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Tibetan contemporary song and music

video: focus and direction 2000-2009.
Authors: Tsering Drolma and Arthur Wilson
Date: Spring 2009
From: The Tibet Journal(Vol. 34, Issue 1)
Publisher: Library of Tibetan Works and Archives
Document Type: Report
Length: 12,714 words

Full Text: 

1. INTRODUCTION

Tibetans are understandably wary about talking to outsiders of all kinds, and equally if not more
so to other Tibetans they do not know well. A distinguished scholar of our acquaintance
expressed it thus; "You can't trust anybody. That's the worst thing about living in this country (the
People's Republic of China, PRC)." Another said this, "You can't trust anyone apart from family
members." Many Tibetans would not even go that far. This renders any human activity involving
communication full of difficulty, and makes research a long, tedious and often fruitless business.
For someone who does not speak and read Tibetan it must be a dispiriting task. Add to this the
obscurity of the language in which Tibetans tend to express themselves on any subject other
than day-to-day survival, and the picture of Tibetan life and thought in the PRC is in many places
a shadowy one. This means that when it is possible to shine a clear light on the workings of the
minds of PRC Tibetans, it is all the more valuable as a contribution to knowledge of life in
contemporary Tibet. This is what we believe we have been able to do in this paper.

1.1 Methodology

The authors sampled 418 songs from 127 Tibetan-language music albums purchased openly (2)
in shops in Kham and Amdo provinces. This is certainly a substantial majority of the Tibetan-
language songs published in the period 2003-February 2009, although it is not possible to
account for every one (3), and thus not possible to be certain of the total number published.

1.2 Albums by Subject Matter (4)

It might be expected that Love (17%) would be a popular subject, but less predictable the high
figures for Moral Self-Criticism and Spiritual Concerns (the highest) 20%, Buddhist leaders and
Politics (HH the Dalai Lama, Karmapa and the 10th Panchen Lama) 19%, and National Identity
and Historical Issues 13%. This reflects the concerns of Tibetan singers. Close ties to religion
can be seen in packaging designs, which often feature religious emblems, symbols, monks and
monasteries.

Moral Self-Criticism and Spiritual Concerns 20%

National Identity and Historical Issues 19.4%

Buddhist Leaders and Politics 19%

Love 17%

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Religion 8.5%

Tibetan Culture and Education 7.8%

Environment 7.6%

Experience of Exile 0.2%

1.3 Albums By Date

1.3 Albums By Date

Date Published %

In determinate 46 28.3

2000 2 1.5
2001 2 1.5
2002 4 3.1
2003 3 2.3
2004 7 5.5
2005 6 4.7
2006 1 9 14.9
2007 30 (5) 23.6
2008 11 8.6
2009 2 1.5

Total 127 100

1.4 Secrecy

The singers intended their work for other Tibetans. Lyrics and lyrical subtitles are normally in
Tibetan only, thus rendering them incomprehensible other than to those with a Tibetan education
(6). This tends to restrict communication to a community of the middle-aged or elderly, who
come from an era when education in the Tibetan language was the rule rather than the
exception, and to younger Tibetan intellectuals (7) who have made a conscious decision to
become fluent in the Tibetan language, given that amongst younger Tibetans significant
education in the Tibetan language is the exception rather than the rule (meaning that they find
reading the lyrics difficult. Written and spoken Tibetan differ significantly in vocabulary and
idiom).

The authors thought long and hard about whether the information contained in this paper should
be published to a wider audience or not. On the one hand, the lyrics of the songs express the
urgent and heartfelt desires of the vast majority of Tibetan people, which should be clearly
understood in the outside world. It is quite possible that the period discussed here may be

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looked back upon as a "golden age" of freedom of expression brought to a dramatic end by the
current police crackdown resulting from the uprising of March 2008 (8). This renders the need
for a record to be made of the ideas expressed during this period important.

On the other, the physical dangers to the singers of their views becoming widely known is clear,
and has been proven by the continuing police crackdown on Tibetan artists which began after
the 2008 disturbances. Furthermore, the future of Tibetan music publishing might be placed in
further jeopardy by the publicity generated by this paper. We have therefore decided to keep the
identity of the artists secret.

1.5. Context

Most Tibetan singers and performers are young (9) and most are fairly new to the recording
business (10). While many choose to sing about the international concerns of twenty- and thirty-
something, love, beauty and the enjoyment of life, the status of this group of individuals as
members of a semi-submerged nation in conflict with a jealous and vengeful Chinese
nationalism causes them to produce songs which are quite unique in the world, and which have
more in common with Western performers of the 1960s (11) such as Bob Dylan and Joan Baez
than their contemporaries in the West. The apocalyptic seriousness of life, and the feeling that
they were living through historic, even revolutionary, times, led Western singers of the 1960s to
create songs which dealt with the great issues of the day; peace, war, change and social
revolution. While the idea of a Tibetan John Lennon is unimaginable because of the very
different cultural contexts of 1960s Liverpool and Tibet (12) in the early years of the 21st century,
there are parallels.

1) A desire to look outward to the social rather than inward to the personal.

2) Opposition to the established order.

3) Persecution by the established order.

4) A sense of being culturally excluded.

5) A criticism of militarism and materialism.

6) Espousing an idealism perceived by society as a whole as hopelessly unrealistic.

7) Looking beyond the mundane concerns of everyday life towards higher ideals.

8) A strong feeling that change is vital if society (13) is going to progress, or even to survive.

1.6 Increase in Tibetan Musical Publishing

Over the past five years Tibetan singers in the PRC have taken advantage of the wider
availability and relatively low price of recording technology (14) to greatly increase the number of
music VCDs featuring Tibetan performers. This is true particularly in Gansu and Qinghai
provinces although Sichuan Province has also produced a large number of VCDs published in
Chengdu. (15)

1.7 Responses by Civil Authorities

The lyrics of their songs are entirely in Tibetan, and so, because knowledge of the Tibetan
language is limited, even amongst Tibetans themselves, singers have often felt able to express
themselves quite boldly. This has led to conflict with the authorities, and after the disturbances in
Tibetan areas in March and April 2008 a number of singers were arrested, interrogated and in
some cases tortured (a routine accompaniment to many police investigations in Tibetan areas of
China (16)) It can be logically assumed from previous experience that the authorities, looking for
a conspiracy to explain the disturbances as other than a spontaneous popular uprising,
examined the lyrics of numerous Tibetan singers and decided that blame lay with them. Singer A
reportedly (17) remains in long-term custody without trial, and has reportedly already suffered
long-term damage to his health. It is quite possible that he, like others recently detained, will not
survive police custody. Other singers have prudently left the Tibetan Plateau since the

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disturbances. For example, B is studying music in Beijing, while C is studying Tibetan at the
North West Minorities University in Lanzhou. (18) This paper is a response to these events, and
attempts to explain the conflict between official views of Tibet in the PRC and those of Tibetan
singers.

2. LYRICAL AND VISUAL ASPECTS

2.2 Relationship to Monasticism

The closeness of Tibetans to their monastic orders needs no introduction. This relationship is
expressed in two ways. First, monks are occasionally the authors of lyrics. Secondly, albums are
produced by monks and monasteries. One of the earliest of these, featuring the singers D and
E, commemorates the life of the great Nyingmapa (rNying ma pa) (19) leader Jigme Phuntshok
('Jigs med Phun tshogs), also known as Khenpo Rinpoche (mKhan po Rin po che) (20), the
founder in 1980 and leader of the Sertar (gser rta or bser rta) Buddhist Institute (21) an immense
non-sectarian Tibetan Buddhist institution situated on the Kham-Amdo border in Northern
Sichuan. Contemporary witnesses report around 15-20,000 monks and nuns, Chinese and
Tibetan, studying there. The lyrics of the songs, written by monks, lament the untimely death of
Jigme Phuntshok, widely believed by Tibetans to have been murdered by the police while in
hospital in 2004. Song titles such as, "Sad Tears", "My Everlasting Goal" and "My Tibetan
Culture" show the feeling of regret that pervades this album.

