Cultures at Risk Presenter Biographies

Jamyang Yeshi

Tibetan music and dance: Gompo Dhundup and  Jamyang Yeshi

Jamyang Yeshi was born into a nomadic family near Lake Kokonor, in Amdo, Tibet. From early childhood, he learned the songs and dances of his people, helped by a good singing voice inherited from his father. Lack of opportunity, due to the isolation of his village and Chinese indifference towards traditional Tibetan dance and music, caused Jamyang to flee into exile in 1999, walking with a group of other Tibetans across the Himalaya, to Dharamsala, India.

Soon after his arrival, he founded the group Youth from Snow Land which became very popular in India; later the name was changed to Aku Pema Performing Arts and Jamyang was the leader of this group for four years. During this time he produced two albums of Amdo music called Aku Pema 1 and Aku Pema 2.

Since 2004, he has been a solo performer and recently released a CD entitled Call from a Far Land with the singer Yangchen. Jamyang is also a member of the Potala Performing Arts group. In October, 2004, he performed with them in Moscow at a major international festival. Jamyang currently makes his home in Dharamsala, India.