Gyuto Monks of Tibet to play Glastonbury

To mark the 100th anniversary of the Tibetan Declaration of Independence, the world famous Gyuto Monks of Tibet have been invited to perform at this year's Glastonbury Festival.

The Grammy-nominated Gyuto Monks of Tibet live in exile in Dharamsala, Northern India. Currently touring Australia with His Holiness The Dalai Lama who also resides in Dharamsala, the Monks will break off only for their Glastonbury appearance this month.

The Dalai Lama said of their plans "The work that the Gyuto Monks do in the west has my full support"

They will perform on Thursday 27th June in the Green Fields, as well as create a ceremonial Sand Mandala, a Tibetan Buddhist tradition of building a symbolic picture of the universe out of coloured sand which, on completion, is dissolved and returned to the waters of the earth.

Thupten Phuntsok of the Gyuto Monks said: "We are honoured to be invited to take part in the world's premiere music and performing arts festival, at the spiritual centre of the site."

No strangers to the stage, the Gyuto Monks sold out London's Royal Albert Hall in 1973 and have performed in concerts around the world, from New York's Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House, and across America touring with The Grateful Dead.

The oldest of the monks performing at Glastonbury is one of the original exiles from Tibet. At the age of 78, he was amongst the 80 Gyuto Monks who managed to escape the atrocities by crossing the Himalayas, following the Dalai Lama into India when the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1959. Over the years he has worked with Richard Gere, Harrison Ford, Phillip Glass and George Lucas, and performed here in the UK exactly 40 years ago.

The Gyuto Monks of Tibet this week also announce their signing to Universal Music, the world's biggest record company. Their forthcoming album, 'Chants: The Spirit of Tibet', will be produced by Youth, the bassist for the post-punk rock band Killing Joke, whose production and remix credits include Primal Scream, U2, Paul McCartney, Depeche Mode and The Verve.

In addition to this, The Orb – widely known as the inventors of "ambient house" from the late 1980s – are remixing the famous Buddhist 'chordal chanting', which has become the Buddhist musical trademark. The LP is co-produced and mixed by Tim Bran whose production and mixing credits include The Verve, La Roux and Scissor Sisters.

Due for release on the Decca Records label on 8th July, the album is being recorded at the monastery in Dharamsala, a remote former British hill station in the foothills of the Himalayas. It combines the Gyuto Monks distinctive chanting and the finest Tibetan musicians, with the aim of transporting the listener to another world. Much like Glastonbury.