Lhamo - Tibetan Opera
Lhamo is the traditional opera of Tibet. The ten stories in the lhamo repertoire are based on Buddhist tales from India and religious events in Tibetan history. It is believed that lhamo was created in the 14th century by the great sage, Thangtong Gyalpo. Following his death, traveling groups composed of men and women spread the art throughout the country. By the 19th century every district in Tibet had a resident troupe which performed locally and, once a year, in the capital, Lhasa. Traditionally, the actors were both monks and lay people, and the performance would last a day or more.
Today in Tibet and India, lhamo lasts less than a day, and all performers are lay people. The lhamo stage is bare except for a statue of the patron saint of the opera, Thangtong Gyalpo. Every performance begins with the purification of the stage. The narrator, shung shangen, enters and sings a summary of the story in verse. Then the performers enter, each dancing his or her own distinct step to the music of a drum and cymbals. Their colorful silk costumes reflect the clothes of the aristocracy of Lhasa. All the actors sing the choruses. There are also spoken improvisations that may make fun of contemporary institutions, individuals, and even monks and nuns.
