MusicTibet.com

Biggest Tibetan concert rocks Bylakuppe

Bylakuppe, India, 12 February 2005
Lobsang Wangyal

Losar, the Tibetan New Year, was the target and the treat was a music bash in the form of the biggest Tibetan concert for its celebration at Bylakuppe.

The most celebrated and budding exiled Tibetan singers and musicians, some hailing from the US, congregated for the two-day concert on 10 and 11 February, coinciding with the second and the third day of the Tibetan calendar 2132 wood bird year.

Gonpo Entertainment and the Government of Karnataka together organised the event. Khoday's and TVS motors joined in to partly sponsor the event.

20,000 watts of music blasted the YMCA ground of Bylakuppe over 10,000 people. Hush-hush has it that after Sera monastery disallowed its monks from attending the concert, some monks went hip-hop style with shades and wigs on in hiding to the concert.

The concert was mostly dominated by Tibetan pop music. The only group that performed traditional Tibetan music was Chaksampa from the US, a band that has Techung, Sonam Tashi (Acho Danny) and Tsering Wangmo.

Techung presented a specially-composed fusion song to pay tribute to India for its unmatched assistance to Tibetans in the worst time of their history, while Acho Danny exhibited the nuances of playing the Tibetan instrument dranyen (Tibetan lute of three pairs of strings) from his thirty years of experience in playing the instrument.

Bylakuppe Lhamo (Opera) troupe and the students from TCV presented a piece each of Lhamo and Tashi Sholpa respectively to showcase the beauty of cultural heritage of Tibet.

The lineup was composed of Phurbu T. Namgyal, Tenzin Woser (Tsam tsam), Tenzin Gyalpo (Michael), Penpa Tsering (of Bhumo gyakpa fame), Kharag Penpa, Tsering Gyurmey and Tsering Paljor (the latter two from Shambala band).

Among the younger and new face artistes were Penpa Tsering (Pemsi of Rewa album), Lobsang Tsetan (Khawae Shonu) and Chokey (with the debut album Chokey's Sempa).

Chokey, one of the very few Tibetan women to bring out albums, presented the song "I love you" from her debut album in a duet with Tenzin Woser. She stunned the audience with her exhilarating showmanship.

Phurbu T. Namgyal was among the most favourites. He came out in a trend-setting new look Tibetan shirt to present his pop number "With you" from his latest album.

The JJI Exile Brothers (band of three brothers) from Mcleod Ganj lent the rock touch to the concert, while the lead guitarist of the Pokhara Nomads presented some mastery guitar pieces stunning everyone with Jimi Hendrixian acts.

Team 5678 and the Extremers choreograph troupes from Bangalore presented some latest Bollywood dances and at times joined the artistes on stage.

Pa Tsering, the animal, blew off the audience with some of his popular and some new jokes.

Bylakuppe is biggest Tibetan settlement in India, situated about 300 kms in the south of Bangalore.