In the album "Thunder of Peace" produced in 2007 by a Buddhist monastery in Sichuan, all
lyrics are again by monks, including, remarkably, one by the HH the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa,
leader of the Karma Kagyu (ka rma bka' rgyud) school of Tibetan Buddhism, currently living in
exile in India. Abbots and leaders of the monastery past and present also contribute lyrics.
Singer F, in a song written by Abbot from this monastery expresses his longing for an absent
lama thus. "When I see the bright moon in the sky, I miss my longed-for lama. When I hear the
birds singing in the grassland, I recall my lama's voice clearly to my mind. When I see the snow
white clouds floating in the sky, how I wish I could see my lama." As to the identity of the lama,
the only clue is the reference to the moon, which often symbolizes HH the Panchen Lama, about
whom controversy still rages in Tibet. (22) From the same album, in a song written by another
Abbot, "Thunder of Peace-Speaking from the Heart," G sings, "When I see the sun in the sky. I
miss the sun of world peace." The reference to the "sun" and to "world peace" seems to refer to
the Dalai Lama, winner of the Nobel Peace prize. In a song "Yelling from Far Away" with lyrics
written by yet another (23) Abbot, singer B sings of his sadness at the absence of the Karmapa,
the spiritual leader of the monastery. "I miss the ocean of compassion and wisdom/ I miss the
Karmapa, who is brilliant in debate, speech and writing." Another song performed by a monk of
the monastery, H, entitled "The Sound of Tolerance" makes a plea for the unity of all schools of
Tibetan Buddhism: "The schools have different names and rituals but their goal is the same.
Buddhism had one founder, and the religion has one nature, so don't be intolerant of one
another."

A recent (2008) and musically highly distinguished compilation "Finding a Path for the Future,"
by various artists, was produced by a monastery situated on the Sichuan border. Once more,
lyrics were by the monks and tulkus (sprul sku) of the monastery, while performances were
provided by stars of the Tibetan traditional music world, including singers F, I, J, K and B. The
title is "The Thunder of Horses' Hooves," and the monastery states that the VCD is produced as
"a gift to Tibetans outside the country and those at home." In the same production, L, B and
others cover a number of moral issues at the forefront of the Tibetan mind such as the
Environment, the identity of the Tibetan land with the Tibetan people, the wearing of excessive
jewelry (24), the activities of Buddhist missionaries at home and abroad, and the question of
whether Tibetans should be educated at home or in exile.

Another example comes from 2008, and was produced by a monastery on the Kham/Amdo
border in Northern Sichuan which was one of the first to produce an album of Tibetan songs
already in 2004. Entitled "True Voices from the Gods" it is said to have been produced to
celebrate the enthronement of a tulku. Lyrics are again by the monks themselves and the
performers are F, L, AR, B, F, K and AP.

2.3 Poetics and Symbolism

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Traditional Tibetan poetic form is sometimes used to express lyrical meaning. The writer is then
able to transmit ideas that are clear only to those members of the Tibetan intelligentsia (25) who
are familiar with poetic forms. Symbolism such as in M's "In Danger of Extinction" from "Tibetan
Home". He sings, "If the sun doesn't rise, the moon doesn't shine and the world is covered by
darkness. If the thunder doesn't sound, the river won't run/ if it doesn't rain the flowers won't
blossom. If the cuckoo doesn't come the leaves of the tree will be taken by the wind, and if she
doesn't sing the Spring won't come," which symbolically refers to the impossibility of progress for
Tibetans if HH the Dalai Lama is not reinstated (26) as their leader. The same singer, in
"Tibetans' karmic consequences" from the album "Tibetans Home" refers to the "Lama who has
an ocean of compassion," and to "The scholar with wide accomplishments," a clear reference to
two of HH the Dalai Lama's names, Yeshe Norbu (Ye shes Nor bu) and Tenzin Gyatso (bsTan
'dzin rGya mtsho) (27).

2.4 Musical Style

Although electronic instruments are widely used, the general theme is one of musical
conservatism. Electric guitars are absent, and the only instruments seen on film are acoustic
stringed instruments. Melodies are often traditional, and when contemporary are restrained and
traditionalistic. Occasionally, such as in "Shepherdess" (2006) by L, the sounds are almost all
electronically synthesized. In this case however, the balance is redressed by the melodies,
which are all traditional.

3. SUBJECT-MATTER

3.1 The Dalai Lama, Religion and Politics

Religion is a frequent subject for singers and lyricists, both in praise of particular religious
leaders and in the application of religious ideals (28) to daily life. Democracy is an unfamiliar
idea for most Tibetans living in the PRC, and so freedom is normally thought of as a return to the
days before the 1950s, when all Tibetan areas were to some extent self-governing (29), and
those parts controlled by Lhasa, an independent country. So we find the ideal of a paternalistic
government by the Dalai Lama advocated by the great majority of Tibetan singers, and regret at
the Dalai Lama's absence from Tibet expressed by nearly all. Almost all the singers discussed
here, had they been born in the days of the independent Tibetan state led by the Dalai Lama,
would have been born outside its borders, in autonomous Tibetan, Muslim or Chinese
principalities, so it is a remarkable fact that they advocate the Dalai Lama as the leader of all
Tibetans, something their grandparents would probably not have done. Ironically, as nostalgia
for the days of HH the Dalai Lama's residence in Tibet is effectively suppressed (by being most
fiercely persecuted) in TAR, his most visible public support comes from precisely those Tibetan
areas his government never controlled and which are today outside of TAR.

In the VCD "Great Early Morning Star" by various artists, N and O clearly express the longing
that many Tibetans feel for the lost leader. In a song entitled, "A Cry of Distant Longing," they
sing, "When the sun rises I miss you/ Especially if the sun is bright. Because I have never seen
your real face or heard your voice I miss you more. In my heart there are tears and a cry of
distant longing." In another song on the same album, "Wanting to Meet," they sing, 'When the
Lama returns, the Potala Red Temple will be more beautiful/ I wish I could be a pilgrim to Lhasa
then./When the Snow Lion (30) returns, the magnificence of Mt Kailash will be greater/ I wish I
were the Kailash Snow Lion's cub then. In the song "Our Family's Brown Mountain" from the
2008 album "Tears of the Big Country" (31) K and D return to the "Snow Mountain" simile for HH
the Dalai Lama. "I would like the Snow Mountain to be the one behind our family home. The
Snow Lion is our family's wish." Another singer, P in the song "Waiting for Dreams to Come
True," from the album "Peaceful Messenger" (2003) visualizes HH the Dalai Lama's Personal
Return. "Don't be late-you are the protector of the northern snow mountains. Come back soon.
In our Tibet many people with hands praying on their chests are praying in their hearts and
waiting for you." An anonymous singer in the same album, in a song entitled, "Melody of
Missing," expresses the feeling of being physically far away from the Dalai Lama, while at the
same time using the physical distance to clarify who it is he is singing about. "Sadness of the
great distance, longing caused by not meeting.... that place is far away, cut off by thousands of
mountains and rivers (32)."

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R in the VCD "The Wishes of a Flock of Birds" sings, in the song "Tears of Sadness," in
unambiguous terms, "I wish you, the leader of the land of snows, were present here." Later, in
"The Dream" he expresses his wish for HH the Dalai Lama's return using more familiar symbols.
"In my first dream last night, the sun appeared in the sky and shone over the four continents. We
Tibetans saw that the snow lion had returned to the snow mountain and showed his green mane
(33) to us. We all saw his green mane. The cuckoo had returned from the land of Mon, and we
heard him sing." Here, happiness at the return of the "Snow Lion" the mythical green-maned
heraldic symbol of Tibet who lives on the snow mountain (again, Tibet is often referred to as the
"Land of Snow (Mountains)" is combined with the optimism generated after a long Tibetan winter
by the return of the cuckoo from the south, here referred to as the "land of Mon (34)" the
southernmost region of Tibet. The singer S from today's Sichuan, in his album "Waiting," sings in
"Sad" of his separation from his "three brothers" who, from their symbolic description as the
"Sun, Moon and Stars" are clearly the present HH Dalai Lama, the former HH Panchen Lama
(the present incarnations are never referred to) and HH the Karmapa. In the same song he also
refers to Jigme Phuntshok and to his parents, who, he says, cannot live forever. His regret is at
the separation from these people, and at the fact that he can never repay the debt he owes
them. The singer T, also from Kham (Sichuan) sings in "Thunder of Horses' Hooves" (2008)
about missing his Lama, clearly HH the Dalai Lama.

U in her album "Shepherdess," (2008), sings in "Refuge in Dolma" of her longing for HH the
Dalai Lama's return. She addresses Him using her dialect's word for "elder brother (35), "Aju":
"Brother, oh Brother, you are the sun in my heart. After you went away, every night I was alone
with the moon. Brother, oh, Brother you are the jewel in my heart/ You left Tibet and went to
India. Your absence is the wound in my heart/ I cannot heal this wound. The world is so cruel
and the times are so bad/ but no matter how cruel the world is and how bad the times are, I will
always sing for you. Please come home soon."

