By Mu Qian (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-04-26 09:51

At the recent 13th Central China Television Young Singers Competition, Tibetan vocalists displayed their unique interpretation of music, especially in the category of yuanshengtai, meaning "original, natural state (of voices/music)".

Soinam Targyai from Tibet sang a song titled Snow Mountain in the final of the yuanshengtai category.

The Shangrila group

Even though most of the TV viewers could not understand the lyrics, Soinam Targyai's pure voice won them over.

"My home is in a place closest to the sun. It is called the North Tibet Prairie. I grew up there herding, watching the stars and listening to stories from my grandparents.

"In my mind, my home is the most beautiful place. We have grasslands and blue skies," she said.

Although Soinam Targyai was not one of the top 10 singers in the competition, she was happy with the experience.

"I have liked singing since childhood," she said.

"This is my first time in Beijing. I'm very happy to sing about my home."

Norbu Cering, director of the group of singers from Tibet, said Soinam Targyai won the first prize in the qualification competition in Tibet.

"The CCTV Young Singers Competition provides a big stage for ethnic minority music and goes toward preserving the traditional music of Tibet," Norbu Cering said.

Tibetan singers from other parts of China also took part in the competition, such as the Shangrila group from Yunnan province. The group won the silver award in the pop category.

The group consists of two Tibetans and two from the Lisu ethnic group. They are all members of the Song and Dance Ensemble of the Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Yunnan. The group is named after the place where they come from - Diqing's capital Shangrila.

Blending traditional and modern musical elements, the group is exploring a unique style of its own. Most of the group's songs are in the Tibetan language. However, some members also sing songs in the languages of the Lisu, Naxi and other ethnic groups that live in Shangrila.

"Our group represents the different cultures in Shangrila," Lurong Nongbu, a Tibetan singer with the group, said.

What impressed viewers and the judges most was the group's harmony, which differs from traditional Tibetan or Western styles. A singer often switches from tenor to baritone.

"Since the competition, we are more confident of ourselves and aim to become an international group, but we'll never give up our traditional music," Lurong Nongbu said.