Tenzin Choegyal Rotating Header Image

Tibetan singer/songwriter

Reviews

“Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal delivered the night’s most revelatory music, playing Himalayan blues and power ballads on the dranyen lute backed by Patti Smith’s band and Laurie Anderson.”
Rolling Stone Magazine

 

“Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal was equally impressive, as much for his infectious smile as for his powerful and wonderful voice.”
Billboard Magazine

 

“… Tibetan singer-instrumentalist Tenzin Choegyal, with a rapid vibrato and volume wattage to put any Italian opera tenor in the shade….”
The Australian (Vincent Plush)

 

“Tibetan Tenzin Choegyal was a ubiquitous presence, somewhat colonising the major folk venue, The Folklorica. Both on his own and with other musos, memorably a fusion session with celloist Katherine Philp, his voice and passion lifted the roof. He sang the mountains and the plains of Tibet, and its pain and strength into being.”
Daily Review (Crikey)

 

“Composer and musician Tenzin Choegyal is well known for his haunting melodies, soaring vocals and an addiction to experimentation. So when I took a seat last night in the Rubin Museum’s acoustic theater for a sold-out show by Choegyal alongside Laurie Anderson and Jesse Paris Smith, I expected to be surprised. But nothing could have prepared me for what was to come: an hour-long journey into the great unknown, filled with visualizations of death, rebirth and the great mystery of awakening”
Tibetan Art Council

 

“Tenzin Choegyal bristled with talent, from his extraordinary singing and mastery of several instruments, to the telling of humorous anecdotes from Tibet.”
Sunshine Coast Daily

 

ALBUM REVIEW: HEARTSTRINGS   ****
“WHEN you listen to Tenzin Choegyal’s music, images of the high plains and mountains of Tibet come to mind. Such images are bittersweet considering the musician and his family fled their homeland when he was a child. He grew up in India, eventually settled in Brisbane and has carved out a global career from Queensland. This album continues his work of crossing musical boundaries between east and west. This is a collaborative recording featuring Choegyal with his distinctive voice, playing his dranyen, a Tibetan stringed instrument. On the title track, Heart Strings, he is accompanied by children from the Tibetan Children’s Village, India, which makes this a hauntingly beautiful number. He opens prayerfully with Safe Passage, a song that is basically a prayer from the 8th Century classic text, The Tibetan Book of the Dead. On the following tracks Choegyal explores spirituality, poetry and nomad songs featuring his plaintive vocals. He is joined by friends including tabla player Shen Flindell, guitarist Marcello Milani and cellist Katherine Philp. This CD is uplifting and mystical.”
Phil Brown – News.com.au

 

“Tenzin Choegyal has been a good cultural ambassador for the Tibetan people by singing and performing traditional songs and music at festivals, cultural events and concerts in Australia and New Zealand. He is a passionate and dedicated performing artist who possesses the talent and skill to succeed.”
Mr Chope Paljor Tsering, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Australasia.

 

“Through his music [and] his warm explanations, we were transported to a world where peace, love and mediation are central to life. It is Tenzin’s obvious joyfulness when he sings and plays that contributes to our listening pleasure.”
Brisbane Ethnic Music and Arts Centre Magazine

 

“…Bringing a perfect close to the festival was none other than Tenzin Choegyal & The  Tashi Lhunpo Monks of Tibet performing a ritual dance piece, followed by a solo show by Choegyal and a collaboration of the group to close. More than anything WOMADelaide symbolised the results possible when cultures are accepting of each other. WOMAD brings together those people who still hold hope for the cause of harmony around the world and the show witnessed over these two days and three nights was a direct result of the fostering of a positive energy, transferred in to positive action. ..”
Jordan Mulroney for WOMAD 08 In Review