“Raise the Tibetan Flag, Children of the Snowland” By Lolo from HPeaks on Vimeo.

This Wednesday, following on from our previous music videos by Dawoe, Choegon and Gebey, High Peaks Pure Earth has translated a song by a detained 29 year old Tibetan singer called Lolo.

According to Radio Free Asia, Lolo was arrested on April 19, 2012 in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The same report tells us that a few months earlier, Lolo had released an album titled “Raise the Tibetan Flag, Children of the Snowland” made up of 14 songs. It is the title track that High Peaks Pure Earth has translated.

The song lyrics are extremely political and talk about Tibetan independence, the national flag and Tibetans who have sacrificed their lives. The video as well shows surprisingly strong scenes such as a candle lit vigil where the candles spell out 3 and 10, possibly a reference to March 10, Tibetan National Uprising Day. When the lyrics about the “Protector” are sung, a photo of the Dalai Lama is shown alongside the Karmapa and what looks like the tenth Panchen Lama, unfortunately the video quality is quite poor.

The organisation for the freedom of musical expression, Freemuse, reported in May that the International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture had requested information from the PRC government on Lolo’s whereabouts and wellbeing. However, there has been no news on Lolo’s situation since his detention.

*Update, March 13, 2013: According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Lolo has been sentenced to 6 years in prison by a court in Qinghai province.*

Below are the translated song lyrics in full.

“Raise the Tibetan Flag, Children of the Snowland” by Lolo

For the sake of protecting Tibet’s independence

Our Kings resisted the red Chinese leaders

From the true meaning of the middle path

Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!

For the sake of honouring the Snowland

And to win Tibet’s complete independence

Based on the manifold truth

Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!

For the sake of the return of the Protector

For the sake of uniting Tibetans home and abroad

From the wounds of the souls in flames

Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!

This snow lion and snow mountain adorned flag

Is the national flag of the Tibetan people

Avenge those departed for the sake of Tibet

Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!

Raise the Tibetan flag, children of the Snowland!

[Translation by High Peaks Pure Earth]

For those unable to view the videos on Vimeo, there is also a High Peaks Pure Earth YouTube channel here with our music videos: http://www.youtube.com/highpeakspureearth