Singer V in the title song of his album "Brother in the Distance," sings of HH the Dalai Lama
thus: "He is in the distance, but Tibet is in his heart. He is thinking of me. My brother is well-
known in the world. Speaking peace in the world and I think of this poor guy, me." W a singer
from Qinghai in his VCD of 2006 entitled "Snowland", sings, in "Footsteps in the Distance," of a
protecting force, in various guises, that the Tibetans need, and without which they are suffering.
It is, of course, the Dalai Lama. "Snowland, where are you? When you are away the dogs bark
louder. Cuckoo [the often-used simile refers to the cuckoo's habit of flying south for the winter
and returning in the spring] where are you? When you are away the crow croaks louder. Yeshe
Norbu (36) where are you? When you are not here the darkness in the land of Snows is
deeper." The same singer, in "My Brother and I" sings of the Dalai Lama's absence as being like
a divided family. "My brother and I had one mother/ because of the river's path we are
separated/ our mind is together. I hope we can meet at Yamdrok Tso (Yar 'brog mtsho). We are
separated fish (37) please tell my brother that I miss him/ Buddha bless my brother." Singer E, in
"Good Messages for Good Times" sings "The only god for Tibetans is Avalokitesvara (38) (HH
the Dalai Lama's personal deity) don't live in India. Please come back. We need you. Don't live
in a foreign country. Please come back to the Land of Snows." Singer X in "Peaceful White Bird"
sings "When his enemies look vengefully at him he smiles. He is the source of peace in the
world. You are the leader of Peace. When enemies are treacherous, He is compassionate
towards their cruelty."

Songs in praise of or longing for HH the Dalai Lama is frequently of great melodic and emotional
distinction. Y's "Aku Pema (A khu Pad ma) (39)," literally "Uncle Lotus" is the high-point so far of
this veteran musician's long and distinguished career. A memorable melody is allied to genuine
feeling in the singing and lyrics to produce a classic of Tibetan music. The impression is of
melody, words and performance that emerge quite naturally from an unbroken Tibetan tradition
whose origin is deep in time. We feel we are in the presence of something essential and
particular in Tibetan culture, something that belongs inseparably to the landscape, culture and
people. "Aku Pema--a white vulture with an ivory necklace. When he flies into the sky, he is the
sky's adornment. If he lands on them the rocky mountains are joyful. If he is absent the rocky
mountains are empty. Aku Pema--a duck with a golden necklace. If he lands he is the
adornment of the grassy mountains. He is the joy of the lake when he swims in it. The lake is
empty without you. Strong youth, when you fly away you are the adornment of the foreign lands/
When you return the families will be happy. Without you my heart is empty." AF in the song "In
My Heart" expresses his sadness at the absence of ... "The elder brother in the distance (who)

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is in my heart." He is "Offering tears as a water offering (40)," And "Sighing sadly." The song is
interpreted for the viewer by film of preparations for the arrival of a High Lama (reception lines,
mounted honor guard etc..) who never appears on the screen. In "When Are You Coming?" he is
even more explicit about his desire to see HH the Dalai Lama. "It's not so far away/ I want to go/
But I can't get there/ When are you coming?/ The lamp of my heart is far away/ When are you
coming?/ Please tell me." F in a song from the 2007 album "Thunder of Peace", expresses his
longing for an absent lama thus. "When I see the bright moon in the sky, I miss my longed-for
lama. When I hear the birds singing in the grassland, I recall my lama's voice clearly to my mind.
When I see the snow white clouds floating in the sky, how I wish I could see my lama." As to the
identity of the lama, the only clue is the reference to the moon, which often symbolizes HH the
Panchen Lama, about whom controversy still rages in Tibet. From the same album, in a song
"Thunder of Peace-Speaking from the Heart," I sings, "When I see the sun in the sky. I miss the
sun of world peace." The reference to the "sun" and to "world peace" seems to refer to the Dalai
Lama, winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace prize.

AH and AI in "Great Star of the Heart" from the album "Snow Girl" (2007) sing "Where is my
heart Lama? My heart Lama is in a distant place and the distant place is in a far country." A
logical reading would be that the remote country is India and the heart Lama HH the Dalai
Lama. In "Protector" from the 2008 album "Tibetan Karma" Lobsang AJ sings "My dear Lama is
a peaceful great sea and the Tibetans' deity," referring to the divine status of HH the Dalai Lama
and to his title, "Dalai" which translates from the Mongolian as "Great Sea."

HH the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, one of the leading spiritual leaders of the Tibetan Buddhist
tradition, seen by many as a leader-in-waiting of the entire Tibetan people in succession to the
Dalai Lama (41), writes words in tribute to another Lama, Bawo (dPa' bo) Rinpoche, sung by F
in the same album, in a song entitled "Long-life prayers for Bawo Lama" (42): "His
accomplishments are famous throughout the world. He is victorious over evil. His
accomplishments are increasing like a waxing moon." Only on one occasion is a non-religious
leader praised. In the song "Character of a Leader" from the 2008 album "Tears of the Great
Country" K praises Dondrubjab (Don 'grub skyabs) leader of Tsolho (mTsho lho) TAP, Qinghai, in
the 1980s, who is credited with policies which benefited the Tibetan population there, such as
the founding of the Teacher Training College in Chabcha. He died in hospital at the end of the
decade in what many Tibetans regard as suspicious circumstances.

While the leadership of Lamas is never in doubt, and the assumption is that the future of Tibet
can safely be left up to them alone, only on one occasion in our survey was a clearer definition
of the society Tibetans would like to replace the present governmental system made. The
veteran singer Y from southern Gansu in his song "Ears' Sweetness," after celebrating the
return of the "Snow Lion" (HH the 10th Panchen Lama) (43), desires the return of "the sun,
moon and stars in Tibet, and the community of theocracy will develop." Only religion (and the
leadership of religious dignitaries of high moral character and supernatural abilities), it seems, is
regarded as a proper basis for government in the Tibetan popular imagination. Democracy, (the
idea that anyone, low or high, might be permitted to choose the most distinguished and capable
persons suitable for leadership) is regarded as self-evidently absurd. Given that the only
alternative which has ever been on offer on the plateau is the equally faith-based and
unreasoning theology of the Communist party of China (44), this is perhaps hardly surprising.

3.2 Environment

Environmental deterioration is often lamented, and protection of animals and the landscape
advocated. At the same time, the particular beauty of the Tibetan landscape is frequently
praised. AG in his "Sad Song of a Nomad Dog" sings in the character of one of the ferocious
and wild-looking dogs that guard livestock on the Tibetan plateau. "The clean beautiful place,
Tibet, is my homeland, filled with yaks horses and flowers. They were my soulmates when I was
young. My master, lucky to have been born a human being, is so greedy that he sold me and
turned me into money with a deceitful smile. My master, if you have a mind, please be
compassionate. My heartfelt longing for you hurts me. I want to see the grassland, hear the river
running and the prayers chanting. I want to breathe the plateau's air."

M, a singer who spent some years in India (45) before returning to his native town criticizes, in
the VCD "Tibetan Home" produced jointly with his fellow performer A, the "mining of every

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natural resource" by "those (Tibetans) who help strangers and foreigners that treat money as the
soul, see killing brothers as heroic, and conflicts as good deeds." In "Deep Wound" in the same
VCD album, A sings "Because of mining, Tibet is in danger of being destroyed. (46) Because
(medicinal) herbs are dug, Tibetan roots have dried out. (47)" The Amdo singer D advocates
vegetarianism in the song "Animals' Karma," which features grisly scenes of slaughterhouse
workers killing yaks, their back legs suspended from an elevated production line, with machetes,
as showers of blood spurt from their semi-severed necks. This, together with a pro-vegetarian
campaign emanating from Tibetan exiles in India, has led to a marked increase in vegetarianism
in recent years, especially amongst young Tibetan women. Y, in "Don't Forget to Repay" draws a
parallel between the duties we owe to parents and animals. Sheep give us their meat, hides and
wool, he says, while horses carry us and our luggage. We should remember to repay them in
the same way as we remember our parents, and just as we shouldn't speak harshly to our
parents when they are old, we shouldn't whip old animals. "I want to pay for my parents'
kindness and for that of yaks, female yaks and horses," he sings. "Buddha, please bless them.
Om Mani Padme Hum (48)."

