High Peaks Pure Earth has translated two songs by popular female Tibetan singers from Kham, “Tibetan Soul” by Tsewang Lhamo and “Potala” by Kadak Trayang. Since the last music video on High Peaks Pure Earth two weeks ago, both International Women’s Day, falling annually on March 8, and Tibetan Women’s Uprising Day, falling annually on March 12, have passed. Noting that our previous music videos have mostly been by male singers, today High Peaks Pure Earth highlights two popular female Tibetan singers.
The first song is “Tibetan Soul” by Tsewang Lhamo. Tsewang Lhamo’s first CD “Nikchuk Circle Dance” was released several years ago and the songs were mainly traditional songs. In January 2012, Tsewang Lhamo released her album “The Girl from the Tibetan Plateau”, sung entirely in Tibetan language. Other songs by Tsewang Lhamo also focus on the importance of Tibetan language such as the hugely popular song, “Ser Serpo”, which is one of her biggest hits. In December 2011, Tsewang Lhamo performed at a concert in New York organised by the team behind the Third International Conference on Tibetan Language.
“Tibetan Soul” is written by Khoten whose song “Your Happiness and My Suffering” was previously featured on High Peaks Pure Earth. This song has become very popular amongst Tibetan youth both inside and outside Tibet. The song talks about the survival of Tibet and Tibetan language and culture and encourages Tibetans to learn and speak Tibetan.
Below are the subtitled music video and translated lyrics of “Tibetan Soul” by Tsewang Lhamo:
“Tibetan Soul” By Tsewang Lhamo from HPeaks on Vimeo.
“Tibetan Soul”
By Tsewang Lhamo
My life force is the snowy mountains
The blood in my body is the pure water of the snow
My name is land of snows
As a Tibetan, I speak Tibetan
As a Tibetan, I speak Tibetan
My joy is Buddhism
My joy is the tradition of Tibet
My name is the religious land of Tibet
As a Tibetan, I learn Tibetan
As a Tibetan, I learn Tibetan
My name is the plateau of Tibet
As a daughter of Tibet, my joy is Tibet
My father’s lineage is the compassionate monkey
My maternal lineage is the wise mountain ogress
My maternal lineage is the wise mountain ogress
My name is the descendant of Tibet
[Translation by High Peaks Pure Earth]
The second song is “Potala” by an emerging female singer from Kardze in Kham called Kadrak Trayang. Kadrak Trayang released a CD containing Tibetan language songs, including some cover versions of US-based Tibetan singer Phurbu T. Namgyal’s more political songs such as “Jelyong” and “Tibet is My Country”.
The 2011 song “Potala” affirms that the Dalai Lama is in the Potala Palace and Norbulingka, his winter and summer residences. Although the Dalai Lama is not in either of these places, the song suggests that he is there in manifestation, as Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara). The song is simple, catchy and meaningful to Tibetans and became so popular in exile communities that Kadrak Trayang won Best Female Singer and “Potala” won Best Song at the 2011 Tibetan Music Awards in Dharamsala.
Below are the subtitled music video and translated lyrics of “Potala” by Kadrak Trayang:
“Potala” by Kadrak Trayang from HPeaks on Vimeo.
“Potala”
By Kadrak Trayang
There is a lama in the Potala Palace
He is the manifestation of Avalokiteshvara
He is the heart jewel of Tibetans
He is the upholder of consciousness
There is a lama in Norbulingka
He thinks of the joys and sorrows of sentient beings
He is the hope of the Tibetan people
He is the lama who dispels mental torment
Mount Kailash is my refuge
The snowy mountain is the resting place of my soul
The children of the Snowland are my kinsmen
The valley of medicine is my homeland
There is a lama in the Potala Palace
He is the manifestation of Avalokiteshvara
He is the heart jewel of Tibetans
He is the upholder of consciousness
There is a lama in Norbulingka
He thinks of the joys and sorrows of sentient beings
He is the hope of the Tibetan people
He is the lama who dispels mental torment
Mount Kailash is my refuge
The snowy mountain is the resting place of my soul
The children of the Snowland are my kinsmen
The valley of medicine is my homeland
[Translation by High Peaks Pure Earth]
Check back next week for more powerful music from Tibet and be sure to also go back and watch our other videos using this link: http://highpeakspureearth.com/category/music-from-tibet/
For those unable to view the videos on Vimeo, there is also a High Peaks Pure Earth YouTube channel here with our music videos: http://www.youtube.com/highpeakspureearth
These beautiful singers are the reason for my love of Tibetan music.
Very good. Bod rgyal lo.
Chopathar
Columbia University
New York.
04.14.2013