Trip to Nepal

February 2010

Hello all,

Happy New Year! The Tibetan New Year (Losar) will be on February 14 this year.

Although I feel kind of behind in the YouTube craze, I thought it is important to have a presence there, and in particular, share some of the traditional Tibetan songs that are endangered. I added Tibetan and English phonetics and I will also add the song translations. Please check Gangrirawai on Youtube.

I was a recipient of the 2009 Apprenticeship Program funded by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts to teach traditional music to my eldest daughter Yangchen Lhamo. More stories about this program are available at: ActaOnline.org.

The new Dalai Lama Renaissance sound track album in now out. The album is produced and directed by Michel Tyabji and his label, Limitless Sky Records. We have already had very good responses from our friends and loved ones. You can preview and purchase the CDs in major world music retail shops, or you can order through my website directly: Amazon.com/gp/product/B002QF31O4

Now my music is also available in ringtones at Myxer.com/TECHUNG/.

One other project that I was involved with was a documentary film about Native American activist Dennis Banks. The film will be out in a couple of months. Michel Tyabji, our music director for the film, said it is a wonderful film and our music will add emotional depth to this documentary film. I look forward to viewing the final product!

I have started to record Thoshae since the beginning of 2008. Thoshae and Nangma are the classical Tibetan music from Lhasa. I consider this genre to fit in the category of endangered Tibetan music. My intention for launching this recording project is to share some of the songs that I learned from Gen Lutse la, our late teacher who passed away in 1983, and from my own interpretation of these songs. I have recorded about ten songs. Since I have to wear the hats of engineer and vocalist, in addition to playing all the instruments, sometimes I get little overwhelmed. I was hoping to release it before the Losar but realized that this will take a little more time. 

Interestingly I got a CD copy of a recent Thoshae recording from Lhasa. To my surprise this was a very authentic recording. I was told that the singer on this album also has a DVD. She is in her eighties and the instrumentations are all traditional. As a matter of fact, I am listening to the CD and it is delightful.I am also anxious that when my Thoshae comes out, the elders in Lhasa will listen to it and it will hopefully bring some joy to their lives. I will add some of my recordings on my Myspace soon for you all to listen.

Well, 2010 is here and I don't have any impressive gigs or tours, but it is a good time to work on the recordings and do some planning for future. I must say that 2009 was an exceptional year in my solo and new bands' carreer. We performed at Carnegie Hall with Phillip Glass and Patti Smith, and in Tokyo at the reknowned Suntory Hall. As always, a huge "Thanks!" goes out to all of you who have believed in and supported Tibetan culture and my music.

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I am optimistic that 2010 will have few surprises. 

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Techung