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By NAOMI ZWOLINSKI
Staff Writer

As with my last installment to Soundline, this article is sure to expand your musical interests to a place you again may not have otherwise imagined. If you love music as I love music, then this should peak your curiosity, at the very least . . . so read on McDuff . . .

Dorje (pronounced "door-jay" and a Tibetan word meaning Thunderbolt) was so named by the renowned Buddhist teacher Chgyum Trungpa Rinpoche. Mikey Dorje Halpern was born in Boulder, Colorado and traveled around the globe before settling here in our humble town of Toronto. He is fluent in Japanese after spending 6 years there with his family. He is one of the most interesting individuals I have ever come across and am fortunate enough to call my friend. I had the pleasure of meeting Mikey aka Dorje, a couple of years back while we both worked at a great little gourmet restaurant. From there I have been out to see him perform as a solo act while doing his digital performance as well as having the pleasure of seeing him with one of his singers, Sangaye. Whether Dorje is alone or with a group, you are sure to be amazed by his artistic abilities to astound audiences everywhere. He creates a sonorous explosion of captivating music to one's ears. He's been playing guitar from a very young age as well as writing music and I think that has lead to his gifted musical and lyrical ability. He's known no other passion from a very young age and his innovative and creative sounds prove this.

He's worked with some very talented and groundbreaking people over his journey and continues to get out there and strut his stuff for benefit concerts and at local establishments across the GTA. He himself has studied classical guitar and music theory in his early teens and is more than proficient on the computer with his interesting soundboard that he uses to mix and create his unique sounds. I think he's more apt to playing the guitar as it's more of a natural sound for him, but he's just so gifted on both.

One of the benefits he performed at was a "Global Music Festival" assisting AIDS/HIV infected individuals. It was a massive event that took place in over 40 countries with over 200 concerts in all. The positive thing was that it wasn't just for raising the money for research, but for raising awareness, something Dorje seems to be dedicated to. He's not toted as an awareness advocate, but he does strive to achieve peace. It's proven in his concert choices. Most recently, Dorje performed for the "Toronto Loves Tibet" series and in a word, it was WICKED!!! It was a benefit for cultural preservation and peace – exactly what Tibet stands for. Dorje feels strongly connected to the situation in Tibet due to his connection to the country and his undeniable dedication to earthly preservation.

At this concert he geared his music to a world beat sound by mixing tabla samples and the sitar. What was produced was amazing. Being a fan of the Toronto Tabla Ensemble (see earlier review "Tantric Tabla"), this naturally intrigued me.

Currently, Dorje works for a company called "M-Qube" where he creates MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) ring tones for mobile phones. Now when you hear that you might just shrug it off as no big deal, but this truly is a new innovative idea. These sounds are different, they have more to them than just your regular ringing or top 40 sounds. To get more of an idea of this check out some sounds and whatnot at shopmobile.muchmusic.com. It's said that an estimated 70% of the ring tones in Canada we're made by Dorje!!

And for all you Madonna fans, thanks to Dorje, her music is now available to the masses for download to your mobile phone. Not only was M-Qube the first company to have legal permission and proper licensing to establish ring tones of her music, but they were actually created for her own official website www.madonna.com. They were personally approved by Madonna herself, so our Dorje has actually produced music for Madonna!!!

He can be seen weekly with Organic Vibes at Fez Batik. It's funkadelic mix of DJ set and live performance. All involved are huge talents and I highly recommend getting out to see a show. Dorje is a "jack of all trades" in a sense. He's a great musician, talented lyricist and also a trailblazer in the mobile phone industry. He never ceases to amaze me and I can't say enough how you have GOT TO get out there and check him out.

To learn more about Dorje, hear some samples of his tunes or to buy a CD, check him out at www.dorjemusic.com or download his ring tones. Either way, you're sure to be amazed and pleased.