BY JESSIE WANG, LEAD WRITER (COMMUNITY AND SOCIAL AWARENESS)
We’re lucky we live in a country that boasts itself as being one of the most multicultural in the world. Whether refugee, immigrant, or expat, all who move to Australia are united in a single goal – to seek a good life.
So it should hardly come as a surprise that we’re lucky enough to experience many festivals in Australia that are created to celebrate diversity and multinationalism.
But the question is, how is this celebrated?
There are many food festivals and film festivals. But Settlement Services International had the idea of a music festival – because music has no barriers; no geographical borders. It’s a universal form of communication.
From this, Homelands Tour – an annual tour celebrating Refugee Week – was born.
We chat to Tenzin Choegyal, a musician who fled Tibet for India, and then came to Australia, about his musical journey ahead of the Homelands Tour.
Hi Tenzin. It’s lovely to meet you! So, how did you get involved with music?
Tibetan music lives in oral tradition. It’s a normal part of everyday life for Tibetans, so music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. I began to learn from a very young age by listening to my father’s flute music, and the songs my mother sang as she went about her work. Later, as a student at the Tibetan Children’s Village School in Dharamsala, India, I learnt different forms of Tibetan song and began to play the dranyen and bamboo flute.
What are some interesting features about Tibetan music that people don’t know about?
In the west, when people think of Tibetan music, they sometimes think only of harmonic chanting performed by Tibetan Buddhist monks. But, like any other culture, Tibetan music comes from many different traditions and takes many forms such as classical, folk, droklu (the nomadic music of my parents) and contemporary.
Today, Tibetan music continues to evolve in different ways, both inside Tibet and in the freedom of exile.
How do you normally write your music? Tell us about the process you go through.
The process of writing a piece of music can take a lifetime or it can take a day. A small piece created a long time ago to express a certain feeling can take on a life of its own years later.
When I write in collaboration with others, I find listening to the sounds and space around us is particularly important. There is sound in every space, and space in every sound, and one needs to develop a profound listening capacity. This is especially true when I work with Shen and Marcello, my bandmates in Tibet2Timbuk2 during our weekly jam sessions, and it sometimes takes a long time for a song to evolve as we revisit old ideas and experiment with new sounds.
You have recently collaborated with Philip Glass, who I really look up to. What was this experience like for you?
I have been very fortunate to be able to collaborate with many amazing musicians and artists, one of them being composer and musician Philip Glass. I first met Philip in 2011 when I was invited to perform at the annual Tibet House concert at Carnegie Hall. As the artistic director, he brings together an amazing line-up of artists and Tibet supporters each year. Since then, we have worked together on several projects; and Philip has become a mentor, a sounding board, and an important part of my career.
What are some of your other career highlights? Have you got a favourite?
Over the years, I have had the privilege of performing in the presence of my root guru, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. I have presented my compositions at his teachings and open public talks in India, Australia, and Japan. Such opportunities are an honour for any Tibetan.
Another highlight has been participating in every Woodford Folk Festival since 1998, as well as other festivals across Australia and around the globe, particularly the annual Tibet House concerts and Pathway to Paris events.
I also occasionally perform more intimate home concerts at various places around Australia, which is something I especially enjoy.
You were a refugee from Tibet who was forced into exile in India. How did music play a role in this transitional period of your life?
For me, music is life, no matter where I am. Music has the ability to express one’s personal chronology as we move through the different stages of life. My music has evolved through my own journey from Tibet to India to Australia and around the world. But wherever I am in the world, my music also connects me to my homeland of Tibet.
How do you personally think music can be used to foster social connection and breakdown cultural barriers?
Sound has no barriers. I like to think that music is like drifting clouds that fly freely over the man-made geographical borders, in this infinite space of possibilities.
Music is a universal form of communication and cultural exchange and a powerful medium to tell one’s own story, the communal story, and the story of humanity.
Through my music, I have become an accidental activist. Performing gives me a stage where I can connect with others, raise awareness of important issues, and encourage mutual understanding of the diversity of humanity.
You are touring Australia as part of the Homelands Tour. What can we expect from these performances?
One of the best ways to learn about any culture is through its music, so I’m really looking forward to collaborating with other artists from different backgrounds to bring our music to so many different communities across the country. This will be a great opportunity to celebrate the rich diversity of our music as we share our stories and traditions, explore common ground and create new sounds.
See Tenzin perform in the Homelands Tour during Refugee Week, 15-22 June. Visit the Settlement Services International website for a full list of dates, locations, and performance artists featuring in this cultural festival.
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