The singing nun

by Avantika Bhuyan

The Kathmandu Post/ ANN

Her voice is like a balm for the soul. It calms the tempestuous storms within. Her deep, sonorous voice, as she chants traditional Tibetan mantras, washes over you in waves. Ani Choying Dolma can’t remember a time when music wasn’t part of her life. Lovingly nicknamed the ‘Singing Nun’ by her fans from across the globe, she was brought into the limelight in 1994 by musician Steve Tibbets after he heard her sing at Nepal’s Nagi Gompa monastery. From then on, the world has been her stage-Ani has recorded more than 10 albums since and performed in Brazil, China, Singapore, Russia, France and the US.

Her petite frame belies the strength within. She says she has changed a lot from the young girl who was battered by her father to a confident young woman who doesn’t shrink from taking tough decisions. Ani admits that when she joined the monastery to escape her father’s daily beatings, she was like a wild young colt, ready to fight at the slightest provocation. "There was so much negativity and arrogance within me. Slowly, I transformed under the guidance of my guru, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. I became more humble," says Ani, who performed in Delhi recently.

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