Tibet: Songs from Exile

Fifty years after the Chinese occupation of Tibet, there are still few recordings of genuine traditional music from Tibet’s rural areas. This album offers a rare glimpse into the fragile life of an exiled community from Western Tibet, now settled over the Indian border in Ladakh. A collaboration between French producer Boris Lelong and local musician Sherap Dorjee, this 30-track compilation presents a broad musical panorama grouped around the themes of work, community and exile. Dorjee’s own rich fluent voice features on the first track, a characteristic West Tibetan dance-song, with driving rhythms from the kovo lute. Two other performances featuring Dorjee’s group are also included, beautifully presenting some well-blended voices co-ordinating complex rhythmic patterns.

Most of the rest of the material, recorded among refugee camps, is generally of a lesser performance standard, but these realistic recordings are highly atmospheric when listened to as a whole. Several work-songs drift seamlessly in and out of ambient soundscapes, and a variety of genres – ranging from word-games and drinking-songs to spirited foot-stamping dance-songs – emerge spontaneously from high-spirited social gatherings. The album’s final section addresses themes of political, moral and social aspiration at the heart of life in exile, revealing a variety of musical influences from India, China and the West. Overall it’s a natural and engaging ethnographic record, essential listening for anyone interested in Tibetan musical culture, or in exile communities generally.