Soname Yangchen

ARTIST: Soname Yangchen

COUNTRY: Tibet

GENRE: Contemporary Tibetan mountain songs

MORE ABOUT: Soname Yangchen, born in the Tibetan countryside of noble descent, had to endure a childhood in servitude, separated from her parents and working in Chinese occupied Lhasa. She didn’t enjoy the privileges of education, freedom and family life. At the age of sixteen she fled with a group of monks across the Himalayas – a difficult and dangerous journey that thousands of Tibetans must endure each year in order to enjoy basic human rights.

She finally arrived in Dharamsala, Northern India, where HH Dalai Lama has his home in exile. After six years she travelled to England (by way of France) where she has lived ever since, building a rapidly progressing singing career.

“I was born into a noble family in Yarlung Valley, Tibet, in 1973. To find my freedom, I escaped at the age of 16 to Dharamsala, where HH Dalai Lama resides. After a while I made my way to England via France and started my music career. If you are interested in a more detailed description of events, please read my autobiography ‘Child of Tibet’ published by Piatkus Books or the German Version ‘Wolkenkind’ published by Droemer/Knaur. The latter actually charted in the Spiegel Bestseller List at Number 19. My book has been translated into numerous other languages since. Some highlights of my musical career have included concerts like the The Prince of Wales’ ‘Evening for Tibet’ at the Royal Opera House in London raising some 30.000 Pounds for Charity, performing at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh before HH Dalai Lama came on stage and the red carpet affair ‘Cinema for Peace’ in Berlin in aid of UNICEF for two years in a row, in 2006 and 2007 when I jammed with Richard Gere on Piano… he’s quite good, you know… Now I am busy touring throughout the world… I have been blessed to record some new music with some quite wonderful and legendary individuals… But enough of the past, I’m sure it all just started and there’ll be much more interesting things to come in the mysterious dimension we call the future… at the moment I am also involved and ask for your help in a Charity Project to build a modern hospital in collaboration with the wonderful Roter Lotus, e.V. (Red Lotus International) and Gyuto Monastery in Dharamsala…”

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY:

- “Plateau” (World Village, 2009)
- “Unforgettable Land” (Harmonia Mundi, 2006)

SELECTED VIDEOS:

Opening Gala of Himalaya Festival, London, 05 February 2010

Schiphorst Avantgarde Festival: Soname, Part 1

Soname Yangchen live at Woodford Festival in Australia, Jan 2009, Part 2 of 3

Soname Yangchen and Tenzin Choegyal Live at Woodford Festival in Australia, Jan 2009, Part 3 of 3

SELECTED PRESS REVIEWS:

“Soname is probably better known as the author of ‘Child of Tibet’, her best-selling autobiography that tells the dramatic story of her escape across the Himalayas into India. But, as this album shows, she is also a songwriter with a distinctive voice. Soname is brilliantly accompanied by Tanmoy Bose on tabla and a light sprinkling of other instruments. Fifty years after the Chinese occupation, she sings about wanting to return to her homeland “if not in this life, may I be born time after time in a land filled with flourishing dharma”. It’s a heartfelt message.” (Simon Broughton, Evening Standard)

“Something really new and exciting. Groundbreaking. The versatility and expressive range of her pure voice is effectively developed and securely supported with some fine musical teramwork. Soname’s traditional voice is soulful, floating evocatively over the insistent, swinging tabla. A delightfully innovative album from a promising singer.” (Mark Trewin, Songlines)

“Like Emmanuel Jal and K’naan, exiled Tibetan singer Soname is an artist whose life story threatens to overwhelm her music. She has published an auro-biography, ‘Child of Tibet’, and her charity Roter Lotus, aims to establish a hospital in the Dharamsala region of India. Thankfully her songs, in the Tibetan language, have plenty to say musically. A spirit of joyful music-making is tempered by a tone of regret and longing for her lost homeland.” (John L Walters, The Guardian)

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