Report submitted by Bureau du Tibet, Paris, dated 2 March 2003.
On 28th February morning, a team of ten monks from Gyuto monastery based in Tenzingang, Arunachal Pradesh, India, arrived in Paris. Upon their arrival, Mr Bartabas, head of the Zingaro Theater, ARTE TV team and Wangpo Bashi, Secretary of the Bureau du Tibet, welcomed the monks. Mr Bartabas presented a traditional khatag to all the monks. A dinner was hosted that evening in the presence of an entire member team (staff and artistes) of the Zingaro theater and Mr Tashi Phuntsok, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who also presented a welcome khatag to all the monks. This dinner was followed by a short meeting between the Representative and the Gyuto group during which Mr Tashi Phuntsok related the importance of the project at various levels, and the opportunity for the Gyuto monks to demonstrate the spiritual and cultural values of Tibet.
This first team of ten monks led by their leader Venerable Phende will work with the Zingaro equester artistes to elaborate a performance whose music and chants will be exclusively based on Gyuto monasteryâ€(tm)s traditional rituals.
After a two month consecutive rehearsal and training, the Zingaro group will make a tour in Moscow for about one month performance. The performance is entitled LUNGTA. After their return back to Paris, the performance will travel to the Festival of Avignon in southern France, then, on to Grenoble.
In the second half of October up till December of this year, the performance will take place here at the Theater itself based in Aubervilliers near Paris.
In early November, a second batch of ten monks will relieve the first batch, and with second batch from Gyuto whose stay will last for seven month period, several tour programmes are projected within and without France. Due to the length of the performance calendar, a third group from the same monasteryis also under consideration.
Bartabas, a horse dresser and artiste has an established reputation in the world of French culture. In the past, he has elaborated specific cultural programmes with Rajasthani music and chants, followed by the pansori and drum music of Korea. Preceding the Gyuto performance, Bartabas has showed an equester play in relations with the martial arts tradition of Kalapirayat of Kerala. Bartabas deeply values of this unique monastic tradition and above all, he intends to highlight the plight of the Tibetan people.
Zingaro Theater, 176, avenue Jean Jaures, 93300 AUBERVILLERS, France.
