Jampa Tsering
Encyclopedia
Jampa TseringJampa Tsering ( was a Tibetan pop singer and dance
r.
Born in Lhasa in the early 1960s, Jampa Tsering became famous in the late 1980s and early 1990s, releasing an immensely popular album, Gnas mchog gi glu dbyangs (Songs of the Holy Land), including songs such as "Aro Khampa" ("Hey, Khampa"); "Ngai tsewai Lhasa" ("My Beloved Lhasa
"); and "Cha chig yinna samchung" ("I Wished, If Only I Was A Bird").
Jampa Tsering studied music in the Shanghai Conservatoire
for about seven years, learning piano. He was a member of the Tibet Song-and-Dance Ensemble, but began to gain a following in Lhasa from singing in karaoke
and nangma
bars. For this and his private singing, he was eventually expelled from the dance troupe. He assimilated much of the style of 1980s Chinese language pop into his singing and the synthesised orchestral accompaniments of his songs. He was clearly a product of the new media rather than traditional Tibetan singing, using a soft crooning voice rather than the loud, projecting voice of traditional Tibetan singing, yet the melodies of the songs he sang inherited a strong Tibetan character, with their wide vocal range and long phrases.
Many of his songs have hidden political meanings, such as "Ri de Himalaya" ("Himalaya Mountains"), and they all express a strong pride in Tibetan identity, Tibetan traditions and the Tibetan countryside. Some of Jampa Tsering's songs were restricted in Lhasa in the late 1980s and early 1990s due to their political nature.
Jampa Tsering died in a car crash in 1997.
This article is a slightly modified version of the article on Jampa Tsering from Unity and discord: Music and politics in contemporary Tibet (2004, Tibet Information Network, ISBN 0954196163).
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r.
Born in Lhasa in the early 1960s, Jampa Tsering became famous in the late 1980s and early 1990s, releasing an immensely popular album, Gnas mchog gi glu dbyangs (Songs of the Holy Land), including songs such as "Aro Khampa" ("Hey, Khampa"); "Ngai tsewai Lhasa" ("My Beloved Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
"); and "Cha chig yinna samchung" ("I Wished, If Only I Was A Bird").
Jampa Tsering studied music in the Shanghai Conservatoire
Shanghai Conservatory of Music
The Shanghai Conservatory of Music , as the first music institution of higher education in China, was founded on November 27, 1927. The teachers and students have won numerous awards both home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name, “the cradle of musicians”.-History:The Shanghai...
for about seven years, learning piano. He was a member of the Tibet Song-and-Dance Ensemble, but began to gain a following in Lhasa from singing in karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
and nangma
Nangma
Nangma is a genre of Tibetan dance music closely related to Toeshey. The word Nangma derives from the Persian word Naghma meaning melody. Both a band and a nightclub have been named after it. "Nangma" is the name of a four-person, traditional Tibetan band dedicated to these two styles of music...
bars. For this and his private singing, he was eventually expelled from the dance troupe. He assimilated much of the style of 1980s Chinese language pop into his singing and the synthesised orchestral accompaniments of his songs. He was clearly a product of the new media rather than traditional Tibetan singing, using a soft crooning voice rather than the loud, projecting voice of traditional Tibetan singing, yet the melodies of the songs he sang inherited a strong Tibetan character, with their wide vocal range and long phrases.
Many of his songs have hidden political meanings, such as "Ri de Himalaya" ("Himalaya Mountains"), and they all express a strong pride in Tibetan identity, Tibetan traditions and the Tibetan countryside. Some of Jampa Tsering's songs were restricted in Lhasa in the late 1980s and early 1990s due to their political nature.
Jampa Tsering died in a car crash in 1997.
This article is a slightly modified version of the article on Jampa Tsering from Unity and discord: Music and politics in contemporary Tibet (2004, Tibet Information Network, ISBN 0954196163).