Audio Review
by Benjamin Ivry
Voice from Tara
Kelsang Chukie Tethong Narada World 03/04 Music $17.98 The Tibetan Goddess Tara’s name means "star" or "star of hope." Tara guides her devotees across the ocean of life to enlightenment. She appears to people in dreams as a guardian angel, which is why a small statue of Tara is found in almost all Tibetan homes. Like a star that perpetually consumes its own energy, Tara reminds us of the never-ending desires that fuel human life. Tara’s voice is incarnated on this soothing CD by the young Tibetan folk singer Kelsang Chukie Tethong. Best known for her prayerful singing on the soundtrack of the Brad Pitt film Seven Years in Tibet, Chukie Tethong’s performances convey pristine innocence and inner strength. Listening to her use music to defend Tibetan culture against the onslaught of communist China, currently occupying her country, gives us courage in our own everyday struggles. When not singing, Chukie Tethong works as a hostess at Pema Thang (Lotus Field), a guest house in Dharamsala, India (pemathang.com), located a mere 10-minute walk from the home of the Dalai Lama. There, tourists and pilgrims are inspired to see the Himalayas pointing up at night to the stars. Reviews and database copyright © 1980-2005 by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat. |
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