Music of Bhutan
Encyclopedia
The music of Bhutan is an integral part of its culture and plays a leading role in transmitting social values. Traditional Bhutan
ese music includes a spectrum of subgenres, ranging from folk to religious song and music. Some genres of traditional Bhutanese music intertwine vocals, instrumentation, and theatre and dance, while others are mainly vocal or instrumental. The much older traditional genres are distinguished from modern popular music such as rigsar
.
(six-holed flute), the chiwang
(Tibetan two-stringed fiddle), and the dramnyen (similar to a large three-stringed rebec
); modern musicians often update these instruments for use in rigsar
.
Other traditional instruments include tangtang namborong (four-holed bamboo bass flute), kongkha (bamboo mouth harp), and gombu (bull or buffalo horn). Newer instruments include the yangchen, brought from Tibet
in the 1960s.
While Bhutanese folk music often employs stringed instruments, religious music usually does not. Unlike many countries, Bhutanese folk music
is almost never incorporated into popular music
.
was first united in the 17th century, during the reign of Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal
(1594–1652); the same period saw a great blossoming of folk music and dance. Religious music is usually chanted, and its lyrics and dance often reenact namtar
s, spiritual biographies of saints, and feature distinctive masks and costumes. Today, Bhutan has a robust tradition of monastic song and music not normally heard by the general public. The language used in these lyrics is generally Chöke
.
Cham
The Cham dance
is one of the most conspicuous religious musical subgenres in Bhutan, and is shared among Tibetan Buddhists in Tibet
and in other countries, having roots in the 8th century. Lama and founder of Bhutan Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal
is also credited with introducing many masked dances into Bhutanese tradition. Performed during modern Bhutanese tsechu
s (festivals), cham dances act both to achieve enlightenment and to destroy evil forces in a sort of purification
ritual
. Ordinary people watch cham dances in order to receive a spiritual benefit and merit. The music and choreography of the cham dance are heavily associated with Tibetan Buddhism
, however some common features derive directly fron the Bön religion. The Dramyin Cham
in particular is a focal point of many modern tsechu
s.
on Bhutanese culture is such that many folk songs and chanting styles are derived from Drukpa music. While some lama
s and monks are credited for composing certain Bhutanese folk music, the majority of its creators are unknown or anonymous. Like religious music, the lyrics of folk music are most often in literary Dzongkha or Chöke
, however there are also several traditional songs in Khengkha
and Bumthangkha.
Vocal and behavioral discipline for traditional singing requires thorough training in order to master the correct pitch, facial expressions, gestures, and overall conduct while performing.
Along with traditional music, masked dances and dance dramas are common participatory components of folk music, and feature prominently at Bhutanese tsechu
s (festivals). Energetic dancers wearing colorful wooden or composition face masks employ special costumes and music to depict a panoply of heroes, demons, death heads, animals, gods, and caricatures of common people. The dances enjoy royal patronage and preserve not only ancient folk and religious customs but also perpetuate the art of mask making.
Bhutanese folk songs include a variety of subgenres, including zhungdra
and boedra
, as well as several minor varieties such as zhey and zhem, yuedra, tsangmo, alo, khorey, and ausa. Traditional song and dance are also an integral part of archery in Bhutan
, known for lyrics that range from literary and sublime to provocative and burlesque.
Zhungdra
Zhungdra
(Dzongkha: གཞུང་སྒྲ་; Wylie
: gzhung-sgra; "center music") is one of the two dominant forms of Bhutanese folk music. It was developed in the 17th century, and is associated with the folk music of the central valleys of Paro
, Thimphu
, and Punakha
, the heart of the Ngalop
cultural area. Although considered secular, the lyrics of zhungdra songs often tell Buddhist allegories, such as Yak Legbi Lhadar, in which the singer tells of his former life as a yak
slaughtered in connection with a non-Buddhist ritual in the Gasa District
.
Zhungdra is characterized by the use of extended vocal tones in complex patterns which slowly decorate a relatively simple instrumental melody. Untrained singers, even those with natural singing ability, typically find it challenging to sing zhungdra. This has reduced the popularity of zhungdra compared with rigsar
, the fast-paced pop
Bhutanese music style based on electronic synthesizer
s.
