The Neo-Classical Mysticism of Sa Dingding

She grew up living the migratory nomadic life of the Mongolian plateau, with mixed Han-Mongolian ancestry, deeply influenced by the rhythms of nature and the iconography of Central Asian Buddhism. She learned Sanskrit and Tibetan in order to further her understanding of Buddhism, and developed her own singing "language" which she says relies only on the vibrations of syllables rather than syntactical meanings. She has been criticized in the West for "marketing" her culture and for not advocating on behalf of the "Free Tibet" anti-communist movement (which is roughly equivalent to a US singer being criticized in China for not supporting the secession of Texas). She designs her own costumes, which bring a bold fashion flair to traditional design elements. Her music combines a distinctly Central Asian folk singing style and an almost incantatory mystical quality with an exciting modern textural soundscape. Check out Sa Dingding:

Comments

[Ansel]

I like the song. Westerners shouldn't be criticizing her like that... but about this:

"and for not advocating on behalf of the "Free Tibet" anti-communist movement (which is roughly equivalent to a US singer being criticized in China for not supporting the secession of Texas)"

I don't think that's an apt comparison at all (I'm a Texan, for whatever that's worth). Tibetans have a much stronger case to make for independence. And most 'Free Tibet' folks I know are lefties. It's not about anti-communism so much as achieving a modicum of self-determination for Tibetans and resisting global capitalism, in which the Chinese government happens to be a key player. Activists recently protested a Canada-based mining corporation and a Chinese firm that were planning to exploit a Tibetan mountain. Usually ignored by the Chinese government itself, the movement is increasingly targeting multinationals operating in Tibet/China to great effect.

Sorry for the potentially de-railing comment, but I feel like it needed saying.

[Kathy]

Kai,
This video is hypnotizing, I will look for more of her work.

Ansel, I believe that Tibet is far more complex than the explanation you give, that "most Free Tibet folks are lefties". That has NO bearing on the issue, imo. I personally believe that a lot of Westerners, having little to no knowledge of actual situation, think they can and do understand complexities that we actually have no real comprehension of. I think Kai's comparison is a good one.

[Kai]

Kathy, yes it is hypnotizing, in a good way! And thanks for your comments on Tibet too.

Ansel, no problem about derailing, I knew my parenthetical statement would be seen by some as inflammatory; but as you may know, I can't help myself. ;-) Anyway, you say that Tibet has a stronger case for independence than Texas; what is the basis for this assertion? The US invaded Mexico about a century ago and simply annexed the southwest. The complex relationship between Tibet and China goes back 2,000 years. During the Tang dynasty (8th century), Tibet invaded China and actually captured the Tang capital of Changan. During the Yuan dynasty (12th century), China and Tibet signed a formal suzereignty treaty which granted Tibet national autonomy under the umbrella of the Chinese empire, which many see as holding to this day. It was around that time that the Chinese throne conferred the title of Dalai Lama to the ruler of the Lhasa artistocracy. That happened 800 years ago. Seeing that the entirety of the US occupies land stolen via genocide, I'm not sure where US Americans think they draw moral standing to lecture anyone on the granting of indigenous self-determination.

As for the modern Free Tibet movement, it most certainly has anti-communist foundations, emerging shortly after the Communists defeated the US-supported Nationalists in the Chinese civil war and Mao declared the People's Republic of China in 1949. The US specifically took up the cause of Tibetan independence in order to destabilize China. The CIA set up camps in Taiwan and Pakistan where it trained Tibetan fighters whom it smuggled in and out of Tibet. The CIA hustled the Dalai Lama out of Tibet and into India after the Lhasa uprising of 1959, air-dropping supplies to his travel party along the way. It doesn't take a genius to notice how differently various independence movements around the world are treated in the mainstream US depending on the ideological orientation of the parties involved.

Anyway, there's a lot more to it than I have time to cover right now. I do understand that there are different legitimate perspectives on all this and I don't hold it against anyone if they come at it through a different lens than me. But I would offer that most US liberals who take up the Free Tibet cause have very little of the necessary historical and cultural understanding to astutely negotiate this terrain.

Peace.

[ansel]

Kathy: Good point - I was only trying to say that the politics of today's Free Tibet movement are more about opposing ruthless capitalism than anti-communism. When I say "a lot of the Free Tibet folks I know" that includes a number of Tibetans who have emigrated here.

Kai: "I'm not sure where US Americans think they draw moral standing to lecture anyone on the granting of indigenous self-determination... I would offer that most US liberals who take up the Free Tibet cause have very little of the necessary historical and cultural understanding to astutely negotiate this terrain."

Yes and yes. But I don't see how those facts, or CIA support for the Tibetan government decades ago (which was abruptly cut off once Nixon visited China), are grounds for belittling the entire modern Free Tibet movement. In the last twenty years US state and corporate power have done far more to strengthen the central Chinese government than support Tibetans. Texas' independence barely lasted a decade and the land belongs to Mexico, if anything. Again, Tibet has a much stronger case. The final question of historical nationhood aside, Tibetan voices seeking greater autonomy should at least be listened to and taken seriously, not dismissed out of hand. And it's those voices, not American ones, that are leading the Free Tibet movement.

[Kai]

Ansel, who is belittling or dismissing? Please read my post again to see where my arrows are aimed. You don't need to teach me about the Free Tibet movement, I assure you. I've studied Tibet all life and have actually been there. I was involved with Tibetan activists in neighboring Szechuan when I was a student in China, shortly after the June 4 demonstrations, and I got into real political trouble with the Chinese government for my activities. That's not what I'm criticizing here and I think that should be clear from what I've said, here and throughout the history of this blog. Let's keep it straight.

[ansel]

I paused before choosing that word, belittling - but that's what it seems like when you compare Tibet to Texas. Maybe I'm still bitter at Texas (as a whole) being mocked on the national stage recently after Gov. Perry talked about secession at the tea-party rallies.

Sorry if I'm missing something, and yeah, it's totally not my place to educate you. I'm only objecting to the notion that if Sa Dingding supported the Free Tibet movement that it'd be like supporting independence for Texas. That strikes me as unfair, as does the phrase "the 'Free Tibet' anti-communist movement," as if its defining chracteristic was opposition to communism.

[Kai]

I'm only objecting to the notion that if Sa Dingding supported the Free Tibet movement that it'd be like supporting independence for Texas.

But that's not what I wrote, which was: "She has been criticized in the West...for not advocating on behalf of the "Free Tibet" anti-communist movement (which is roughly equivalent to a US singer being criticized in China for not supporting the secession of Texas)." Do you see the problem with what you're doing here? You're inverting various elements of my logic and arguing against something I didn't say. That's grounds for getting banned around here. Please stop.

Sa Dingding has been barred from performing at certain festivals and venues in the West for not being sufficiently behind the Free Tibet cause. That's the reality I was discussing. End of story.

[ansel]

I e-mailed you, Kai. Seems like there's been a misunderstanding on my end.

[Changeseeker]

Beautiful! I'm glad to be made aware of this very creative young artist. I spent an afternoon at the Younger Than Jesus exhibit at the New Museum in New York City last month (featuring the work of 50 artists from around the world, all under 33 years of age). So I'm now very tuned in to what the young are developing in new directions. Very exciting. I think her work -- and probably her political perspective -- may be deeper, more spiritual, and possibly even more rigorous politically than those of us with Western minds immediately grasp. Just a thought.

[ZC]

Regardless of one's politics, this is an amazing and uplifting video by a supremely talented young artist. I hope we hear more from her!