Semshae-heart Songs

The new Semshae-Heart Songs album is comprised of contemporary and traditional Tibetan songs composed especially to help children learn some basic vocabulary of the Tibetan language. The songs teach the Tibetan numbers, colors, days of the week, and seasons, and convey cultural information about daily chores, visiting a temple, gardens, musical instruments, and peace. The CD notes provide the song lyrics in Tibetan script, phonetic Tibetan, and English translation, so children of any cultural background can sing along. The primary goal of this charming album is to ensure that Tibet's language and culture of compassion are preserved through children's music for all ages. Semshae-Heart Songs is a welcome addition to the small library of Tibetan music for the Tibetans and international communities who are interested in Tibet and Tibetan culture. Exposing non-Tibetan children to the language and culture of a nation whose spiritual belief system emphasizes the happiness and well being of each human can be of benefit to today's computer/cell phone-driven generation. This is the first album of it's kind produced professionally in the West or anywhere in the Tibetan exile community. Many individuals are aware of Tibetan Buddhism's culture of compassion and nonviolence, but they may not be aware that the continued existence of Tibetan culture is seriously threatened. Through music, Semshae - a non-political, privately funded project- contributes to the preservation of a part of Tibet's culture and it's dissemination around the world.