Boedra
Boedra
(Dzongkha: བོད་སྒྲ་; Wylie
: bod-sgra; "Tibetan music") is the second of the two dominant forms of Bhutanese folk music. Instrumentation for boedra often includes the chiwang
, which symbolizes a horse
. In contrast to Zhungdra, Boedra evolved out of Tibetan court music
.
Zhey and zhem
The paired zhey and zhem (Dzongkha: གཞས་/གཞས་མོ་; Wylie
: gzhas/gzhas-mo) are elaborately choreographed vocal performances often performed during tsechu
s (festivals). They contain elements of both zhungdra
and boedra
. The quick-stepped zhey are performed by men, while the more flowing zhey are women's dances. Zheys originate in the 17th century, and although there is considerable variety among contemporary zheys, most of them share common tunes and dance formats. Dancers originally performed barefoot and without any elaborate uniform, however the tradition of wearing long gowns, head gear and traditional boots was established in the 1970s.
In honor of the 2011 royal wedding
, Bhutanese dancers performed four major zheys (Goen Zhey of Gasa
, Wang Zhey of Thimphu
, Nub Zhey of Trongsa
, Woochupai Zhey of Paro
) and four minor zheys (Auley of Laya
, Locho of Sha, Bonghur Zhey of Haa
, and Miritsemoi Zhey of Chukha).
The Goen Zhey is of central importance among all zheys. Its origins lie in the coming of Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal
, the founder of Bhutan. According to tradition, when he came in 1616 to at Bangdekha below Wakeyla, a place between Gasa
and Laya
, the people of Goen in Gasa offered the elaborate dance. Requiring two days and 21 dancers to complete, the dance has 25 intricate steps. Dancers wear red woolen gho
, black tego
undershirt, and red-and-white kabney
in the fashion of ancient warriors. The zheypon (dance master) wears an elaborate headdress.
The Woochhu Zhey, from the Wochu Village ("Jackal River Village"; modern Woochhu Village in Lungnyi Gewog
, Paro
), also bases its origin in Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal
, first performed by a lam
in the procession to receive the Shabdrung.
One particularly endangered performance is the Wang Zhey of Thimphu
. According to tradition, it began with a commoner from the Wang valley who went to Laya
. On his way, he stopped at the Gasa
tshechu where he saw Goen Zhey for the first time. Inspired, he stayed to learn it. After returning to Wang, he taught his people the zhey in exchange for a fee of salt for every song. In 1620, with small changes, it was performed in Thimphu
during the consecration ceremony of Chagri Monastery. Thereafter, it was performed regularly in receptions for important Tibet
an Drukpa lama
s. Though the Wang Zhey was once routine in rabneys, archery matches
, and weddings of well-to-do families, it is now less frequently performed, and young Bhutanese do not know its significance.
Tsangmo
Tsangmo (Dzongkha: ཙང་མོ་; Wylie
: tsang-mo), also considered a literary genre, are very popular in Bhutan. They consist of sung couplets, the first of which describes a relevant scenario, followed by the second couplet, which conveys a point such as love, hate, abuse, or ridicule. Tsangmo may be sung in a call-and-reply fashion, and may be a means of competition.
Lozey
Lozey (Dzongkha: བློ་ཟེ་; Wylie
: blo-ze), literally translated as "ornaments of speech," refer to two distinct vocal traditions. The first is a short exchange lines, while the second is a collection of ballads that vary from region to region. They all concern traditional customs, dress, and literature. Rich in metaphor, they are known and recited by ordinary people in modern language. Like Tsangmo, Lozey may be sung in a call-and-reply fashion, and may be a means of competition. Certain Lozey are sung in vernacular language.
genre (Dzongkha རིག་གསར་; Wylie
: rig-gsar; "new idea") emerged in the 1960s. Rigsar can be contrasted from most traditional music in its updated electronic instrumentation, faster rhythm, and vernacular language, especially Dzongkha and Sharchop. Its context can also be contrasted, as rigsar is a common feature of Bhutanese television and film. Some of the earliest rigsar tunes were translations of contemporary popular Hindi
songs. The first Bhutanese rigsar hit was Zhendi Migo, covered the popular Bollywood
filmi
song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo
. Since the 1960s, a great number of Bhutanse artists have covered or produced a staggering volume of rigsar music.
