[From the Ithaca Times] This Friday, Oct. 5, Tibetan singer Yungchen Lhamo will make her first trip to Ithaca. Her performance will be held shortly before the Dalai Lama’s visit to Ithaca — someone with whom Lhamo shares a special spiritual bond. In 1989, Lhamo was forced to flee Tibet, and she has not been back since. As a young woman, she fled an oppressive Chinese work camp in Tibet and journeyed through the Himalayan mountains to reach Dharamsala, where she received the blessing of the Dalai Lama.
Now a resident of New York — though she tours a great deal — the Lhasa-born musician has won over audiences on an impressive global level. Her latest record, Ama (Tibetan for “mother”), features collaborations with musicians Annie Lennox and Joy Askew. Ama was released on Real World Records, a label operated by Peter Gabriel, who also identifies himself as an activist, humanitarian and world music expert. The two have had close ties since the mid-90s.
Indeed, Lhamo has collaborated and toured with many musicians who have identified with Eastern spirituality and religions, including Natalie Merchant, Laurie Anderson and Lou Reed. Much of Lhamo’s popularity in the Western world hinges on her ethereal, evocative music, which has remained resolutely faithful to traditional Tibetan songs. Her music features a blend of traditional Asian instruments (such as the danyen, gyumang and dhoungchen) as well as western instruments (including electric guitar, banjo and drum kit), but the selling point has long been her unique voice.
We recently interviewed Lhamo via email. We discussed issues of censorship, living in New York, and working with Richie Stearns.
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Popcorn Youth: You’ve released a number of records on Peter Gabriel’s Real World Records label. How did you first encounter him?
Yungchen Lhamo: They asked me to perform in WOMAD Adellay in Australia. After I performed in WOMAD and toured Australia I won an ARIA (Australia’s equivalent to the Grammy) and Peter invited me to join the Real World family.
Popcorn Youth: Can you tell me how your musical collaboration with Richie Stearns and Hank Roberts came about?
Lhamo: When I was touring with Natalie Merchant I met Richie, who is a special person. He was in her band and was very good. For me I very much liked the banjo sound, it is very much similar to the Tibetan sounds I am fond of.
Popcorn Youth: Have you ever been to Ithaca?
Lhamo: No — people tell me that Ithaca is very beautiful. Wherever I go, there is so much to learn and I am looking forward to the new experience of visiting Ithaca.
Popcorn Youth: Do you see your own music as a combination of ‘eastern’ elements and ‘western’ elements?
Lhamo: In a way I believe all music is interconnected. Of course there are some elements that are different from east and west, but as you can hear on my recent CD, Ama, all the sounds are unique. I was honored to meet and work with all different musicians from around the world both ‘eastern’ and ‘western.’
Popcorn Youth: How has living in the West influenced your music writing process?
Lhamo: I try to keep my songs traditional. Every time I write my songs, I go back to my roots. It used to be only devotional songs and operas, but now I write different songs about spirituality, about Tibet, about where I live and everything I see around me in the United States.
Popcorn Youth: Although you live in the United States now, do you see your own music as participating in the rich oral tradition culture of Tibet?
Lhamo: Yes. I did not become a performer or have the opportunity to sing inside Tibet. Many Tibetans who live in India, like many other people and cultures exiled from their homeland, sing about the land where they no longer live but dream of one day returning to.
Popcorn Youth: I’ve heard that your concert performances incorporate audience participation — what is this inspired from?
Lhamo: For me, I very much believe in the voice. The voice can heal the body sometimes. This happened to me and I believe it helps me and can help other people to heal themselves… I hope we can communicate with the audience through singing. There are prayers I sometimes ask audiences to sing, but this does not mean they are or will become Buddhist.
Popcorn Youth: I’ve heard you speak about devotional songs and prayers that you learned and loved growing up as a little girl. How much were you exposed to Tibetan or Chinese pop music? Was that even available to you?
Lhamo: Most songs I heard when I was young were propaganda songs. No radio nor music, not like a big city. I heard a few songs mostly [about] how wonderful China is, I remember my grandmother having to memorize Chinese songs.
Popcorn Youth: Has the presence of censorship been at all a problem in terms of promoting your music in Tibet or China?
Lhamo: I think my music is banned in Tibet and China. For me that is why it is good in the West because of the freedom to hear my songs. The CD is an international release so maybe it can be sent there.
I have toured and performed all around the world. We as human beings are all the same. I have not performed in Tibet, but look forward to one day being able to. Most audiences around the world are the same because even though the language is different we have the same emotions to the sounds. I do not perform in English so people are responding the same way everywhere from their heart when they hear my music.
Popcorn Youth: In your travels abroad and here in the States, have you had other Tibetans approach you? Do you find that people reach out to you in that way, people who have overcome similar obstacles and find meaning in your work?
Lhamo: People escape from many countries. In America, everyone escaped from somewhere else to come here. For me, I crossed the Himalayan mountains and learned something: if human being wants to do something, we can do it. I lost everything except something I had inside of me, something I share with audiences every time I perform, but everyone experiences their own hardships and that is why I make my music to help people move forward in their lives.
Popcorn Youth: Have you ever encountered struggles or prejudices because you are an Asian female?
Lhamo: Of course. In the beginning when I performed, there were many obstacles. 1) I was a woman. 2) I had no band. 3) I sang devotional songs. 4) I did not sing in English. People wanted me to put together a band to become famous, but that was not important to me. I sing for everyone politicians, rock musicians, young, old, all different cultures and places.
Popcorn Youth: Do you think that the spirituality of your music will appeal to people are not Buddhist? That is has a certain universal appeal?
Lhamo: Yes, I think my music has a universal appeal, but I do not believe everyone should become a Buddhist. Everyone is so busy these days with money, power — even just having time to cook. Any religious, spirituality practice needs time and therefore it is hard. But my biggest wish is that we human beings learn more loving kindness and peace of mind and oneness as a human race. Not everyone should become a Buddhist, follow the religion you believe in and be a kind, good person.
Popcorn Youth: What does the future have in store for you? What goals and aspirations do you still have?
Lhamo: I have a charitable foundation, The Yungchen Lhamo Foundation, that helps with the educational needs in Tibet. I do different projects each year. This is my goal, to help people and their educational goals.
Popcorn Youth: Looking back upon your career, what have been the most surprising and unusual moments that you’ve noticed?
Lhamo: For me, the biggest was meeting the Dalai Lama. I do not know how to put it into words even though this was so many years ago, as a woman to just meet the Dalai Lama. For me, not only meeting him, but to sing for him. Of course, I have met so many kind musicians around the world as well.
Yungchen Lhamo will perform at the State Theatre this Friday, Oct. 5 at 7:30pm. For tickets and information, 800-919-6272.