Special Screening of ‘Tibet in Song’ for CTA officials [Friday, 24 June 2011, 3:44 p.m.]

DHARAMSHALA: Multiple-award-winning ‘Tibet in Song’,
a film by a former political prisoner was shown to the officials of
Central Tibetan Administration at a special screening in Gangkyi
yesterday. Ngawang Choephel, who is a professional
musicologist, went to Tibet in 1995 to capture the state of traditional
Tibetan music in Tibet. His film weaves together a compelling
story of the rich musical heritage in Tibet and how it is facing
systemic destruction under the Chinese communist rule. He
showcased Tibet through the rich traditional folksongs of Tibet in the
countryside and the resilience of the Tibetan people to preserve their
unique musical heritage.”I wondered how the Tibetan music was
destroyed by the Chinese government and how much of it has remained in
Tibet since the Tibetans fled into exile,” he thought prior to
undertaking his harrowing journey to Tibet. “I was constantly
blasted by Chinese propaganda music and pop songs, which is eroding the
identity of our musical heritage in Tibet,” he recalls his arrival in
Lhasa, the capital of Tibet.“But I was determined to find folk
songs. So after one week, I went to the countryside and found what I
was looking for,” he said.But his quest to find traditional
singers was shattered when he was arrested for alleged spying and
sentenced to 18 years in prison. One of the more moving
aspects of the film was how the tireless efforts of the international
community paid off in releasing Ngawang Choephel in 2002.He
says he is a music aficionado as he reminisces growing up listening to
Tibetan folk songs and later pursuing a profession in music.