Rigsar gained popularity on the Bhutan Broadcasting Service
, making way for the rigsar
band Tashi Nencha to established the first recording studio in Thimphu
in 1991. Prior to this period, Bhutanese people primarily listened to filmi
and other kinds of Indian pop
music. Rigsar
is the dominant style of Bhutanese popular music, and dates back to the late 1980s. The first major music star was Shera Lhendup, whose career began after the 1981 hit "Jyalam Jaylam Gi Ashi".
By the end of the 1980s, rigsar
was no longer so popular, its detractors citing repetitive, simple tunes that were often copied directly from foreign music. Since 1995, with founding of the Norling Drayang
recording label, rigsar has returned to relative popularity as a fusion of elements and instruments from English language pop
, Indian
and Nepalese music
. Rigsar remains ubiquitous in Bhutan, heard in on public streets, in taxis, and on buses, and even used by the government to deliver health and sanitation education.
(RAPA) has worked under royal prerogative to document, preserve, and promote traditional Bhutanese music, song, and dance since 1954. Its activities are overseen by the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs
of the Government of Bhutan. The Academy's performers participate in festivals, tour schools within Bhutan, and perform for tourists
.
The Royal University of Bhutan
Institute of Language and Cultural Studies
(ILCS) at Semtokha, Thimphu
, was the only university level institute to offer elective courses on traditional and modern Bhutanese music, song, and dance as of 2003.
Khuju Luyang, a private performing arts group with international stage presence. Khuju Luyang won the folk music and dance competition in 2006 and received the silver medal from the Royal Government of Bhutan for preservation of folk dance and music.
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
ese music includes a spectrum of subgenres, ranging from folk to religious song and music. Some genres of traditional Bhutanese music intertwine vocals, instrumentation, and theatre and dance, while others are mainly vocal or instrumental. The much older traditional genres are distinguished from modern popular music such as rigsar
Rigsar
Rigsar is a music genre, the dominant type of popular music of Bhutan. It was originally played on a dranyen , and dates back to the late 1960s. The first rigsar song, Zhendi Migo was a copy of the popular Bollywood filmi song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo...
.
Instruments
Instruments used in both traditional and modern genres of Bhutanese music include the lingmLingm
The lingm is a type of flute indigenous to Bhutan. The lingm, the dramyen and the chiwang comprise the basic instrumental inventory for traditional Bhutanese folk music....
(six-holed flute), the chiwang
Chiwang
The chiwang is a type of fiddle played in Bhutan. The chiwang, the lingm , and the dramyen comprise the basic instrumental inventory for traditional Bhutanese folk music....
(Tibetan two-stringed fiddle), and the dramnyen (similar to a large three-stringed rebec
Rebec
The rebecha is a bowed string musical instrument. In its most common form, it has a narrow boat-shaped body and 1-5 strings and is played on the arm or under the chin, like a violin.- Origins :The rebec dates back to the Middle Ages and was particularly popular in the 15th and 16th centuries...
); modern musicians often update these instruments for use in rigsar
Rigsar
Rigsar is a music genre, the dominant type of popular music of Bhutan. It was originally played on a dranyen , and dates back to the late 1960s. The first rigsar song, Zhendi Migo was a copy of the popular Bollywood filmi song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo...
.
Other traditional instruments include tangtang namborong (four-holed bamboo bass flute), kongkha (bamboo mouth harp), and gombu (bull or buffalo horn). Newer instruments include the yangchen, brought from Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
in the 1960s.
While Bhutanese folk music often employs stringed instruments, religious music usually does not. Unlike many countries, Bhutanese folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
is almost never incorporated into popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
.
