Ama (2006)

In 1989, this cultural hero fled oppression in her native Tibet to the refugee community of Dharamsala, India, eventually settling in New York City. This backstory frames Yungchen Lhamo's strangely melismatic, birdlike vocals, which are mainly in Tibetan. On Ama, she pushes boundaries via improvisation and collaborators, including singer Annie Lennox and a U.N.-worthy collection of international instrumentalists. Anything that distracts from Lhamo's exquisite voice, however, feels like TV in a monastery — so Zen and yoga students may want to program around the busier tracks.