Music Review

Ama (2006)

EW's GRADE
B

Details Release Date: Apr 18, 2006; Lead Performance: Yungchen Lhamo; Genre: World

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.

Originally posted Apr 14, 2006 Published in issue #873 Apr 21, 2006 Order article reprints

Add your comment

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.

500 characters remaining
Advertisement