Religious music
BhutanBhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
was first united in the 17th century, during the reign of Shabdrung
Shabdrung
Shabdrung , was a title used when referring to or addressing great lamas in Tibet, particularly those who held a hereditary lineage...
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal was a Tibetan Buddhist lama and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation state...
(1594–1652); the same period saw a great blossoming of folk music and dance. Religious music is usually chanted, and its lyrics and dance often reenact namtar
Namtar (biography)
A namtar is a spiritual biography or hagiography in Tibetan Buddhism.Namtar literally means 'complete liberation', since the texts tell the stories of yogis or Indo-Tibetan Mahasiddha who attained complete enlightenment...
s, spiritual biographies of saints, and feature distinctive masks and costumes. Today, Bhutan has a robust tradition of monastic song and music not normally heard by the general public. The language used in these lyrics is generally Chöke
Classical Tibetan
Classical Tibetan refers to the language of any text written in Tibetan after the Old Tibetan period and before the modern period, but in particular refers to the language of early canonical texts translated from other languages, especially Sanskrit...
.
Cham
The Cham dance
Cham Dance
The cham dance , also spelled tscham or chaam, is a lively masked and costumed dance associated with some sects of Buddhism, and is part of Buddhist festivals. The dance is accompanied by music played by monks using traditional Tibetan instruments...
is one of the most conspicuous religious musical subgenres in Bhutan, and is shared among Tibetan Buddhists in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and in other countries, having roots in the 8th century. Lama and founder of Bhutan Shabdrung
Shabdrung
Shabdrung , was a title used when referring to or addressing great lamas in Tibet, particularly those who held a hereditary lineage...
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal was a Tibetan Buddhist lama and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation state...
is also credited with introducing many masked dances into Bhutanese tradition. Performed during modern Bhutanese tsechu
Tsechu
Tsechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place, but usually is around the time of October. Tsechus are religious festivals of Drukpa Buddhism...
s (festivals), cham dances act both to achieve enlightenment and to destroy evil forces in a sort of purification
Purification
Purification is the process of rendering something pure, i.e. clean of foreign elements and/or pollution, and may refer to:* List of purification methods in chemistry* Water purification** Organisms used in water purification...
ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
. Ordinary people watch cham dances in order to receive a spiritual benefit and merit. The music and choreography of the cham dance are heavily associated with Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is the body of Buddhist religious doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet and certain regions of the Himalayas, including northern Nepal, Bhutan, and India . It is the state religion of Bhutan...
, however some common features derive directly fron the Bön religion. The Dramyin Cham
Dramyin Cham
Dramyin Cham is a form of Cham dance - a masked and costumed dance performed in Tibetan Buddhism ceremonies in Bhutan, Sikkim, Himalayan West Bengal and Tibet . They are a focal point of the Bhutanese festivals of Tsechu...
in particular is a focal point of many modern tsechu
Tsechu
Tsechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place, but usually is around the time of October. Tsechus are religious festivals of Drukpa Buddhism...
s.
Folk music
The influence of Drukpa Buddhism and Buddhist musicBuddhist music
Buddhist music is music created for or inspired by Buddhism and part of Buddhist art.-Honkyoku:Honkyoku are the pieces of shakuhachi or hocchiku music played by wandering Japanese Zen monks called Komuso. Komuso played honkyoku for enlightenment and alms as early as the 13th century...
on Bhutanese culture is such that many folk songs and chanting styles are derived from Drukpa music. While some lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
s and monks are credited for composing certain Bhutanese folk music, the majority of its creators are unknown or anonymous. Like religious music, the lyrics of folk music are most often in literary Dzongkha or Chöke
Classical Tibetan
Classical Tibetan refers to the language of any text written in Tibetan after the Old Tibetan period and before the modern period, but in particular refers to the language of early canonical texts translated from other languages, especially Sanskrit...
, however there are also several traditional songs in Khengkha
Khengkha
Khengkha, also called the Kheng language, is a member of the Tibeto-Burman language family spoken in the Zhemgang, Trongsa and Mongar districts of south central Bhutan...
and Bumthangkha.