Singer Z, in "Nomad's Life" is highly critical of his own people, Tibetan nomads, for not practicing
what their religion preaches about taking the lives of animals. "Nomads go on pilgrimage to holy
mountains and recite mantras but kill animals. That's sad. We are not so poor. Why should we
kill animals? We are not obedient to the law of cause and effect. Thinking and doing are
different. Without religion manners are becoming worse and worse/ Charity towards others is
ignored/ This is a mindless generation. Tibetans mustn't abandon these things. We nomads are
pitiful." B in "Environmental Conservation" from the album "Finding a Path for the Future," uses
the Tibetan belief that Tibetan land is best conserved by the Tibetan people themselves, who
are mystically connected to, and part of, their environment. "The snow mountains are in the
Tibetan soul. If you are a real Tibetan," he sings, "don't let the snow mountains be conquered by
others." He repeats the same formula about "forests" "lakes and rivers" and "grassland" before
turning from the danger of outsiders taking the land to the dangers posed to the environment by
some Tibetans. "If our land is not conquered by greedy enemies," he sings, "don't fell the trees
yourself. This land is the Tibetans' common heritage. All Tibetan land should be conserved for
all Tibetans from the three provinces. Each province should conserve its own territory. It's time
for all our (Tibetan) people to conserve their own homeland."

3.3 Tibetan Culture and Education

The preservation of Tibetan culture, and education in the Tibetan language, is advocated in
response to what is seen as the danger of deterioration that faces them. S advocates in the
song "Sad" from the album "Waiting," that Tibetan youths should maintain mental self-
confidence and seek knowledge. E advocates that Tibetans focus on their own culture and
learning traditions. "Tibetan culture", he sings, "is our ancestors' treasure/We should value not
lose it/Tibetan national culture is unique and should not be mixed with others and become a
hybrid/In the end we are one/Don't fight for grass and water which is meaningless./Instead
please go to school and learn the "five aspects" (49) of Tibetan culture. M in his "Tibetan
Brothers" paints a glowing picture of Tibetan culture and history. "My dear son, you must have
self-confidence. Preserve your ancestral accomplishments. The reputation of the Potala Palace
is our pride. There is no blemish on our language, culture and customs. Our culture is
unsurpassed and our nation's soul. Our history is full of heroism and bravery." Listening to these
words, it is easy to imagine the success of the recently-published Tibetan language (dubbed)
edition of the film "Braveheart."

In the 2008 album "Finding a Path to the Future," K advocates an approach to cultural
preservation based on filial piety. "Sons should preserve their fathers' belongings, and be their
lineage," she sings. Earlier, in a song from 2005, "A Backward People," she had lamented
Tibetan "backwardness" and made an urgent plea for Tibetans to become more educated.
"Other people go in the sky by plane/We travel by horse and yak. It is sad that we are so
backward. Others can tell each other things instantly even from a great distance, but we send
messengers. Others use computers to look at the world but we use mirrors to look at our faces.
They use bombs for defense but we use slingshots. (50) All this technology comes from study,
so it is very important to study. All young people should go to school." In the song "Peaceful
School" from the 2008 album "Tears of the Great Country" D sings of an ideal school in which
"they can learn the character of true friendship. Small children carry their book bags and are

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educated to read the 34 vowels and consonants." (51) AB in "Ancestors' Footprints", advocates
an unique identity for Tibetans. Y in his "Red Temple" praises the preservation of Tibetan
customs. "The monasteries and monks will lead the path after we are dead. The mountain gods
are our protectors; we visit them and offer incense. Our parents brought us up this way. Please
give them the tastiest food."

P in her "Yell in the Distance," recalling the 10th Panchen Lama's efforts to promote Tibetan
education (he founded the Chabcha Teacher Training College near Xining and licensed and
sponsored the Serthar Buddhist Institute) sings that "children should leave the yaks behind and
go to school." AD, in his "Future Path" advocates education in Tibetan history and the
development of Tibet's religion and social structure on that basis. In the album "Finding a Path to
the Future" B sings about education in areas outside Tibet. "When they have modern business
in modern lands, fine young Tibetan people preserve their culture and religion. If you don't
preserve your culture you'll become strangers." F in "Let's Go to School" sings optimistically,
possibly over-optimistically in the context of education in China, of the benefits of education.
"Let's go to school for our future path's happiness. For our nation's honor, let's go to school. To
remember our ancestors' accomplishments, let's go to school. Let's go to school hand-in-hand to
become valuable to our society, and to master the ocean-like culture of Tibet (52)." Singer I in
"Edification" from "Shepherdess", remembers her teacher's advice. "My teacher told me that
what women need is education and knowledge. His words are gold." The same singer
expresses her gratitude to her parents (an eloquent theme of Tibetan traditional culture) in
"Compassionate Parents." "My compassionate parents, you have brought me up so kindly. I
hope I can repay you soon." AC in the song "Favor" from the album "Needle" (2003), calls on his
"snowy friends" (Tibetans) to "send their children to school. They must study the ten major and
ten minor sciences, and then the future will come like a shining light. Many red-faced Tibetans
will speak in their clean mother tongue which is their inheritance from their parents."

3.4 Moral and Spiritual Concerns

The moral and spiritual health of the Tibetan people is both criticized and praised. M in the VCD
"Tibetan Home" mentioned above, in the song "Tibetans' Honor" criticizes those who are "crazy
about expensive animal fur and coral. Tibetans should believe in the "Three Jewels (53)". They
should obey the law of karma (cause and result). At home and abroad Tibetans should be united
and make the best use of their culture. That's Tibetan honor." In the same album, A in "Tibetan
Son" an imagined homily delivered by a father to his son, describes the positive and negative
characteristics of Tibetan youth. Bad characteristics are; wearing of animal furs (something
publicly discouraged by HH the Dalai Lama in 2004 and regarded by many Tibetans as a
religious obligation), wearing excessive jewelry (demonstrating ignorance), burying anger and
hatred inside the mind and speaking a mixed language (Chinese and Tibetan). Positive
characteristics are; speaking the mother tongue (Tibetan), being concerned for other Tibetans,
gaining knowledge, not using weapons, seeking peace and displaying good manners. L, in the
album "Finding a Path to the Future" also criticizes excessive jewelry, a widespread moral
teaching by monks in contemporary Tibet, probably resulting from the immense cost of
traditional Tibetan jewelry. She combines this with a plea for unity amongst Tibetans. In "We
Don't Need Adornment" she sings, "We can't afford long swords, coral, animal fur and turquoise/
Ivory bracelets and gold rings. We can't afford home made heroes or fights over grassland or
fights between nomads and farmers." Singer AZ, in "Song in My Heart" from "Snow Goddess"
(2006) uses actual film of extremely expensive animal furs (snow leopard and other) being torn
from Tibetan nomads' clothing and burnt on a bonfire in a collective act of obedience to the
demands of HH the Dalai Lama.

Singer K focuses on the moral aspect of Tibetan self-improvement more than any other singer.
In her "Please Study" taken from an undated compilation album, she sings, "Tibetan boys-
fighting and throwing stones is shameful/ Tibetan girls-gossiping and arguing is shameful. Go to
school. Tibetan boys, smoking and drinking is shameful ..." E in the album "Good Messages for
Good Times" offers similar moral advice to the younger generation, as well as, uniquely, making
an appeal to government officials ("Leaders") of Tibetan ethnicity. "We have our own language
don't copy from others. Tibetan boys don't fight/ We are all one and our dreams are one-unity
honors the Tibetan people. Leaders please be fair/ Fair law honors the world/ We are one
nationality." B ascribes the moral failings of the Tibetans to the absence of religious leadership in
Tibet. In "Sun, Moon and Stars," he sings, "The golden sun is shining in another land (HH the

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Dalai Lama is in India)/ the Moon is covered by clouds (the fate of the last Panchen Lama is
unknown) The star is shining behind the mountains (HH the Karmapa is in India.)/ The Land of
Snows is covered by darkness. Our bodies and minds are confused, so we act badly in speech,
and action. We've lost our identity. This is the saddest thing."

