Awakening

The Tibetan singer and composer has been in exile from her birth land for over 30 years. Awakening is her sixth release and it continues her heartfelt quest to bring the plight of the Tibetan people to attention through art.

Her clear, almost angelic high voice on the title-track sings of compassion and understanding, accompanied by a group of Spanish musicians playing Spanish guitar, bass, cello and percussion. This instrumentation, as well as flute and soprano sax on other tracks, gives the album a light classical/folk/jazz feel. Lhamo revisits Tibetan mantras to the Green Tara who is the goddess of compassion on ‘Living Kindness’, intoning in her lower register with flamenco singer Carmen Linares’ passionate short interjection and the quintessential ‘Compassion for All Beings’, where Yungchen multi-tracks her voice across three different registers.

On ‘Path to Awakening’ she tenderly sings that human life can be precious, but death can come at anytime, so awaken to the causes of suffering within you: pride, jealousy, desire, ignorance, greed and anger and to the inner power of generosity, morality, patience, diligence, concentration and wisdom. Wise words indeed.