Soname
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Soname

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Press


"Reviews For 'Plateau'"

“Buddhist chants mingle with tablas and frenetic vocalisation. Horses race yaks; fish swim in holy lakes; Dharma prefigures Karma; parental love is celebrated.”

4 STARS

The Financial Times, Saturday 28th March 2009



“Plateau was recorded in Kolkata and London, with a strong lineup of British and Indian musicians including tabla player Tanmoy Bose. At its heart, it's a pop album - inconsistent, but with broad appeal.”

The Guardian, Friday 27 March 2009



“Soname…is…a songwriter with a distinctive voice…brilliantly accompanied by Tanmoy Bose on tabla and a light sprinkling of other instruments…It's a heartfelt message.”

Evening Standard, 27 March 2009



“Like Soname's book, the record manages to conjure Buddhist spirituality while remaining rooted in the bustle of the everyday. A lovely creation.”

The Observer, 29 March 2009

- Various UK Newspapers


Discography

2009 NEW ALBUM 'Plateau' (World Village)
(Soname - vocals) - out on 30th March 2009.

2006 11 track CD 'Unforgettable Land' (fortunate360)
(Soname - vocals) - distributed by Harmonia Mundi.

2003 4 track EP/CD
(Soname - vocals, Matt Grey - clarinets and flutes, Luke Adams - guitar, Chris Kenny - guitar, Ian Dell - percussion)

1998 6 track CD 'Turquoise One'
(Soname - vocals, Geoff Smith - hammer dulcimer)

Photos

Bio

Soname Yangchen, born of noble descent in the countryside of Tibet, had to endure a childhood in servitude, separated from her parents and working in Chinese occupied Lhasa. She didn't enjoy the privileges of education, freedom and family life. At the age of sixteen she fled with a group of monks across the Himalayas - a difficult and dangerous journey in which she faced near-starvation, exhaustion and the perpetual threat of discovery by Chinese soldiers. She survived the ordeal and reached Kathmandu in Nepal.
She finally arrived in Dharamsala, Northern India, where HH Dalai Lama has his home in exile. There she eked out a living in menial jobs, and faced the heartbreak of giving up her baby daughter to the care of paternal grandparents back in Tibet. After six years she travelled to England (by way of France) where she has lived ever since, building a rapidly progressing singing career.
Soname gave her debut performances in the western world in 1998. Since then audiences across Europe have been moved by the magic of her voice. In 2003 Soname charmed a celebrity studded gala at the Evening for Tibet Fundraiser under the auspices of HRH Prince of Wales at London's world famous Royal Opera House. Living in a one-bedroom flat in Brighton at the time and working as a cleaner, Soname had to admit to friends that she had never heard of the Royal Opera House and did not know where it was. 2004 saw her embark on her first tour of Iceland, performing with members of the Sugarcubes to sold-out theatres. Other highlights were her concerts in conjunction with HH Dalai Lama's visit to Scotland.
She recorded her first album, of original compositions, “Unforgettable Land” in 2000 with borrowed money and sold it at concerts and later via her website. UK distributor Harmonia Mundi eventually stepped in to help get the album into stores. In 2003 she was happily reunited with her daughter, and 2006 saw the publishing of her autobiography “Child of Tibet – The Story of Soname’s Flight to Freedom” (written with Vicki MacKenzie) by Piatkus Books, which has since been translated into German (where it hit the best-sellers list) and recently into French.
All too aware of the poverty and lack of healthcare in Dharamsala, Soname initiated an ongoing project (with the German charity Roter Lotus) to build a multi-denominational hospital there, the Gyuto Tantric University Hospital, on land adjacent to the Gyuto Monastery.
Soname is pleased to bring the ancient culture of Tibet to the modern media via the vehicle of her beautiful music. Her songs reflect different styles including both powerful mountain songs, and songs with a spiritual influence. Soname's voice is awesomely powerful with a haunting passion that reflects the joy and beauty of the Tibetan landscape.