Ache Lhamo for the Gongkar Dzong, 1939
Lhamo, also called ache lhamo (sister goddess), is a traditional Tibetan opera style with a combination of dance, chant and dance music such as toeshey and nangma. Nangma is still popular in karaoke bars in Lhasa today. The repertoire derives from Buddhist stories and the history of Tibet.
The Tibetan opera was devised in the 14th century by Thangtong Gyalpo, a lama and bridge builder. Gyalpo recruited seven girls and organized the first performance to raise funds to build bridges that needed to provide better connections in Tibet. Tradition continued and lhamo is still held on festive events such as the Linka and Shoton festival. A well-known lhamo group worldwide is Chaksam-pa from San Francisco.
In addition to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, the performing arts are mainly promoted by the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, specializing in the lhamo. The institute was instituted by the Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso, in McLeod Ganj, near Dharamsala, India in August 1959. The institute is aimed at promoting and maintaining Tibetan performing arts and Tibet's artistic legacy. Within the Tibetan Autonomous Region, lhamo is primarily stimulated by various lham associations of the Chinese state. Lhamo is often seen on Tibetan television Xizang TV and CCTV-3.
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