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Namgyal Lhamo is an award winning music artist and actress. She is an acclaimed exponent of Tibetan traditional singing and Tibetan Opera, Lhamo. Currently based in Utrecht, Netherlands, she has been christened The Nightingale of Tibet. She has won numerous awards for her music and has also acted in major roles in films such as Karma and Drapchi.

Early life
Lhamo was born in Nepal and raised in India. Although she has never stepped foot in Tibet, she is known for honoring Tibet through her music. She attributes her love for music to her mother. In an interview with World Music Central, she stated that she was around 4 or 5 when she would try to imitate her mother who would be humming traditional Tibetan songs. She further stated, "My mother was my idol."

Lhamo began her career at the age of 8 and was recognized by many as a child prodigy. She trained for fourteen years at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, an institute set up by the Dailai Lama to preserve Tibetan artistic heritage. While there, she trained under master of Tibetan opera and classical music. She went on to become the star performer for the institute where she also transitioned into the various kinds of classical and folk music of her country. She moved to the Netherlands in the 1980s but through her music she still pursues the mission to preserve Tibetan culture.

Music
Lhamo toured through with Tibet Impressions in 1998, visiting countries such as Holland, Germany, and Belgium. She participated in global manifestations such as Earth Dance, World Artists For Tibet, and the 50th Anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights. She also performed at Freedom Concerts in Amsterdam and New York City alongside acts like the Beastie Boys, Alanis Morissette and Björk. Lhamo is a solo performer but is accompanied by the Tibetan lute and her own voice during performances. She is also an accomplished songwriter that is rooted in her Tibetan tradition.

In 2007, Lhamo released two albums entitled Pure and The Enchanted Land. Pure is an album with classical based Tibetan songs. The Enchanted Land is a collaboration with electronic lounge musician Arnav Srivastava. Both albums were released worldwide.

Lhamo released a music video in 2008 entitled Paradise Lost. The video won Best Music Video at the 2009 Tibetan Music Awards and also appeared at numerous film festivals. The controversial video was a musical collaboration between the singer and English rockers The Wolfmen (Marco Pirroni and Chris Constantinou - Formerly Adam and The Ants). It was released on the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and made its festival debut when it screened in competition at the Asian Hotshots Berlin film festival in January 2009. The video was released on the eve of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Film
Lhamo has produced and acted in numerous films. Her debut production film was titled Karma. The film was directed by Arvind Iyer and released in 2006. She was also the executive producer on another Arvind Iyer film entitled Drapchi, where she also played the lead role of Yiga Gyalnang. Her role as Yiga documents the journey of a Tibetan opera singer who survives deadly underground incarceration for what the Chinese government claims is open rebellion through her music. The film was premiered at the Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema and is said to be a testament of the strong human spirit of Tibetans and a metaphor for the illegal detention and control of Tibetans inside Chinese-controlled Tibet.

Awards and recognitions
Lhamo has won numerous awards for her music including the Best Female Artist at the 2007 Tibetan Music Awards and the Best Female Solo Artist from India/Tibet at the International Music Awards in 2007. In 2007 she was also honored with the title Nightingale. India Today also refereed to her as the "best Tibetan traditional singer of our times."


 * 2011 - Winner for Best Act at the Tibetan Music Awards.
 * 2009 - Winner for Best Music Video at the Tibetan Music Awards for Paradise Lost.
 * 2008 - Nominated for Best World Music Act at the Holland / Belgium Mixed Magazine Awards.
 * 2007 - Winner for Best Female Solo Artist from Tibet India at the International Music Awards.
 * 2007 - Winner for Best Female Tibetan Singer at the Tibetan Music Awards.

Personal life
Lhamo also owns the eclectic vegetarian restaurant “De Werfkring” in Utrecht.