tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25453634401763593072011-09-12T13:36:03.776-07:00documenting histories and exploring culture through musicKatey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.comBlogger141100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-75830346266674708352010-07-14T10:26:00.000-07:002010-07-14T15:03:04.122-07:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> 0 false 18 pt 18 pt 0 0 false false false <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable;

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-18396737313043433172009-10-13T04:56:00.000-07:002009-10-13T05:05:15.950-07:00

Andrea Clearfield is renowned for her cutting edge compositions and social activism. Don't miss performances of her collaborative piece Lung Ta, inspired by her travels in Mustang!www.andreaclearfield.comEVENT INFORMATION:10/26 - 11/22Tibetan Sand Mandala, Kalachakra,to be Created as an offering to the City of Philadelphia:World Peace through Inner PeaceFor more info and calendar of events:

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-92148228104850429092009-10-11T18:02:00.000-07:002009-10-12T04:33:30.772-07:00

Hi Folks -- I'll be speaking at a couple of events listed below.ETHICAL DILEMMAS in FIELDWORK PRACTICEand ETHNOGRAPHIC WRITINGFriday, October 23, 1-3pmUniversity of VirginiaDepartment of AnthropologyBrooks HallWorld Oral Literature Project WorkshopCambridge UniversityDecember 15-16, 2009"This two-day workshop by the World Oral Literature Project, is bringing together established

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-85477670863472538722009-10-11T17:52:00.000-07:002009-10-11T18:12:45.747-07:00

Check out Drokpa, a non profit that does fantastic work in grassroots development among pastoral communities in the Himalayas and Central Asia.http://drokpa.org/Drokpa works with a variety of programs in alternative energy, education and training, community health and social entrepreneurship and periodically host related events in the States.

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-24618944392798031602009-08-27T13:05:00.000-07:002009-08-27T13:12:27.073-07:00

Nyinda Angmo is about a father's relation with his daughter. Sorry for the quality of the visual on this one!

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-86464232607984451702009-06-08T05:02:00.000-07:002009-06-08T10:08:03.629-07:00

At first it seemed unnatural for Tashi Tsering to perform behind a microphone and to be listening to him through large ear-covering headphones.  The World Map mocked the shiny, black, new equipment from its perch, on the wall just behind Tashi Tsering in our make shift studio.  But at the end of my three week stay in Lo Monthang, I sadly packed the Shure and Sennheiser mics, the Marantz recorder,

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-20747010279250094512009-06-06T07:11:00.001-07:002009-06-08T09:42:07.689-07:00

The Lo Monthang community leans on the lower castes to preserve music and dance traditions.  Tashi Tsering retains the Kha Lu repertoire.  His eldest daughter devotes substantial time to teaching the Lo Monthang Youth Club traditional dances.  Reputedly, Tashi Tsering's son and a group of his friends were talented musicians.  Before they left the area to earn cash in American army camps in Iraq,

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-43504076498013374242009-06-06T05:47:00.000-07:002009-06-07T05:06:00.184-07:00

It was my usual American ritual -- to dance the energy I felt about the area.  My friends and I had turned breakdancing into a roadtripping staple -- at a rest stop in the middle of a Montana valley we'd find quintessential Montanan train track-saloon backdrops to dance in front of.  And the wizened Montana wranglers laughed at us, but enjoyed our entertainment and could relate to our cramped

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-1045445132769288452009-05-31T09:23:00.000-07:002009-05-31T09:54:13.075-07:00

Almost fifteen years ago the Lo Monthang Village District Committee (VDC) began what started as small restoration projects.  First, the VDC collaborated to restore a set of large prayer wheels outside of the village walls.  The community attracted international attention for local restoration efforts and project potential, which snowballed into international partnerships.  Various sources

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-78235539569628327692009-05-31T08:51:00.000-07:002009-05-31T09:04:28.981-07:00

What are your thoughts on effective cultural preservation?The Kha Lu folk song repertoire of northern Nepal’s Lo region has been at the cusp of extinction; the aging Tashi Tsering, the Official Singer of the Royal Court of Lo’s capital city, Lo Monthang, is the sole preservator of this oral tradition.  In Spring 2009, by request of King Jigme Bista of Lo and with sponsorship by Cambridge

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-4539312632550225432009-05-28T02:39:00.000-07:002009-05-28T02:41:35.165-07:00

"Dear Jimmy," Amanda Smiled, "You're nearly normal.  All that stands between you and Wall Street is Tibet."  -Tom Robbins

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-7051177751523026912009-05-15T22:31:00.000-07:002009-05-31T09:23:14.850-07:00

Sorry, All, for not keeping my blog while I was away! Lo Monthang was just beginning to get it's daily allowance of four hours of electricity per evening while I was there, but internet is scarce in the region! Many postings, photos, songs and video to come when I return to the States in a few days, but for now I'll leave you with some lyrics.TSE LUN PUMBAThis song is sung at festivals and

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-46560919421183206902009-03-28T21:29:00.000-07:002009-03-30T10:10:16.110-07:00

Preparing for a trip to Asia is a TO DO list of Rapunzelian length:-Cypro and diamox from the pharmacy  -BestBuy for memory cards, AA's and AAA's-Buy duct tape and sand paper, apply to electronics case (cheap but effective premium for my equipment insurance policy) -Safeway for ziplock bags (Clause two of equipment insurance policy to protect against the elements).......If I forget anything, I'll

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2545363440176359307.post-68686159394863120902009-03-25T10:58:00.000-07:002009-03-25T11:13:07.169-07:00

---, a 42-year-old surna player and carpenter who lives in a hamlet of Nubra Valley, only a few kilometers from the Line of Control between India and Pakistan, understood that playing his music is a double-edged sword -- "Music is very important, valued very much in our Ladakhi culture...but we musicians are taken advantage of.  Our music is demanded.  We must play when we are ill and not

Katey Blumenthalnoreply@blogger.com0