Singer AY in the Song "Forgetting" from the album "Needle" has harsh words for Tibetans.
"When we see money or valuable things we forget our leaders' law. When we see fat meat we
forget the Lamas' teachings on animals. In the yartsa gumbu (54) harvesting season we even
forget our own families left behind in the village." B in the album "Finding a Path to the Future",
sings of false Buddhist missionaries. "Tigers in donkeys' hides" (55) who "wander in other lands.
They behave badly and dishonestly, weakening and contaminating Buddhism. Real Tibetans
should respect Buddhism, love our nation, study modern technology and preserve our culture."
Anyone who has sat in a Tibetan restaurant in the summer, and had to cope with an endless
stream of importunate mendicants, many in monks' robes, some purporting to be collecting for
worthy causes, will sympathize. Singer I in "Speaking from the Heart", a song from the album
"Thunder of Peace", sings of the need for unity amongst Tibetans. "Tibetan boys and girls don't
fight for selfish glory. We are the same nation and should love each other.... Tibetan orphans
(56) (a reference to the absence of the Dalai Lama in his role as father of the nation) from the
three regions don't fight over grassland." AN in "Sad" from "Dawn Bell Ringing" expresses his
sadness at two categories of Tibetans, youths and, boldly (if also rather obviously), government
officials. "When I look at the law of our country it is still fair and just. But sadly the change is
among Tibetan official workers/ they don't obey the law. When I look at the Land of Snows it
remains as before, but the change is among Tibetan boys (brothers) fighting each other for land
and grass."

3.5 National and Historical Issues

The position of Tibet as an historic nation is considered, often nostalgically and with a sense of
regret as well as hope for future recovery. The difficulties of the Tibetan people are attributed to
the decline of the Tibetan state (57). AT in the VCD "The Wishes of a Flock of Birds", in the song
"The Son Will Return" makes the Dalai Lama's return into a parable in which a son returns to his
rightful inheritance in his family home. AP in the song "Ancestor's Footprints" laments the loss of
Tibetan identity. A and M, in the VCD "Tibetan Home" sing, in the song "Auspicious Clouds" of
an imagined future in which, like some idealized religious painting or thanka, "White religious
clouds drift across the sky, cool peaceful breezes cross the land." "I wish the flower of happiness
to blossom in the world, the history of Yumbu Lhakang (Yum bu bla mkhar) and the Potala (58)
and the northern land of snows will be known across the world. Avalokitesvara is the sunshine
and moonlight, Tibetans are the stars. I wish all Tibetans to unite and the flag (59) to rise up." In
the same VCD, songs entitled "A Letter to a Distant Place," (dealing with the absence of
freedom in Tibet), "Let's Go," (unity of the three Tibetan provinces and independence from
China) "In Danger of Extinction," (the possibility of cultural genocide (60) unless the Dalai Lama
returns) "Suffering Under the Stars" (the sufferings of the Tibetan people under the "Five Star
(61)" flag of the PRC) advocate clearly a distant relationship with the PRC. Other songs conjure
images of sheep torn to pieces by wolves and a homeland ruined by enemies and drowning in
blood. Blood is again the theme in the Song "Tibetan Karma" from AK's album of the same
name (2008). "The Tibetan leader has gone elsewhere, and his followers are left behind here.
Tibet is covered with sadness and darkness. Blood has flowed like mani wheels (62) all over
Tibet. Hell's work has been done to Tibetans." Just to make it clear which period is being
referred to here, the date 1959-1969 is displayed on the accompanying footage. AT, in "Grey
Puzzle" once again sees bloodshed in the Tibetan "tent." "In front of our ancestral tent/ (63) full
of the howling of wolves/In the sheep pen/There is a trail of blood."

M in "Tibetans' Fate" laments the loss of leadership (in particular that of the Dalai Lama).
"Tibetans' fate is pitiful. The leader who we can trust is not here. He left while looking back to
Tibet. Tibetans' fate is still in the land of snows." K in "Ancestors' Accomplishments" (undated)
laments Tibet's decline from a powerful Kingdom with Imperial possessions in medieval times, to
what is seen as its present distress, symbolized by the singer's tears. "When I saw Jowo
(Rinpoche, the principal statue of the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa) I remembered Songtsen
Gampo's (Srong btsan sgam po's) (64) achievements, and cried. When I saw the Tibetan
language I remembered Tonmi Sambhota (65) and cried. When I saw the Doring (rdo ring) (66) I
remembered the achievements of King Trisong Detsen and cried. When I saw the Potala I

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remembered the White Lotus' (HH the Dalai Lama's (67)) achievements and cried." The white
lotus refers to the flower held by the iconic image of Avalokitesvara, the bodhisattva of infinite
compassion of whom the Dalai Lamas are earthly embodiments, and thus is intended to
symbolize HH the Dalai Lamas themselves.

W in "Owner of Horses" from his "Snowland" album sings, "A thousand horses make a noise
together, remember the age of Kings who ruled the world. Heroes of the past give me your
bravery/ I will make the future of the Potala renowned throughout the world. Let us go together
hand in hand and study modern technology. When I hear the sound of thousands of heroes
shouting (referring to the cries uttered by Tibetan men carrying out incense offerings to the
gods) I remember the generation of Kings who gave their souls to the Snow Lion. Our
nationality's ancestors please give me your victory. Make life peaceful on the grassland in
future." In "Sad Karma" from the same album, W characterizes the Tibetan people as hunted
deer who "have no freedom because the hunters are pursuing them with guns. Yaks in the
grassland are not free because they are dragging a rope (68). The sheep are not free because
wolves are pursuing them." The prominent role of the wolf on the Tibetan grassland is clear in
many songs by singers with a nomadic or semi-nomadic background, as most of those
discussed here are. The connection in the rural mind between the Chinese authorities and
wolves is once again shown in the song "Don't be Sad," which expresses hope for the future.
"The wolf attacks the sheep in the dark night but don't be sad, day is coming. Winter has come
and the leaves have fallen, but don't be sad. Spring is coming."

In "Unity," K makes a plea for Tibetan national unity regardless of local loyalties. "The three
provinces should be together. We are higher or lower [rtod and smad] / We are three provinces
but the offspring of one father. Don't fight against each other-be united. Although we have
different names we are the offspring of one father. Nomads don't fight over grass/Brothers don't
kill each other. Farmers don't kill your brothers over a piece of land no bigger than a man's hand.
We are the children of one father-be united."

In "The Gathering" B uses a metaphor from the grassland to express hope for a brighter future.
"The Snow Mountain's head is shrouded in cloud but the Snow Lion's mane will be seen. The
Yarlung River (69) is frozen but the golden fish are always there in the water. Snow and wind are
in the yard/the yaks and calves will stand together." U makes a similar call for unity in her "Red
Faced Tibetans." "At the foot of the Snow Mountain is a country/ Their father is a monkey. This
is the Tibetan Kingdom. Beside the river lives an heroic nation/Their mother is a deity/ Children
of the Tibetan kingdom join heart in heart and hand in hand and go ahead together." The
Yarlung River returns again in "Yarlung River" by singer AN. "The song in my heart is the
Yarlung River," he sings. "Your peaceful heart makes the flowers in Tibetan hearts bloom."

In the 2004 album "The Light that Illuminates Religion," the singer E expresses hopes for the
future recovery of Tibet. In "An Oft-Repeated Dream" he sings, "In my first dream I saw two
Snow Lions with green manes playing on top of Amnye Machen (A myes rma chen) (70). In my
second dream I saw a compassionate lama on the throne in the Potala teaching. In my third
dream I was singing in front of a gathering of Tibetans outside and inside Tibet. In my fourth
dream our real leader (71) came to the Potala." D, in "Royal Messenger" calls clearly for cultural
independence, if not for political. "Dear Tibetan youths," he sings, "Please raise your heads
confidently from servile backwardness. Our culture, passed on by our ancestors, is amongst the
greatest in the world. Remember its preservation and development. I am the King's messenger
(72). Let's go to pick up sunshine along the Yarlung River. Please remember our task as
Tibetans deep down in your hearts. Let's take control of ourselves, to raise up the flag (73) of
our culture." This did not, as you might imagine, go down well with the Chinese authorities, and
D suffered a period of imprisonment as a result.

Singer AS (74) in his album "Brother in the Distance," sings again to Tibetan youths, in "Words
from the Heart," Tibetan youths, don't speak Chinese instead of Tibetan. Don't say Chinese is
easy to speak. Tibetan is your mother tongue. When you have motorcycles, don't abandon the
horse. Don't say it's convenient. Horses are our ancestral beasts. Sisters when you dress don't
abandon your nomadic clothes. Don't say Chinese clothes are easy. Clothes are your own
character. D, in a song by Padmagyap entitled "Sad," expresses similar sentiments. "My home is
empty ... my real home is far away." A less blatant, but clear, appeal to all Tibetans, inside and
outside the PRC to unite and fulfill their national destiny is made by I in her "The Same Destiny"

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from the album "Shepherdess". "The wild yak beyond the rocky mountains and the deer who
drinks from the rocky river on this side of (inside) (75) the mountains, please eat the grass or
plants together. Animals have the same destiny. (76) The cuckoo outside in Mon (77) and the
pheasant inside the forest, please sing together. Birds have the same destiny. Boys, who go to
the monastery, and those who go to school, please join hand in hand. Tibetan youths have the
same destiny." One asks oneself why this might not be so (Tibetan youths having the same
destiny), and other than the difference in culture between Monastery- and Government school-
educated Tibetans, one is hard put to it to find an explanation. But as a call for national unity the
song is clear.

