![Pawo pamo jeldren (Memories of martyrs) [Live clip]](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ma8iymcoJe1rem54lo1_1347514119_cover.jpg)
On September 1, I went with my fellow fellowship friends Patrick and Christina to a concert at TIPA (Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts). The show featured several modern Tibetan musicians singing karaoke-style atop backing tracks that they had recorded previously. A poster with each of the 50+ self-immolator's faces backdropped the stage, and upstage, below the poster, was a table of butter lamps-- one for each victim. Unfortunately, I couldn't take a clear image of the stage, but I did get one of the absolutely packed concert hall:
Since this was my first concert, I was thrilled to see so many young Tibetans in the audience (as well as a couple of Tibetan government representatives, one of whom gave a brief introduction). The turnout was all the more impressive considering that the concert was organized within a matter of days. Up until this concert, I hadn't seen much music performed publicly, so it was something of a relief to see in the audience that modern Tibetan music does resonate with a large enough group of Dharamsalans to fill a concert hall.
Here's a photo of one of the many promotional posters that were to be found around McLeod Ganj, which gives, I think, a sense of the tone of the concert as well as its audience.
Most of the music, genre-wise, felt like subdued lounge music. It sounded as if a lot of the instrumentals-the drums, the bass, the synth-strings--were produced using pre-packaged patches on a single keyboard. The singers, however, were fantastic. One of the best entertainers of the evening, as well as the most unique musician stylistically speaking, was Tamding, the "first ever Tibetan heavy metal singer," as he is often advertised around town. When he came onstage, the crowd came alive. He performed "Pawo pamo jeldren (Memories of martyrs)" from his very recently released album, Open Road. I've posted a two-minute clip of his performance above.
Although I have been on the lookout for locally made hip hop, I was not expecting metal. I hope to talk with Tamding, as well as some of his fans, about his music. The rest of his new album, by the way, is excellent.
