McLeodGanj: Tibetan Traditional Music Class with Tsewang Choeden

Can anyone vouch for this - ever done it before? It's listed in the directories, and something I would very much like to take part in as an ethnomusicologist.

Any other suggestions for musical encounters in the area would be great, too!

Can't help you (departing on my first trip to India on 3 Oct) - but this sure sounds interesting.

There are a few people engaged in music at cafes(Shiva Cafe or NoName Cafe) enroute bhagsunag waterfall, may be they would be in a position to help you out in this aspect.

Hey sixrivets... I'm a solo female traveler, and will be around on Oct. 3... if you are too, let's meet up!

Contact this guy: http://www.omsinger.com/ABOUT.html He lives in Canada but knows a lot about the music scene and may have good suggestions. I'd send him a short message and ask if you can call him as although his spoken English is very good, I don't think he reads and writes at the same level.
Tibetan dance parties should should still be on at Mountview on Saturday nights.
If you luck out there will be some concerts.
Go to Lhamo's Croissant and talk to D.K. He has great English as he has travelled abroad a lot, and is usually up to date on music. His wife is Lhamo if he isn't there.
Essentially there are two different music scenes-- some will try to deny it, but it's true-- that of those born in India and another of musicians who came from Tibet, but there is some cross-over.

Landing in Delhi October 6 - won't get to Mcleodganj until December at the earliest, unfortunately. But let's stay in touch.

Wow Cardinal, thank you.. you seem to know a lot about what's going on musically... if you're on any kind of chat interface (facebook/gchat/yahoo), I'd love to ask you some questions about it (I'm an ethnomusicologist).

Sent you a private message. I don't know a lot but hopefully I can be helpful. There is an older book called Echoes from Dharamsala: Music in the Life of a Tibetan Refugee Community. Singing the Nation: Modern Tibetan Music and National Identity is a paper about music in Tibet-- not Dharamsala-- by a brilliant Tibetan scholar called Lama Jabb.

I've read and written reviews on both, thanks!! Echoes from Dharamsala is one of my most-ofted quoted books!

There should still be a Tibetan music night at Mountview, modern dance party music mostly from Tibet. In the winter it was on Saturday nights. Good times.

You should also talk to Lobsang Wangyal. He is the organizer of Miss Tibet and the Tibetan Music Awards. But he is quite the character as you will discover at the end of this film if you haven't seen it already: http://www.abc.net.au/foreign/content/2012/s3518891.htm

I have spoken with Lobsang many times.. looking forward to the music night at Mountview!!
If you know of any Indian performance venues locally, let me know!

In terms of live events, look for posters around town and people selling tickets at tables in the main square. Touring Indian artists don't make it up there too often, as it is so remote, but you may luck out. Most local Indian talent, understandably, move to major centres.

In light of the Miss Tibet documentary, I wonder if he chooses the winners of the music awards himself as well? Probably. No one who attended could understand the results of the last Miss Tibet. They thought the Inji judges had made a very strange choice. On the plus side, he is very helpful to foreigners who are working on projects.

Hola Nola,

Hope you will have great time in India, especially in McLeodganj. At least once a year I prefer to visit this place that helps me in my work, personal life and spiritually too. As long as you are looking for some great flavours of music and blends into it, try NoName Cafe or Shiva Cafe and besides there is a open terrace restaurant which organize local music events very often.
Now days, even Indian typical bollywood musicians are also approaching towards Dharamshala but they never performed in McLeodganj, so it completely depends on luck if you will get it
I would suggest do visit 'Upper McLeodganj' and try to stay there only as long as you are there in.
Cheers!!

Hola Nola,

Hope you will have great time in India, especially in McLeodganj. At least once in a year I take out time from my hectic schedule to visit this place that really helps me in my work, personal life and spiritually too. As long as you are looking for some great flavours of music and blends into it, try NoName Cafe or Shiva Cafe and besides there is a open terrace restaurant (which is well known in locality) which organize local music events very often.
Now days, even Indian typical bollywood musicians are also approaching towards Dharamshala but they never performed in McLeodganj, so it completely depends on luck if you will get it
I would suggest on your visit to 'Upper McLeodganj', try to stay there only as long as you are there in.
Cheers!!