Inter Press Service By Yojana Sharma

Hong Kong, Feb. 5 - Chinese-Tibetan relations are being rankled once again -- this time the row centers around the music of one of the very few Chinese artistes allowed to perform in the West.

Dadawa's Tibetan-inspired album of haunting chants has made her a top seller in Asia where her record sales have broken the one million mark. Dadawa has also become a success in Europe where the female singer is currently on tour, and her record is about to be released in Latin America.

But the album is making waves of a different kind among Tibetans in exile who say it denigrates Tibetan culture, tramples on the feelings of Tibetans and lends itself to being used by Chinese authorities as a propaganda tool to cement their hold over the Himalayan region.

"Our main concern is this music gives the image that in Tibet people are still enjoying religious life and that their culture is undamaged by Chinese occupation," says Tenzin Gelek, a Tibetan student now based in London who has written a letter of protest to the distributors, Warner Records.

Moreover, Tibetans insist a clear distinction should be made that Tibetan music is not Chinese music.

Tibetans who claim they are fighting for the very survival of their culture as Han Chinese immigrants pour into Tibet, say the album only adds to the resentment felt by Tibetans. "Tibetans feel that the Chinese have taken their land now they want to take away their culture," says Gelek.

Dadawa, 25 and from Guangzhou, currently on a promotional tour in France, is said to have visited Tibet and is on record as saying she was deeply inspired and influenced by the "spirituality" of the people and the music there. But the Tibet Support Group in London and other Tibetans say she is making a mockery of Tibet's sacred traditions, although they appear to be more incensed by the packaging and promotion of Dadawa than the music itself.

In particularly they object to the album's cover picture of Dadawa clad in maroon nuns' robes. Tibetans in Tibet are also offended, Gelek asserted, but are unable to speak out because of Chinese repression.

"This is a robe that is only worn when a nun is fully ordained and having taken all the vows including celibacy. It is deeply offensive to Tibetans for someone to wear these clothes merely for the purposes of publicity and making money," notes Gelek.

The use of religious mantras to the background of computerized music further makes mockery of the country's sacred traditions, says Gelek.

Gelek and other Tibetan groups fear that the Chinese government could use the success of "Sister Drum" to further its political aims and promote the idea that Tibet is part of China by inviting Dadawa to perform in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. "It is exactly that propaganda they want to promote, of China and Tibet living happily together," noted Gelek.

Although Warner has said it had to fight hard for permission for Dadawa to be allowed out of China to perform, Tibetans are suspicious as to why the authorities allowed her such freedom when there are so many other Chinese artistes trying to promote their art abroad.

Rightly or wrongly, Tibetans appear to suspect ulterior political motives by the Chinese for allowing Dadawa to sing -- not only in China and the West but Taiwan as well, where the album is extremely popular.

Such fears may appear exaggerated. But Tibet watchers say the situation in Tibet at present is highly volatile and Tibetan sensitivity to Chinese interference in their culture extremely high.

Beijing's involvement in the selection process of the new Panchen Lama -- the second holiest monk in Tibetan Buddhism -- has made Tibetan's feel that China is intent on interfering in the very heart of their religious and cultural traditions, and subverting them to their own political aims.

Music companies cannot afford to ignore such issues, said Gelek.

"In the last decade the controversy over musicians performing in South Africa highlighted the way in which the presence of popular art forms from democratic countries can be used to help the image of repressive governments.

"From this experience I would have hoped music industry professionals would now be more conscious of the need to ensure they are being responsible when operating in such countries."

But David Gilchrist, vice-president for marketing at Warner's Asian regional headquarters in Hong Kong believes the critics are "building a mountain out of a molehill".

"We took Dadawa out of the Shanghai conservatory because she was an outstanding artist. We signed her because we believe in her and her music and the rest of the world likes it. It wasn't that we were trying to exploit Tibetan religion, far from it. Anything that can focus on Tibet, whether music or drama, I would have thought would improve understanding," said Gilchrist.

"Under no circumstances is Dadawa trying to malign Tibet, " he asserted. "In fact the exact opposite. She is showing support. She was inspired from a visit to Tibet. She spent time there."

"She is a very sensitive and spiritual person, "he added, "and if she knew there was something wrong that may offend people she would definitely change it".