Vocal and behavioral discipline for traditional singing requires thorough training in order to master the correct pitch, facial expressions, gestures, and overall conduct while performing.
Along with traditional music, masked dances and dance dramas are common participatory components of folk music, and feature prominently at Bhutanese tsechu
Tsechu
Tsechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place, but usually is around the time of October. Tsechus are religious festivals of Drukpa Buddhism...
s (festivals). Energetic dancers wearing colorful wooden or composition face masks employ special costumes and music to depict a panoply of heroes, demons, death heads, animals, gods, and caricatures of common people. The dances enjoy royal patronage and preserve not only ancient folk and religious customs but also perpetuate the art of mask making.
Bhutanese folk songs include a variety of subgenres, including zhungdra
Zhungdra
Zhungdra is one of two main styles of traditional Bhutanese folk music, the other being bödra. Arising in the 17th century, zhungdra is an entirely endemic Bhutanese style associated with the folk music of the central valleys of Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha, the heart of the...
and boedra
Boedra
Boedra is a traditional genre of Bhutanese music. Boedra, which is influenced by Tibetan folk music, is one of the two main folk singing styles in Bhutan, the other being zhungdra, which was developed in the 17th century....
, as well as several minor varieties such as zhey and zhem, yuedra, tsangmo, alo, khorey, and ausa. Traditional song and dance are also an integral part of archery in Bhutan
Archery in Bhutan
Archery in Bhutan is the national sport of the Kingdom. Archery was declared the national sport in 1971, when Bhutan became a member of the United Nations. Since then, the popularity of Bhutanese archery has increased both within and without Bhutan, with a measure of government promotion...
, known for lyrics that range from literary and sublime to provocative and burlesque.
Zhungdra
Zhungdra
Zhungdra
Zhungdra is one of two main styles of traditional Bhutanese folk music, the other being bödra. Arising in the 17th century, zhungdra is an entirely endemic Bhutanese style associated with the folk music of the central valleys of Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha, the heart of the...
(Dzongkha: གཞུང་སྒྲ་; Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: gzhung-sgra; "center music") is one of the two dominant forms of Bhutanese folk music. It was developed in the 17th century, and is associated with the folk music of the central valleys of Paro
Paro, Bhutan
-History:Rinpung Dzong a fortress-monastery overlooking the Paro valley has a long history. A monastery was first built on the site by Padma Sambhava at the beginning of the tenth century, but it wasn't until 1646 that Ngawang Namgyal built a larger monastery on the old foundations, and for...
, Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
, and Punakha
Punakha
thumb|right|Punakha Dzong and the [[Mo Chhu]]Punakha is the administrative centre of Punakha dzongkhag, one of the 20 districts of Bhutan. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan and the seat of government until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu. It is about 72 km away from Thimphu and it...
, the heart of the Ngalop
Ngalop
The Ngalop are people of Tibetan origin who migrated to Bhutan as early as the ninth century. For this reason, they are often referred to in literature as "Bhote"...
cultural area. Although considered secular, the lyrics of zhungdra songs often tell Buddhist allegories, such as Yak Legbi Lhadar, in which the singer tells of his former life as a yak
Yak
The yak, Bos grunniens or Bos mutus, is a long-haired bovine found throughout the Himalayan region of south Central Asia, the Tibetan Plateau and as far north as Mongolia and Russia. In addition to a large domestic population, there is a small, vulnerable wild yak population...
slaughtered in connection with a non-Buddhist ritual in the Gasa District
Gasa District
Gasa District or Gasa Dzongkhag is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan. Its capital is Gasa Dzong near Gasa. It is located in the far north of the county and spans the Middle and High Himalayas. The dominant language of the district is Dzongkha, the national language...
.
Zhungdra is characterized by the use of extended vocal tones in complex patterns which slowly decorate a relatively simple instrumental melody. Untrained singers, even those with natural singing ability, typically find it challenging to sing zhungdra. This has reduced the popularity of zhungdra compared with rigsar
Rigsar
Rigsar is a music genre, the dominant type of popular music of Bhutan. It was originally played on a dranyen , and dates back to the late 1960s. The first rigsar song, Zhendi Migo was a copy of the popular Bollywood filmi song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo...
