|
A Glittering Evening for First Tibetan Music Awards
Dharamsala, 13 October 2003: Ceremony for the first Tibetan Music Awards ended Saturday amid much fanfare and jubilations. A major attraction of the 4th Free Spirit Festival, the music award is aimed at encouraging the budding artistes of the Tibetan community and giving them the due recognition for their work, both in Tibet and Diaspora. Amiata records, Italy, has co-sponsored the event. Matteo Silva Cappelleti, Amiata’s president, had also joined in the ceremony from Italy. Sources also say that Amiata will sponsor an edition of the Free Spirit festival in Italy.
Artistes open the awards ceremony with a song in praise of Lhamo Yangchenma. Photo:Tenam
Lobsang Wangyal, the producer of the event, appealed to the Tibetan public to refrain from selling and buying pirated Cds and cassettes of Tibetan music to show support to the Tibetan artistes who work so hard to keep alive the rich tradition of Tibetan music.
Pointing to the stage designed in the pattern of Tibetan national flag, Lobsang said that the blue stripes in the Tibetan national flag distributed today are of two different shades and that it should be kept uniform.
But he seemed to have forgot in haste to count the number of stripes in the otherwise marvellous design of the stage since it had fourteen stripes instead of the standard twelve.
Between January and June this year, the visitors to www.musictibet.com
polled their nominations for the various categories of the music
award.
The Saturday evening became a moment to rejoice for the Tibetans both in Tibet and exile. The award for the best male singer went to the much talked about Yardong, a singer from Kham region of Tibet for his song ‘Ama’, while Pasang Lhamo of Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts bagged the best female singer’s award. Amiata Records will produce a record of Pasang Lhamo’s songs, Cappelleti said. (The details of the awards are available on www.musictibet.com)
Norbu Tsering, opera master of the TIPA for the past forty years, was awarded the much deserved lifetime achievement award for his sincere dedication in teaching the Tibetan Lhamo Opera.
The much elated Norbu was spontaneous in his remarks after receiving the honour as he said he has nothing but Lhamo opera to offer and that he is contended with his lifelong service to the preservation of Tibetan culture.
A special award in recognition of his genuine support to the Tibetan cause was conferred upon Hollywood actor Richard Gere. The award called ‘Free Spirit Award’ is to honour an artiste who has used his talent and art for the Tibet’s cause.
The Tibetan artistes who have attended the music awards ceremony and who sang a track each from their albums were Tenzin Woeser (Tsam Tsam - Nepal) Tenzin Choegyal (Yeshi Norbu - Nepal) Phuntsok (1959 - Nepal) Tenzin Dhondup (Nepal) Penpa Tsering (Mussorrie) Dorjee Tsering (Revival) Lhamo Dolma (Dharamsala) Gonpo Kyap (Aku Pema Group - Dharamsala) Palmo (Dharamsala) Jamyang Yeshi (Aku Pema Group - Dharamsala) Yangchen (Aku Pema Group - Dharamsala) Loten Namling (Switzerland)
|
