#2542: Central Asian Voices

Listen to central Asian voices on this New Sounds program, where we’ll feature the new album by Tibetan refugee singer and composer Yungchen Lhamo - AMA. AMA means ‘mother’ in the Tibetan language, and is dedicated to Yungchen’s own mother. The songs are infused with the quiet spiritual power of Tibetan Buddhism, and use trumpet, strings, African kora, Middle Eastern percussion and National Steel guitar, all wrapped around Lhamo’s voice. There’s also music from Selwa, the most recent collaboration between the Buddhist nun Choying Drolma and Steve Tibbetts, which sounds like gorgeous layers of ancient ritual chants with electronic sounds, acoustic guitar and percussion. Hear the otherworldly ritual music of the Gyuto monks, the Tibetan choir whose traditional chanting of the sutras is accompanied by both short and long trumpets and percussion. Plus, music in the multi-octave Tuvan throat-singing style by vocalist Sainkho (Namtchylak.) Her deep guttural moans and high-pitched whistles and buzzing overtones (the tradition of her homeland located just south of Siberia) can sound like demons, children, Tuvan, gospel, blues, and opera. And much more...

PROGRAM # 2542, Voices of Central Asia (First aired on Tuesday May 2, 2006)

ARTIST(S)	RECORDING	CUT(S)	SOURCE
Yungchen Lhamo	Ama	Om Mani Padme Hung [4:30] Ranzen [4:30]	Real World #52576 ** www.realworldrecords.com *
Sainkho	Out Of Tuva	Tanola Nomads [6:00]	Cramworld #Craw-6 www.crammed.be
Yungchen Lhamo	Ama	Look Down On Us [4:30]	See above.
Chöying Drolma & Steve Tibbetts	Selwa	Song of Realization [9:00]	Six Degrees #1104** www.sixdegreesrecords.com *
Philip Glass	Kundun	Escape To India [10:00]	Nonesuch # 79460 www.nonesuch.com*
Tibetan Buddhism	Tantras of Gyuto	Sangwa Dupa, excerpt [6:00]	Nonesuch Explorer #79198** www.nonesuch.com*

*, ** - Find the recordings you've heard - go to the New Sounds Recordings Information page