Damien Shingleton

Darjeeling Field Recordings [hc118]

artist description: "I made some field recordings in Darjeeling, most significant of which were those of a blind Nepalese beggar at the Chowk Bazaar and the family at the Tenzing restaurant on Burdwan Road.

I was apprehensive about recording the beggar, afraid of looking like a tourist vulture. As you can hear in the recording, I don't think he knew he was being recorded although a friend of his explained afterwards.

The family are Gelong Bhutia, Tenzing Wongmo, Yangchen Dolker (15) and Tenzing Loden (12). I suggested recording Gelong after hearing him when he was at work. I came back the following day and he had prepared the rest of the family to sing as well. Gelong was especially happy for particular songs to be recorded because he is one of the many Tibetan failies in exile, and he hope to preserve something of Tibetan culture."



d/l (vbr .mp3 21 mb)