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Tibetan and Indian music at Yale University

Techung (r) in concert at Yale University on 7 November 2008. His stepfather Ngawang Gedun, who is 87 years old, opened the concert with a Tibetan chant.

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7 November 2008 — Tibetan singer/songwriter Techung and world-renowned master of healing sound of Indian Sitar Mr. Roop Verma performed an intimate concert at the Ezra Stiles Master's house at Yale University.

The concert and the screening of "Dalai Lama Renaissance", a new documentary film, was jointly sponsored by the Ezra Stiles College.

The concert began with a brief invocation by Ngawang Gedun, Techung's stepfather, who is 87 years old. His chants set the mood for the evening's sacred and traditional sounds of Himalaya. Techung then started playing Dra-nyen (Tibetan lute) with songs about love for nature and freedom.

He was joined by percussionist Michel Tyabji, who brought in an African clay pot to accompany Techung's singing.

Mr. Roop Verma and his partner Tracy Verma played two pieces that were composed by his grandfather. The soothing sounds of Indian healing music transformed the hearts of the students and faculty members.

After emigrating to the United States, Techung and his friends founded Chaksampa -- The Tibetan Dance and Opera Company -- which has performed all over the world by invitation at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Chaksampa has also had the honour of performing alongside world-renowned artistes such as Herbie Hancock, Pearl Jam, REM and U2.

In addition to being looked up as the keeper of traditional Tibetan music, Techung is also a highly respected original solo and collaborative musician, producing music drawn from his own heritage and his familiarity with other world music traditions.

Roop Verma is a world-renowned Indian musician; a master of the healing sounds of the Indian Sitar, a brilliant concert performer, teacher, and composer. He tours internationally giving concerts, teaching music, and conducting healing music and meditation seminars. He has recorded numerous CDs, tapes, and LPs of traditional North Indian music and chanting, as well as recordings for meditation, healing and deep relaxation.

Roop was born in northern India and is a product of the Indian classical and sacred music systems. He formally studied with maestros J.P. Kaushik, Ali Akbar Khan and Ravi Shankar. He has developed a deep, pure, spirit-guided expression of sound, which has reached out to the hearts and souls of thousands of people.

To learn more about Techung and Roop Verma, visit their websites:
www.myspace.com/techungmusic
www.roopverma.com