Kelsang Chukie Tethong: A Musical Evening of Devotional and Traditional Tibetan Songs

Kelsang Chukie spent about 11 years at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, Dharmsala, developing her interest and talent. In her last few years at TIPA she became one of the few solo singers.  In the mid-'70s she left TIPA and it was many years later that she was able to revive and renew her deep interest in singing.

Since then she has presented solo performances in the United States, Canada, Holland, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malayasia, Thailand and Japan. She has just returned from a singing trip to Taiwan in July this year. 

Chukie studied music and singing from the great Tibetan musicians Lutsa-la and Maja Tsewang Gyurme. Lutsa-la was a well known "dra-nyen" (Tibetan lute) player even before 1959, the year the Tibetans came into exile. Mr. Maja was a Tibetan government official of pre-1959 who continued to serve the Tibetan Government-in-Exile as well in various capacities till his retirement, but because of his great love for music he had the opportunity of studying and playing music with some of the greatest and most famous Tibetan musicians of his time. In the late '80s, Mr. Maja encouraged Chukie to sing again. He taught her several of the pure, traditional "nangma toeshey." 

Chukie feels that singing traditional songs of Tibet helps to preserve a part of the Tibetan culture.