Dadon (), full name Dadon Dawa Dolma () is a

Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...

singer and actress.

Biography

Dadon was born in Tibet in 1968. In 1985, she obtained a music degree at Music Department of Central Institute for Minorities in

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

. In 1988, she studied voice at the

China Conservatory of Music The China Conservatory of Music (CCMusic; ) is a municipal music academy in Chaoyang, Beijing, China. The school is affiliated with the City of Beijing, and co-funded by the Beijing Municipal People's Government and the Ministry of Culture an ...

in Beijing. Representing Tibet at national Chinese music competitions in 1988 and 1990, she won a silver medal each time. She made five albums in Tibet. Her music, which is characterized by a mixture of traditional and popular folklore, was also critical of the situation in her country, which is considered by the Chinese authorities to be a threat to the state. Inspired by the Taiwanese singer

Teresa Teng Teng Li-Chun ( zh, t=鄧麗君, s=, p=Dèng Lìjūn; 29 January 1953 – 8 May 1995), commonly known as Teresa Teng, was a Taiwanese singer, television personality, musician, and philanthropist. Referred to by some as the "Honorific nicknames i ...

, Dadon also incorporated some styles of Tibetan rock band Rangzen Shonu after hearing a tape smuggled into

Lhasa Lhasa, officially the Chengguan District of Lhasa City, is the inner urban district of Lhasa (city), Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, Southwestern China. Lhasa is the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining ...

in 1988. In 1992, she decided to flee and was granted political asylum in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

( Middletown, Connecticut). Her defection was cited in an internal speech by the Secretary of the CPC Tibet Committee

Chen Kuiyuan Chen Kuiyuan ( zh, s=陈奎元, t=陳奎元, p=Chén Kuíyuán; born January 1941) is a former Chinese politician. In a lengthy public career, Chen served variously as the vice chairman of Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) ...

in 1997, as well as the TV journalist Ngawang Choephel and director of the Tibet Hotel in Lhasa Jamyang Choegyal, son of Minister Kashopa Chogyal Nyima, two other government employees. In 1997, with her 3-year-old son Tenzin Tashi, she participated in a march for Tibet led from

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, by

Thupten Jigme Norbu Thubten Jigme Norbu () (August 16, 1922 – September 5, 2008), recognised as the 16th Taktser Rinpoche, but he was married to a woman in 1960.https://web.archive.org/web/20130401130413/http://globalview.cn/ReadNews.asp?NewsID=15145 达赖的� ...

, and the

Tibetan Freedom Concert Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of socio-political music festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia from 1996 onwards to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were originally organized by Beastie Boy ...

in New York.

Film

Dadon has worked in several films. In 1998, she played Dolkar, the leading role in a film directed by

Paul Wagner Paul Alan Wagner (born November 14, 1967) is an American professional baseball coach and former pitcher who is currently the pitching coach for the Lake Country DockHounds of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He played in Maj ...

, Windhorse, partly based on her life story. In 2001, she composed the music for the film Samsara directed by

Pan Nalin Nalin Kumar Pandya, popularly known as Pan Nalin, is an Indian filmmaker, best known for directing award-winning movies like '' Samsara'' (2001), '' Valley of Flowers'' (2006), '' Angry Indian Goddesses'' (2015) and the semi-autobiographical ' ...

. In 2006, she composed music and was a narrator of the documentary Vajra Sky Over Tibet led by John Bush. Ty Burr
Vajra Sky Over Tibet' presents beautiful scenes and a dark side
''

The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...

'', 18 August 2006

References

{{authority control 20th-century Tibetan women singers Tibetan actresses 1968 births American people of Tibetan descent American musicians of Tibetan descent Tibetan dissidents Living people