Can you stop, if only for a moment!

Enjoy the single from Gomo Tulku's anticipated album Photograph. 

A fresh sound in pop music is often credited to the culmination of an artist’s unique life experiences with his or her music. Gomo Tulku (also known as Gomo), 22-year old Buddhist lama (religious leader) and ex-monk, is by no means short of unique experiences and is by all means ushering in his own brand of popular music.

Naturally, Gomo’s music is in every way a fusion style as he himself is culmination of many cultures being he is a Tibetan-Canadian-American who resides in Italy and was raised in a Buddhist monastery in India. His sound is a mix of hip-hop, rhythm and blues, dance and pop. However, he does not necessarily subscribe to a single genre. Where in one song he may rap the verses and sing the hooks to a club-banger beat, in another song he may showcase a series of beautiful vocal melodies to an electro-type, dance beat. Although his music touches on his own personal experiences in the monastery, its content is secular and speaks to individuals from all walks of life.

But understanding Gomo requires one to really understand his unique past. Gomo Tulku, or Tenzin D. Kashhi, was born in Montreal, Canada on August 8, 1988. At the age of three, Tenzin was recognized by renowned Buddhist figure, His Holiness the Dalai Lama to be the reincarnation of his mother’s late father, also a Buddhist lama. Thus, he was given the same name as his predecessor, Gomo Rinpoche.  As a Buddhist lama, he would inherit the previous lama’s belongings, disciples, and above all, responsibility as a religious leader. By the age of seven, Gomo left his family and moved to South India to a monastery where he would begin his rigorous studies for the next 12 years.

At the age of 16, Gomo visited his family in America to get a small taste of the western lifestyle.  During his one-year stay in America, Gomo attended high school, interacted with teenage Americans, and openly pursued music, all for the first time. This period would mark Gomo’s metamorphosis from a humble, quiet monk, to a confident and charismatic artist.  

Gomo would spend the next few years finishing up his studies in the monastery, while also devising a strategy to take the music world by storm. At the age of twenty, Gomo gave up his vows as a monk and left the monastery for Italy where he would connect with friends, sponsors and artists to begin his music career.

Since then, Gomo has worked with famous Italian, hip-hop producer Deleterio, gained sponsorship from Guess clothing line, and has generated an international media buzz. He is currently working on his first EP, amongst many projects, which is set to release in the upcoming months. Stay tuned and join the movement that is about to “enlighten” the music industry.