Karjam Saeji.

The Just Plain Folks Music Awards show held on August 29, 2009 at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville, Tenn. celebrates “the other 98%” of the music produced in the world. Forty-two thousand CDs from 163 countries with over half a million songs were screened by a small army of judges over several months through five rounds of judging before the show last Saturday.

Karsangjamtso “Karjam” Saeji was nominated for the Best Asian Album for his release “Pilgrimage” and had two nominations for Best Asian Song for “Danlih” and “Nehnijih Lirang.” At the awards show it was announced that he captured the Best Asian Album Award and was the first runner-up for best song with “Danlih.” Veteran San Francisco-based Tibetan performer Techung was also a runner-up with his song from the “Tibet Fest” CD, “Prayer Song.”

Karsangjamtso is from Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province. His entire family still lives in the beautiful grasslands outside Maqu (Machu) herding yaks and sheep. He performed with the Gannan Tibetan Performance Troupe from 1991 until he moved to America in 2007. “Pilgrimage” is a mix of original compositions, such as the song “Danlih” which celebrates Karsangjamtso’s family, and traditional Tibetan folk songs.