Ani Choying Drolma

Background

Ani Choying was born on June 4, 1971, in Kathmandu, Nepal, to Tibetan exiles.

Career

She has been recently appointed as the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund Goodwill Ambassador to Nepal. She entered monastic life as a means of escape from her physically abusive father, and she was accepted into the Nagi Gompa nunnery at the age of 13. Foreign a number of years, the monastery"s resident chant master (who was trained directly by the wife of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche) taught Ani Choying the music that she is famous for performing.

In 1994, guitarist Steve Tibbetts visited the nunnery and eventually recorded much of the Tibetan music with Ani Choying on two albums.

The recordings, titled Chö and Selwa, were released to critical acclaim. Tibbetts and Ani Choying embarked on small performance tours, which included shows at several historical Tibetan monasteries.

Sina Vodjani recorded an album in collaboration with Ani Choying Dolma. Ani Choying Dolma is part of a fairly large group of musicians in the Tibetan tradition now active outside Tibet, including the singers Techung, Karjam Saeji, Phurbu T Namgyal, Amchok Gompo Dhondup, Yungchen Lhamo, flautist Nawang Khechog, and Jewish-American Tibetan-genre performer Amalia Rubin.

Ani Choying has been involved in several humanitarian works.

She has advocated the need for an official Earth Anthem for the planet supporting the efforts of Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K in this direction. She was part of India Inclusion Summit where she delivered a heart-warming speech.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Singing for Freedom by Ani Choying Drolma (2009-06-01)
  • Ich singe f??r die Freiheit: Die Lebensreise einer buddhistischen Nonne by Ani Choying Drolma (2011-10-17)