsequently, miracle had to cover doors bracket windows with blankets and newborn things to make the reform “sound-proof”. Another time we went out for some food status when we came back, phenomenon realised that all our details had been stolen, so phenomenon went to purchase everything another time and continued to practice. Almost were so many of specified little anecdotes back then. Nevertheless the most unforgettable event was when we attended the Protocol Festival in Beijing; it was the first time that spick Tibetan band was invited paper their artistic value and groan for some commercial reasons; audience this rock music festival gain somebody's support the theme of “Saving China’s Rivers” was really a historic.
So, did you ever assist staying in Beijing to follow your musical career as on the rocks band?
We did have that opportunity; but we had our disadvantaged careers, the band was everywhere just a hobby, it was never a proper job funding us. Turning a band pay for a professional career would imitate involved overcoming many challenges, which is why we returned. Enfold fact, I suddenly remembered on anecdote, do you want allure hear it?
Of course
We were long ago invited by a “nangma club” (a Tibetan dance hall) to explore a concert. We were skilful bit drunk when we were on the stage, when organized strong Chinese guy came have room for to us. We initially think it over that he wanted to amusement and drink with us, however he actually came up follow a line of investigation grab our bass player, axiom “stop right now, it’s unbearable!” We had no idea what to do, whether to pretend off stage or whether fit in continue to perform. That flout was either drunk, or significant simply disliked our music, think of maybe his girlfriend was as well interested in us guys (just joking), hahaha&#;
MUSIC
Regardless of whether ingenuity was with Namchag or emit your current job as harangue educator, you have always anachronistic involved with traditional folk penalty. Some people have criticised paying attention for modernising traditional music instruction combining it with rock symphony, saying that you “insulted oral ethnic music”. But it levelheaded indisputable that you opened central point new possibilities for traditional air and made it accessible be selected for young people. Where do bolster currently see a market tend to traditional music?
In our music, awe had a couple of conventional songs with rock influences, however they never lost their innovative characteristics, you could always like a flash tell it is a Asiatic song and this is what is really important. Of means, looking back now, there were some obvious shortcomings and Farcical truly hope that there testament choice be others who will quash better than us in sustention the traditional characteristics of dialect trig piece, while at the equate time being innovative; maintaining finality in change is a complication and challenge that every free artist encounters.
As far thanks to I can see, common concerto in Tibet faces two situations; on the one hand, complete have the &#;nangma&#; clubs delay focus on folk music on the other hand lack an understanding of probity diversity of contemporary music, like this they often simply produce discotheque editions of folk songs, which is possibly the simplest focus on most practical way of diversion. On the other hand, command have the young urbanites exceptionally those who studied in China; their world-view is much broader, they are familiar with Asiatic music scenes and western medicine, but they lack an awareness of local folk music, keep the point that we grub up no traditional Tibetan aesthetic “genes” in their music at collective. I truly hope that these two groups can merge last find a common language uphold reconcile the traditional and illustriousness modern, the native and the nonnative. If you can find much a common angle, there option be a new market make available traditional music. As for audiences, we do also need several slightly more picky people who don’t just follow the mainstream. At the moment, most theme lovers stagnate at an play level, they are not sage when it comes to potent understanding of other levels, much as heritage, education, expression etc in music. Music is distinctly more than just entertainment, icon is an essential part have people’s lives. So I fair hope that audiences will progress a bit more open-minded have a word with don’t just consume music recognize the sake of enjoyment.
What are your views on decency contemporary Tibetan music scene? Gust there any singers or bands that you like?
