Himalaya: The Rearing of a Chief – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Music by Bruno Coulais, 1999) CD

UPC: 724384864521 

MPN: 8 48645 2 (PM 527 03008) 

Brand Name: Virgin / Galatée Films Publishing

Overview

Himalaya: The Rearing of a Chief (Himalaya, l’enfance d’un chef) is the breathtaking original soundtrack composed by Bruno Coulais for Éric Valli’s 1999 Oscar-nominated film. Set amid the majestic peaks of the Dolpo region in Nepal, the film tells a timeless story of generational conflict, pride, and leadership within a remote Himalayan community.

Coulais’ score blends Tibetan chants, Corsican polyphony, and orchestral textures, creating an atmosphere of spiritual depth and ethereal beauty. Featuring performances by A Filetta (Corsican male choir) and Lama Gyurme, the soundtrack evokes the vastness of the Himalayas while remaining intimate and human at its core.

Released by Virgin / Galatée Films Publishing, this recording is considered one of Bruno Coulais’ most moving and culturally rich works, bridging worlds of sound between Europe and Tibet.

Product Features

• Format: Audio CD (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Genre: World / Soundtrack / Choral / Spiritual
• Composer: Bruno Coulais
• Director: Éric Valli
• Label: Virgin / Galatée Films Publishing
• Performers: A Filetta (Corsican Polyphonic Ensemble), Lama Gyurme, Tsering Lodoe, Karma Tenzing Nyima Lama, Tenzin Phüntsock Tsalung
• Release Year: 1999
• Country of Manufacture: EU
• Film Origin: France / Nepal / Switzerland
• Total Duration: Approx. 54 minutes
• Packaging: Jewel case with bilingual (French–English) booklet and production notes

Interesting Facts

• Academy Award Nomination: The film Himalaya: The Rearing of a Chief was nominated for the 2000 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, marking one of Nepal’s first major international cinema milestones.

• Spiritual Fusion: Coulais’ music combines Tibetan liturgical voices and Corsican polyphony — two ancient traditions from opposite ends of the world — symbolizing cultural unity and human harmony.

• Bruno Coulais’ Signature Style: Known for Les Choristes and Microcosmos, Coulais integrates voices and nature to express the sacred rhythms of daily life and the mountain environment.

• A Filetta’s Contribution: The Corsican ensemble A Filetta provides haunting male harmonies that merge seamlessly with Lama Gyurme’s sacred chants, offering a meditative, transcendental experience.

• Visual–Musical Symbiosis: Director Éric Valli, a veteran Himalayan photographer, worked closely with Coulais to ensure the music echoed the landscape’s spiritual stillness and harsh majesty.

Track Listing

1. The Death of Lhakpa – 3:40 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta, Lama Gyurme)
2. Norbu – 2:38 (A Filetta, Karma Tenzing Nyima Lama)
3. The Suit – 2:08 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta)
4. Tinle & the Child – 2:56 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta)
5. The Crossing – 2:45
6. The Night – 2:13 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta)
7. The Council – 2:19 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta)
8. The Walk – 1:46 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta)
9. The Smugglers – 1:14 (Tsering Lodoe)
10. Norbu & Farma – 1:31
11. Karma – 2:49 (Tsering Lodoe, Tenzing Nyima Lama)
12. The Lake – 3:07 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta)
13. Norbu (Strings) – 1:40
14. The Ceremony – 0:30
15. Karma’s Anger – 1:43 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta)
16. The Exhaustion – 1:50 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta, Lama Gyurme)
17. Pema Weeps – 1:21
18. The Caravan – 2:41 (Lama Gyurme)
19. The Tracks – 2:10 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta)
20. Tinle’s Death – 2:25 (Lama Gyurme)
21. Opera – 4:08 (Tsering Lodoe, A Filetta, Tenzin Phüntsock Tsalung, Lama Gyurme)

Publishers

℗ & © 1999 Galatée Films / Galatée Films Publishing. Licensed to Virgin France S.A. for distribution in Europe. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the EU.

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