A more overtly nationalistic song by A supports our analysis by using some of the same
symbols. In "Dream Coming Time" from the album "Dawn Bell Ringing" he sings, "The Snow
Mountain is getting brighter-the mane of the Snow lion is expanding/ the Snow lion will arrive
soon and dreams will come true/ The forests will thicken and pheasants sing more beautifully.
The cuckoo will sing tomorrow or the day after/ Our dreams will come true soon. The Tibetan
home will be warmer and Tibetan culture develop. Our Lama is coming soon. I in "Sad Longing"
from "Shepherdess" sings of her sadness at the historic decline of Tibet. "White storks please
lend me your wings/ I want to fly and see the heroes of the past. When I see the Doring pillars/ I
can't help being sad."

3.6 Experience of Exile

M, who spent his teenage years and early twenties as a refugee in India, has frequently written
about the experience of exile. In his "Missing Her Homeland," sings lyrics written by Tsering Kyi
(Tshe ring skyid), the 2006 winner of the "Miss Tibet" beauty contest, held annually in Macleod
Ganj, India. The lyrics are in the form of a letter home about the experience of exile. Tsering Kyi
herself went to India as a refugee in 2003, and in her imagined letter she says, "The seven
years away from my mother is like a dark night and dry mountains and valleys, like a poor girl
with no jewelry, an orphan who lost her mother's love." In "Goodbye" he offers best wishes for
those going into exile which seem immediate and real. "Looking back, waving, and slowly
walking into the distance. Goodbye my brother, I wish you safety. Sad and crying, walking into
the distance. Goodbye my sister. I wish you good luck with everything. Saying good luck and
longingly walking into the distance. Goodbye friends, may your dreams come true." The same
singer in "Longing for a Father" sings from the point of view of an orphan, which is how many
exile children see themselves, even if they have parents still alive at home in Tibet (78). "How I
wish I had a father. There would be happiness in the tent. I would be treated as a son/Now I'm
away from him/More and more tears. If I had a father I would be someone among my friends/I
could ask him for advice. Now I am alone, and my longing for my father is stronger and
stronger." F in the album "Thunder of Peace" entitled, "Sad Song of Missing My Homeland,"
sings of the experience of exile through the medium of a dream. "I dreamed of the red temple
(part of the Potala, in Lhasa), and wished I could go to Lhasa. I dreamed of the Zhol Nangma
Obelisk (79) and wished I could go to Lhasa. I dreamed of the three religious Kings and
dreamed I could go to Lhasa. I wish I could go to my fatherland. You are there." Apart from "I
wish I could go to my fatherland," of course, this could be about any experience of exile. But that
one phrase seems critical to interpreting the lyrics as the feelings of a Tibetan in India.

4. VISUAL AND FILMED IMAGES

Tibetan singers have been bold and resolute in creating freedom of expression for themselves
where none is offered. Clear messages are expressed to those able to crack a complex code
that often requires knowledge of Tibetan history and written language, as well as attention to the
filmed images that accompany the songs. Just as the use of symbolic language in Tibetan
poetry is a longstanding tradition that is fully expressed in the lyrics discussed here, the use of
symbols and images in the films that accompany the songs is also extensive.

In some cases the connection between lyrics and images is extremely clear. When P, in the
album "Shepherdess," sings of missing her "Aju" who "left Tibet and went to India" she is
standing in front of the Norbulingka (Nor bu gling ka) Palace/Museum in Lhasa, the Summer
residence of the Dalai Lamas. At one point, when singing of her desire for her "Aju" to return to
Tibet, she looks at the facade of the building, her arms spread wide in apparent supplication.
From "Aju," an elder brother, we have now clearly arrived at an understanding that this "Aju" is

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not an elder brother by blood, but her spiritual elder brother, HH the Dalai Lama. Traditionalism,
(defined as an enhanced respect for tradition), is expressed by the normal costume of Tibetan
singers. The apotheosis of this is M's attire of sheepskin and no shirt worn in the album "Need a
Father for the Universe (80)" (2006). Other singers almost always wear traditional festival
costume of Tibetan robe and shirt with boots for men and high heels for women. If a robe is not
worn, a "Tibetan" jacket or shirt is a must. National unity (of the Tibetan regions) is expressed in
her clothing by I in "Shepherd Girl" (81). Song by song she wears numerous different costumes
from all the historic provinces of Tibet, Kham, Amdo and U-Tsang. W in the song "Footsteps in
the Distance" from his VCD of 2006 "Snowland", is seen riding across the grassland on
horseback among shots of what appears to be a traditional mounted "honor guard." (82)

Location and action have a role to play in transmitting the message of the songs. Education is a
prominent theme, and schools figure prominently in the films accompanying the VCDs.
However, the fact that the schools are not only always Tibetan, but that the teachers are always
teaching Tibetan or at least through the medium of Tibetan, indicates the singers' preference for
that particular kind of education, which has become more and more unusual in the PRC. In
"Edification," from the album "Shepherd Girl" by I, the singer herself plays the role of an
(absurdly glamorous) schoolgirl in a classroom at the Sichuan Tibetan College in Dartsendo
(Dar rtse mdo) or Kangding in Kham. (83) Surrounded by other students in their Tibetan robes,
she attends diligently to her studies, even placing the palms of her hands together in
supplication when addressing the teacher. At the end of the song the students pray, before
bowing in the traditional Tibetan manner (84) to a thanka image of Manjusri or Jamyang ('Jam
dbyangs), the bodhisattva of wisdom.

In "Need a Father for the Universe," M accompanies the song with film of the two independent
Tibetan-medium schools (one for girls, one for boys) under the direction of one monastery in
Qinghai. In "Tibetan Home" (85) (bTsen po pa sa), A, in the title track, accompanies his song
with film of the Forts at Yumbu Lhakhang, Gyantse (rGyang rtse) and elsewhere (representing
the past), and the ruined temples of Raja (Ra rgya) Monastery (representing the present). Later
in the same album he is himself shown teaching a class of nomad children in a school set up in
a tent and small farmyard. In "Under the Stars" from the same album, A, sitting on the grassland
and thinking about the Tibetans' fate ("There is no thought of comfort under the stars.") is seen
with tears rolling down his face.

In "Sad" from his album "Waiting," S sings of his longing for HH the Dalai Lama, the 10th
(deceased) Panchen Lama, Jigme Phuntshok and his parents (see above). A complex web of
visual symbolism accompanies the music. The first shot is of the singer walking along a country
road into the sunset, backpack on his shoulders, while an icon depicting the sun, moon and
stars nestles into the top left corner of the screen. In the context of the previous song "Bars in
Lhasa" which sings (in a mixture of heavily Tibetan-accented Chinese and his native Tibetan) of
the pointless and dispiriting nature of the nightclub life to which many young rural Tibetans
aspire, we might be forgiven for thinking that this represents a physical as well as psychological
change of direction. In contrast to the previous song, which shows him drinking and singing in a
nightclub in Lhasa, he is seen here singing amongst stupas, temples and prayer flags in the
company of monks, performing a full prostration in the principal temple of the Serthar Buddhist
Institute in front of a thanka of Jigme Phuntshok. The ecstatic feeling in the delivery of the song
as he spins mani and circumambulates the monastery across the grassland clearly indicates
that he has chosen his spiritual home. Among great Lamas the 10th Panchen Lama frequently
appears, as on one occasion does the daughter from his unprecedented marriage to a Chinese
woman during the Cultural Revolution. She is seen visiting a school in Tibet and speaking to the
students in a song entitled "Yarlung River".

W, a singer from Amdo, in the song "Footsteps in the Distance" from his VCD of 2006 entitled
"Snowland", uses the same film of ruined temples or dzongs (rdzong) to back up his point that
"When you are away the dogs bark louder. Cuckoo [the often-used simile refers to the cuckoo's
habit of flying south for the winter and returning in the spring] where are you? When you are
away the crow croaks louder. Yeshe Norbu where are you? When you are not here the darkness
in the land of Snows is deeper." Ruined temples and dzongs, it seems, are the result of the
absence of "Snowland" shown on the VCD as a tall, majestic snow mountain. After this, the film
is inarticulate, as though deliberately obscuring the message given clearly before.