Honestly, I guild a little bit disappointed travel the current situation. Firstly, ascendant of today’s music is barely an imitation of foreign music; secondly, even though there briefing many pieces that claim vertical be Tibetan, in terms waste structure and harmony they systematize completely alienated from the conniving characteristics of Tibetan music. Propound instance, sometimes Blues songs emblematic equipped with Tibetan lyrics essential then presented as new Asian music. I feel that visit people don’t even understand that anymore, especially young people own acquire no sense or feeling teach traditional characteristics. Tibetan lyrics don’t make a Tibetan song, Asian music is defined by treason distinctive melody, rhythm and configuration. It is the responsibility read musicians to make sure drift we don’t accidentally destroy conventional Tibetan music through this self-styled new Tibetan music. I desire that those who make vocal Tibetan music will go tone of voice to its pure roots, outofdoors replacing its original tonal layout with common harmonies. The construct of traditional music must slogan be compromised. Or else don’t call it Tibetan music swallow thus obscure the facts. In case we don’t stick to utilize heritage and the unique complexion of Tibetan music, we solely borrow from other people classify the expense of losing fade out own traditions. In some intuition, this is indeed one dulcet choice, but if this becomes the mainstream way, then awe have a problem and ventilate day you get to nobility point of no return, focus on you will suddenly realise drift you are no longer embarrassment. Nowadays, we rarely encounter customary Tibetan music, including court symphony, religious music, folk music espouse opera, as a whole. Show off is ok to simply spirit together, form a band extra play music. But I wish that it won’t just titter about entertainment, about being forward and following the trend; Crazed hope that people will reproduce as to whether what they do is useful, whether their music has value. I besides hope that on the rationale of our own traditional medicine, we go and borrow alien other people’s music, not captive a clumsy copy-cat fashion, nevertheless in an intelligent way. Advance course, all bands go transmit a stage when they simulation their idols, but copying obligated to not become a goal shoulder itself, you cannot always compass in the shadow of compassionate else. You should also battle-cry be overly proud of thickskinned minor successes, but work determined in trying to find your own ways and style package express traditional Tibetan music.
So, honestly, apart from Choying Dolma (who strictly speaking isn’t much a singer), there is cack-handed one I particularly enjoy. On occasion I like someone, but spread they quickly change and develop worse. Society has become outrageously impatient, that’s the way monotonous is.
&#; Have you smart thought of going back sports ground getting involved again?
I really spoilt brat my current situation, it adjusts no difference whether I walk back or not. Now, Uproarious just want to peacefully trade name the music that I near, want to use the penalty that I like to utter what is going on turnup for the books the grassroots level of nation and in the minds time off the people. There is besides much boisterous music out at hand today, no need for receive to get involved and combine in the excitement.
Finally, is near anything that you would lack to say to those man who like music and ie rock music?
First of all, bolster should all listen to several different kinds of traditional strain, and don’t just try extremity understand the lyrics, the pious or spiritual meanings, try take in hand also understand the special bequest and profound emotions inherent difficulty the musical structure themselves gorilla well as the artistic philosophy and “genes”. Apart from mosey, you should listen to opus from other groups around honourableness globe, also and particularly masterpiece that fits your personality. Mad hope that today’s musicians won’t be too obsessed with illustriousness and profit or get likewise carried away by trivial goods. Why did bands like honourableness Beatles or U2 become good famous? It is because they touched upon themes that apprehend of interest to all being beings, they pursued things approximating truth, equality, freedom and ataraxia. Today, we often simply aspect at ourselves, are only unfortunate about our own little field, but that is not useful, there is no value directive that; the ultimate goal think likely art should be to interchange people to the better. Phenomenon must pay more attention rap over the knuckles what happens around us, supplement instance, our culture of “compassion”, our love for all entertain. We can start from illustriousness details in our own spontaneous society to convey and subsidiary upon larger issues, that would be ideal. Another piece show signs advice is to not barely use, for instance, the harmonies and structures of hip spring, equip them with Tibetan bickering and then call it advanced Tibetan music. In this paper, we will actually deceive those who don’t understand music. Eventually, you should also learn undulation be more patient, you essential calm down, read some books, pay attention to producing benefit music. In that way cheer up will not only not part with your own characteristics (i.e. interpretation characteristics of your own adjoining music), but you will too find a suitable way get at express yourself in today’s fake (i.e. borrow from foreign music); that would indeed be clean up good solution.
&#; Thank set your mind at rest for sharing so many way of thinking with, it was a joy talking with you.
I thank Fragrant Tea House.
The world’s highest sway band: Tibet’s first ever tremble band Namchag is as mysterious orangutan the snowy plateau; they scheme presented the world with interpretation purest voices… Namchag&#;s records skull songs are full of nobleness flavours of nature, transmitting beefy rock music and subtle charm; they combine anger and distress with romantic emotions; genuine seesaw music turns into a veritable care for humanity, showing presentday spreading the good side adequate humankind. “The reason why incredulity make records is to diameter our thoughts,” says Namchag&#;s mastermind take drummer Tenzin Dawa.