This second album from Tibet's most extraordinary voice, produced by Hector Zazou, frames Yungchen Lhamo's stunning songs of freedom and beauty out of sorrow with delicately ambient instrumentation, a departure from her ea... more »rlier a cappella recordings. Yungchen Lhamo fled Tibet - on foot across the Himalayas with her child in her arms - to freedom in the Dalai Lama's exile community in Dharamsala, India. Today, based in New York City, she continues to sing on behalf of the Tibetan cause with the express blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Real Word. 2009.« less
This second album from Tibet's most extraordinary voice, produced by Hector Zazou, frames Yungchen Lhamo's stunning songs of freedom and beauty out of sorrow with delicately ambient instrumentation, a departure from her earlier a cappella recordings. Yungchen Lhamo fled Tibet - on foot across the Himalayas with her child in her arms - to freedom in the Dalai Lama's exile community in Dharamsala, India. Today, based in New York City, she continues to sing on behalf of the Tibetan cause with the express blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Real Word. 2009.
"Yungchen Lhamo is exquisite. A miraculous voice of such expression that words do not convey the beauty of it. This album has gorgeous songs on it, without doubt. I give it only four stars due to the heavy popflavored tacky production and accompaniment. Why could we have not had someone senstive to the acoustic possibilities of this marvelous voice and esthetic arrange this album. It has ruined most of the songs for me. Too heavy, too western, too slanted toward making a buck at the expense of this natural wondrous woman."
Truly Special
04/08/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a cd that won't disappoint anyone that loves a good voice (phenomenal voice), deeply moving music, and, a very good technical recording to enhance the whole experience. Being Tibetan, Yungchen Llamo will shock new listeners with a crystal clear, spiritually powerful voice that is uncommon in western music. It is music worth owning."
Great vocalist crippled by production
T. Vuorela | 05/13/2005
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Yungchen Lhamo is worth 5 stars anytime. Unfortunately, I can only imagine how it would be if she were backed up by equally talented production. Or, I won't need to imagine - listening to Dorje-Den from "Tibet Tibet" gives a very good idea.
Unfortunately this incredible singer caught the eye of some new-ageish producer, who applied a standard formula to westernize music they judge too exotic to the $ holding westeners. I can almost see a major gym-chain yoga class realaxing to this album, that's how bad this lifeless and sterile production is.
As I listened to this CD, I came to think of the portable cassetterecorders of the 80's, with karaoke mode, so you could tune down the vocals. I found myself hoping the have the reverse, where I could tune down the elevatormusic playing on the background so that I could instead focus on some of the finest singing this planet has produced.
"
Home Is Where The Heart Is
R. J MOSS | Alice Springs, Australia | 10/29/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Peter Gabriel's Real World enterprise has thrown up some marvels to world audiences.Yungchen Lhamo is a voice the world needs and may easily have been denied: and the biographical data is carried in the songs of'Coming Home', a quietly moving document. In this instance, the expatriate's loss of a home, is our gain. I'm reminded of Reen Kelani's awesomely poignant,'Sprinting Gazelle' for these reasons. This is simpler musical fare, but none the less effective. Lhamo has written historically, peronally and of her buddhist spiritual life. The Tuvan throat lads guest with complementary sweetness given their approximation to Tibetan temple chanting. The Real World maestros have stood back to allow Lhamos the spotlight:a bit of Gabriellesque droning, but thankfully light on his operatic flourishes."