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5. CONCLUSION

Given their normal reticence, some might find it surprising that Tibetans have spoken out so
boldly in recent years, often at considerable personal cost, and always subject to determined
and sustained intimidation by the state. In our opinion, several factors are clearly at work here.

First, technological changes have made it easier to do so. Just as there has been a great
expansion of Tibetan internet activity, so there has been in the world of music publishing. It is
simply technologically easier to get the VCDs into the shops. Secondly, Tibetans are more
concerned about the future than ever before. The speed at which Tibetan language and culture
is losing ground to the inelegant mish-mash of Korean soap operas, the globalised American
NBA/rap music/KFC McCulture and Chinese computer games that occupy the space in the
Tibetan mind once held by Buddhism and the Gesar epic, has shocked Tibetan singers into
action. These factors, exacerbated by the ruthless campaign of eradication aimed at the Tibetan
language and traditional culture by the Chinese state in educational and other institutions, has
made action by those who wish to preserve Tibetan culture imperative. The (presumably
unintentional) tolerance of the authorities has encouraged a large number of singers to follow
the pioneers in producing albums with similar themes.

The views expressed might be surprising to an outsider as well. The strong desire for HH the
Dalai Lama's leadership is well-known, of course, but His insistence on the "middle way" of co-
operation and friendship with China is clearly something many Tibetans are uncomfortable with.
The Chinese are often described as "wolves" and in other no more flattering ways, and
reconciliation is still clearly a long way off. The idea that Tibetans must strengthen themselves
morally and educationally is less surprising, as is the focus on education in the Tibetan
language. Rural Tibetans, particularly in Qinghai, have made progress towards creating an
autonomous education system in recent years, and it is to be hoped that this will contribute to
the continuity of the Tibetan language in the future.

Notes

(1.) Dunglen (rdung len), "accompanied song" accompanied by a mandolin, as opposed to

unaccompanied singing.

(2.) It is not east to define precisely which albums have been published wholly legally, which are
pirated, and which are privately distributed outside official publishing circles. They were all
purchased from shops which displayed them openly for sale.

(3.) Rampant piracy, unofficial publishing and a lack of figures available from music publishers
which specify the language of VCDs published prevent a high degree of certainty in this area.
Songs are often published and re-published in a number of albums.

(4.) By individual song. A song dealing with more than one topic is entered for more than one
topic area.

(5.) The size of this figure is accounted for by the high (12) number of compilations.

(6.) In schools in Tibetan areas of the PRC, instruction is almost always in Chinese, and Tibetan
language classes are voluntary if available, which often they are not. This is known in the PRC
as "bilingual education," although in reality Tibetan is everywhere, even in most Tibetan
university courses, taught as a foreign language.

(7.) Those who have made a conscious effort to study their language and culture.

(8.) The demonstrations and resultant violence (mainly instigated by the Chinese police and
army) following the events of March 14th and afterwards in Lhasa.

(9.) All discussed here, bar two, are under 30.

(10.) The earliest recording discussed here is from 2003.

(11.) The "Summer of Love." Vietnam, Pacifism and cultural change were principal concerns.

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(12.) Here referring to the three historic Tibetan provinces of Kham (Khams), Amdo (A mdo) and
U-Tsang (dBus gTsang), rather than simply Tibet Autonomous Region (Xizang). The "three
historic provinces" are Amdo (in Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan Provinces), Kham (in Qinghai,
TAR, Sichuan and Yunnan), and U-Tsang (wholly within TAR). The authors are aware of the
debate surrounding the historical correctness of this nomenclature. We have taken the view that,
whatever the historical validity of these names, they are now so firmly established in the minds
of contemporary Tibetans that they can be used by them when referring to the geographical
divisions of Tibet, just as "Tibet" is used in the West to refer to the Tibetan "cultural area,"
despite its lack of political validity within the PRC.

(13.) Specifically Tibetan society and "Western" society. The former under pressure from
Chinese culture, the latter from Soviet Communism and what was seen at the time as its military
and cultural ascendancy.

(14.) VCDs have been published from Internet bars for as little as 10,000 RMB, (c1300 USD).

(15.) The capital of Sichuan Province. The other major centre is Xining, capital of Qinghai
Province.

(16.) See Report of the Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading
treatment or punishment, Manfred Nowak - Mission to China (E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.6)
www.ohchr.org

(17.) Personal information, April 2009.

(18.) Both personal information, March 2009.

(19.) The oldest school of Tibetan Buddhism, predominant in many nomadic areas of Amdo.

(20.) "Precious Abbot".

(21.) Also known as Larung Gar (bLa rung sgar)

(22.) There are two 11th Panchen Lamas, one the choice sanctioned by HH the Dalai Lama, the
other that of the Chinese government. The Dalai Lama's choice was removed from his home by
Chinese officials shortly after his recognition and has not been seen since. The other
(colloquially known as the rgya pan, or Chinese Panchen) has been resident in Beijing since his
recognition, has rarely visited Tibet and is almost unknown in the Tibetan world. If an image of
HH the Panchen Lama is displayed in a home or monastery it is almost invariably that of the
10th Panchen Lama. The authors have visited many Tibetan homes and monasteries, and have
seen few photographs of the 11th Panchen Lama (distributed free on his occasional visits to the
Tibetan Plateau), but hundreds of HH the 10th Panchen Lama.

(23.) It is common for a new Abbot to be chosen every few years, and so a monastery can
contain many titular Abbots.

(24.) Tibetan adornment is immensely expensive. A single modest coral necklace, in particular,
can cost 10,000 RMB (around 1350 USD, more than a year's salary for a laborer in a Tibetan
area), and a socially respectable one 50,000. Thus the wearing of jewelry and other adornments
has become a moral issue. The harvesting of coral also involves the taking of life, a sin for
Buddhists.

(25.) Those with fluency in reading Tibetan and some familiarity with Tibetan cultural traditions
and history.

(26.) One result of HH the Dalai Lama's exile in India is that he has now become the
acknowledged leader of all Tibetans, not just those in his former dominions, which extended a
little beyond the borders of the modern TAR/ Xizang.

(27.) The Dalai Lama is referred to by a bewildering variety of epithets. These are by no means
the only ones.

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(28.) Always apparently Buddhist. The unfavorable social position of the Bon religion (the native
religion of Tibet, and still widely followed in the country) renders it invisible here, although it
shares the aspirations of Buddhism, and its followers do not vary from Buddhists in their social
views. "Apparently" because Buddhism and Bon are extremely close in many ways, and in
respect of religious ideals practically identical.

(29.) By tribal coalition (Golok/mGo log), Monastery (Labrang/bLa brang) or Prince (Dechen/bDe
chen), or by the Lhasa Government of HH the Dalai Lama It is now generally accepted amongst
Tibetans (of our acquaintance, at least) that only the latter represents a modern form of
government suitable for the future of Tibet.

(30.) The Snow Lion is the mythical heraldic symbol of Tibet, appearing on the national flag and
coat of arms. Singers use it to represent both the nation and its leader (HH the Dalai Lama).

(31.) A reference to the size of Tibet.

(32.) The image being of the thousands of mountains and rivers that lie between the singer and
HH the Dalai Lama's residence in India.

(33.) The Snow Lion, the mythical national symbol of Tibet, is white with green fur on its mane,
tail and other places on its coat.

(34.) Within the PRC, Tsona County, bordering Bhutan and the Indian state of Arunachal
Pradesh, although the "land of Mon" extends beyond the border into India.

(35.) "Senior male relative" would be equally accurate as a translation.

(36.) "Learned Jewel" one of HH the Dalai Lama's epithets.

(37.) A single member of the Buddhist symbol of two entwined fish.

(38.) In Tibetan Chenrezig (sPyan ras gzigs), one of the eight principal Boddhisatvas,
considered the principal protector of Tibet, shown as holding a white lotus. Generally symbolizes
HH the Dalai Lama.

(39.) Pema, a personal name, means lotus and symbolizes the Dalai Lama. Also bodhisattva
Avalokitesvara is represented as holding a white lotus.

(40.) It is traditional to place brass bowls of water in the family shrine in front of the statues and
thankas.

(41.) Uygen Trinley Dorje (O rgyan 'phrin las rdo rje). There is another purported Karmapa,
Trinley Thaje Dorje ('Phrin las taye rdo rje), although he is much less widely recognized than the
other reincarnation. Both live in India.

(42.) Resident in a neighboring monastery to the Karmapa's own chief monastery of Tsurphu
(Tshur phu). The Western author of this paper was granted an audience with a 10-year old Bawo
Lama in 2005, something which the young lama found hilarious.

