Soname Yangchen (born 1973) is a British singer and a songwriter.

Biography

Soname Yangchen was born in the

Yarlung Valley The Yarlung Valley is formed by Yarlung Chu, a tributary of the Tsangpo River in the Shannan Prefecture in the Tibet region of China. It refers especially to the district where Yarlung Chu joins with the Chongye River, and broadens out into a la ...

at the time of the

Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated go ...

in Tibet, into a noble family which was poorly regarded by the Chinese government. As a child, she was passionate for singing, and was sent to live for 7 years with her aunt in

Lhasa Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. The inner urban area of Lhas ...

. At the age of 16, she left Lhasa and crossed the Himalayas by foot to reach India. Her singing talents were "discovered" during a spontaneous performance at a friend's wedding, and she started singing professionally in England, becoming known worldwide, touring Europe, appearing at festivals in Australia and other places. She began by interpreting the traditional songs of her grandmother, and then songs of her composition. As of 2014, she has published two books. In 2003, she gave a gala at the Royal Opera in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Soname ou La bonne fortune: une enfance tibétaine
/ref> In September 2004 she performed Tibetan folk and spiritual songs at a world music concert at LSO St Luke's, London.

Publication

*2006: Soname Yangchen, with Vicki Mackenzie, ''Child of Tibet: the story of Soname's flight to freedom''. London: Portrait

References

External links

Site officiel
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Yangchen, Soname 1973 births 20th-century Tibetan women singers Living people British people of Tibetan descent 21st-century British singers