Dadawa: Voices from the Sky

Lore would have it that Tibet, even after the cruel incursions of Chinese rule, is a timeless place, impervious to advances of the modern world. It’s a ruse, of course: the 20th century and her techno-tools have made themselves known in most nooks and crannies of the world. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Another side of Tibet comes through, with grace, on Dadawa’s beguiling album Voices from the Sky (Sire 31008; 41:53). Here, simple, haunting melodies from the singer’s roots in Lhasa are wrapped in electronically textured sounds and studio effects, including dense, echoing vocal layers that sometimes veer too close to the new age-y ether of Enya for comfort, but mostly hits the spot with an agreeable, meditative gentleness.

Originally Published June 1, 1998