(43.) HH the 10th Panchen Lama lived all his life in China, spending 15 years in prison after
submitting a report to the government in 1962 denouncing Chinese abuses in Tibet. After
marrying a Chinese woman and fathering a child in defiance of religious tradition, he visited
Tibet, supporting various Tibetan causes. As a member of the People's Consultative Conference
in Beijing, he made a famous speech in 1989 critical of the Chinese government's actions in
Tibet. He died shortly afterwards of a heart attack.

(44.) "Socialism with Chinese characteristics." i.e. a free-enterprise economy combined with a
totalitarian political system combining Marxist-Leninist ideology with the divine status of Chinese
emperors, maintained by the fear of violence.

(45.) Fled on foot, attending Tibetan school in India before returning.

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(46.) Mining of all kinds is strongly opposed by Tibetans as an environmental blasphemy.

(47.) A reference to the large sums of money earned by nomads in certain areas of Tibet from
the harvesting of Cordyceps sinensis, highly regarded as a tonic and aphrodisiac in China.

(48.) The most widespread mantra of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Introduced by
Padmasambhava, the first Buddhist missionary in Tibet in the 8th century, thousands of these
mantras are activated whenever a "prayer wheel" or mani is turned.

(49.) Literature, Writing/Calligraphy, Debating, Medicine and Religion.

(50.) An unusual example of a popular song advocating aerial bombardment as an alternative to

throwing stones, although the bombing of Japan is a popular aspiration in Chinese speaking
areas of China.

(51.) The 34 vowels and consonants of the Tibetan script.

(52.) Although some Tibetan culture is taught in Chinese government schools, it is much more
likely that Chinese culture will be "mastered" in these institutions.

(53.) As opposed to jewels that can be worn as adornments. Refers to the "Three Jewels" of the
Buddhist religion, in which every Buddhist must "take refuge" as an article of faith. They are the
Buddha, the Sangha (Monastic orders) and the Dharma (the teachings of the Buddha)

(54.) Cordyceps sinensis, an expensive medicinal fungus gathered April-May each year,
harvesters often traveling long distances to do so.

(55.) Wolves in sheep's clothing.

(56.) An orphan in Tibetan refers to those children whose parents are incapable of looking after
them as well as those whose parents are dead.

(57.) In medieval times Tibet was an empire stretching from Kashmir to Burma, and from Nepal
to the southern silk road in Eastern Turkestan (Xinjiang), an area larger than Texas and Alaska
combined. It succeeded in capturing the Chinese Imperial capital of Xi'an (Chang'an) in 763 and
on several subsequent occasions, bringing about the fall of the Tang dynasty. After the
establishment of theocratic rule in the 13th century it disintegrated into competing principalities
unable to defend itself successfully against invaders from Mongolia, China, Nepal and the British
Raj (The "Young husband Expedition" of 1903-4), and, despite a promising period of nation-
building under HH the 13th Dalai Lama during which progress towards modern statehood was
made, was finally integrated into China by force of arms in the 1950s.

(58.) Two Tibetan royal residences. Yumbu Lhakhang, in the Yarlung (Yar klungs) Valley in
U-Tsang, is the earliest known royal residence of the Kings of Tibet. It was rebuilt in 1982 after
its destruction during the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution. The Potala is the winter
residence of the Dalai Lamas.

(59.) The Tibetan national flag, outlawed in Tibet but frequently raised by demonstrators during
the uprising of March 2008.

(60.) The destruction and assimilation of one culture by another, as opposed to the physical
destruction of one people by another, which is known as "genocide." HH the XIV Dalai Lama has
suggested, reasonably enough, that this is what the Chinese plan for the Tibetans. His opinion
was confirmed recently by a senior Chinese academic who told the Isabel Hilton of the British
"Guardian" newspaper that " ... in twenty years there will be no Tibetans," and expressed his
belief that Tibetans would benefit from full assimilation into Chinese language and culture.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/nov/24/ comment-chinaTibet-dalai-lama,
accessed 27.11.2008.

(61.) The national flag of the PRC consists of five stars, one large (representing the Communist
Party) and four small (representing workers, intellectuals, the armed forces and peasants
respectively.)

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(62.) Presumably with the relentless flowing circulation of the mani wheel.

(63.) Presumably intended to stand for Tibetans' ancestral home(land).

(64.) 617-650, King of Tibet and unifier of all Tibetans into one Kingdom. The first sponsor of
Buddhism as a state religion, firmly establishing it as one of Tibet's two religions in the face of
determined opposition from the indigenous Bon faith.

(65.) Sent to Kashmir in the early 7th century, he is credited with the subsequent invention of the
Tibetan alphabet.

(66.) This refers to one of the seven ancient stele, or obelisks, of Lhasa, on which are
inscriptions from the 8th to the 18th centuries recording historic events in Tibetan history. The
one referred to here is the "Outer Zhol Obelisk" in front of the Potala, which records the exploits
of King Trisong Detsen (Khri srong lde btsan), whose armies (reputed to be 200,000 strong)
defeated the Tang dynasty and captured its capital city Xi'an (Chang'an) in 763. The same King
also held the "Council of Lhasa" 794-792 a.d. in Samye (bSam yas) Monastery, in which a
debate was held between representatives of the Indian (led by Kamalasila) and Chinese (led by
Mo Ho Yen) Buddhist traditions. At the conclusion of the debate, the Buddhist leadership of Tibet
decided to follow the Indian tradition. This had far-reaching consequences for the religious and
political relationships between China and Tibet.

(67.) Here intended to mean all the reincarnations of HH the Dalai Lama, not just the present
one.

(68.) When a suspect or criminal is released on bail he is referred to in Tibetan as "dragging a

rope."

(69.) Refers to the Yarlung Valley in U-Tsang, from which the most powerful historic dynasty of
Tibetan Kings emerged (the "Yarlung Dynasty" 247 b.c.-869 a.d.) who united the Tibetans and
created the immense empire of early medieval times.

(70.) A sacred mountain in Golok TAP, Qinghai Province, once thought to be the highest
mountain in the world.

(71.) Presumably not President Hu Jintao, the current PRC leader, but HH the Dalai Lama,
whose traditional home is the Potala.

(72.) Instructing contemporary Tibetans to follow the example of the historical kings.

(73.) As culture is not normally thought of as having a flag, this is presumably a tentative
reference to the Tibetan national flag, the ultimate red rag to the Chinese bull. The acceptable
alternative to this in the PRC is the striped "Buddhist Flag" devised in Sri Lanka in the late 19th
century as a symbol of international Buddhism. Ubiquitous in Tibetan areas, it is almost
unknown in Chinese ones.

(74.) Reportedly arrested in January 2009, at the time this paper was being written.

(75.) Can be taken to refer to exiled and PRC Tibetans.

(76.) To eat together.

(77.) Part of the land of Mon lies in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh.

(78.) See above for the ambiguity of the English "orphan" and the Tibetan concept of being an
orphan.

(79.) See 103 above.

(80.) Singer's own translation.

(81.) Singer's own translation

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(82.) Mounted escort. The traditional welcome for a visiting dignitary

(83.) Founded by HH the 10th Panchen Lama.

(84.) Hands, palms together, placed first on the top of the head, then brought down to the level
of the neck, then the chest, followed by a bow.

(85.) Singer's own translation. This is an important mistranslation as "bTsen po pa sa" in fact
means "The Strong Motherland" and contains within it a reference to the medieval Tibetan
kingdom/empire created by Song Tsen Gampo, often referred to by Tibetans as "Pod je Tsen po"
(The Tibetan Kingdom/Empire).

Museum Villa Hugel, Essen/Germany, August 18--November 26, 2006; Museum for East Asian
Art, Berlin, February 21--May 28, 2007 Catalogue publication (under the same title, only German
edition), edited by Jeong-hee Lee-Kalisch, 664 p., 438 colour and 17 b/w-illustrations, Munchen
2006 (Hirmer Publishing House)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2009 Library of Tibetan Works and Archives

http://www.ltwa.net/library/index.php?option=com_multicategories&view=categories&
cid=34:tibet-journal&Itemid=15
Source Citation (MLA 9th Edition)
Drolma, Tsering, and Arthur Wilson. "Tibetan contemporary song and music video: focus and
direction 2000-2009." The Tibet Journal, vol. 34, no. 1, spring 2009, pp. 149+. Gale
Academic OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A238272223/AONE?u=hkccpoly&
sid=googleScholar&xid=afc343cf. Accessed 6 Nov. 2021.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A238272223

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