, the fast-paced pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
Bhutanese music style based on electronic synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s.
Boedra
Boedra
Boedra
Boedra is a traditional genre of Bhutanese music. Boedra, which is influenced by Tibetan folk music, is one of the two main folk singing styles in Bhutan, the other being zhungdra, which was developed in the 17th century....
(Dzongkha: བོད་སྒྲ་; Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: bod-sgra; "Tibetan music") is the second of the two dominant forms of Bhutanese folk music. Instrumentation for boedra often includes the chiwang
Chiwang
The chiwang is a type of fiddle played in Bhutan. The chiwang, the lingm , and the dramyen comprise the basic instrumental inventory for traditional Bhutanese folk music....
, which symbolizes a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
. In contrast to Zhungdra, Boedra evolved out of Tibetan court music
Music of Tibet
The music of Tibet reflects the cultural heritage of the trans-Himalayan region, centered in Tibet but also known wherever ethnic Tibetan groups are found in India, Bhutan, Nepal and further abroad...
.
Zhey and zhem
The paired zhey and zhem (Dzongkha: གཞས་/གཞས་མོ་; Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: gzhas/gzhas-mo) are elaborately choreographed vocal performances often performed during tsechu
Tsechu
Tsechu are annual religious Bhutanese festivals held in each district or dzongkhag of Bhutan on the tenth day of a month of the lunar Tibetan calendar. The month depends on the place, but usually is around the time of October. Tsechus are religious festivals of Drukpa Buddhism...
s (festivals). They contain elements of both zhungdra
Zhungdra
Zhungdra is one of two main styles of traditional Bhutanese folk music, the other being bödra. Arising in the 17th century, zhungdra is an entirely endemic Bhutanese style associated with the folk music of the central valleys of Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha, the heart of the...
and boedra
Boedra
Boedra is a traditional genre of Bhutanese music. Boedra, which is influenced by Tibetan folk music, is one of the two main folk singing styles in Bhutan, the other being zhungdra, which was developed in the 17th century....
. The quick-stepped zhey are performed by men, while the more flowing zhey are women's dances. Zheys originate in the 17th century, and although there is considerable variety among contemporary zheys, most of them share common tunes and dance formats. Dancers originally performed barefoot and without any elaborate uniform, however the tradition of wearing long gowns, head gear and traditional boots was established in the 1970s.
In honor of the 2011 royal wedding
Wedding of Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema
The wedding of Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan, and Jetsun Pema took place on 13 October 2011 at the Punakha Dzong in Punakha, Bhutan...
, Bhutanese dancers performed four major zheys (Goen Zhey of Gasa
Gasa District
Gasa District or Gasa Dzongkhag is one of the 20 dzongkhags comprising Bhutan. Its capital is Gasa Dzong near Gasa. It is located in the far north of the county and spans the Middle and High Himalayas. The dominant language of the district is Dzongkha, the national language...
, Wang Zhey of Thimphu
Thimphu District
Thimphu District is a dzongkhag of Bhutan. Thimphu is also the capital of Bhutan and the largest city in the whole kingdom.-Languages:...
, Nub Zhey of Trongsa
Trongsa District
Trongsa District is one of the districts of Bhutan. It is the most central district of Bhutan and the geographic centre of Bhutan is located within it at Trongsa Dzong....
, Woochupai Zhey of Paro
Paro District
Paro District is the name of a district , valley, river and town in Bhutan. It is one of the most historic valleys in Bhutan. Both trade goods and invading Tibetans came over the pass at the head of the valley, giving Paro the closest cultural connection with Tibet of any Bhutanese district...
) and four minor zheys (Auley of Laya
Laya, Bhutan
Laya, Bhutan is a town in Laya Gewog in Gasa District in northwestern Bhutan. It is inhabited by the indegenous Layap people....
, Locho of Sha, Bonghur Zhey of Haa
Haa District
This page is about the area Haa. For information about the airships, please see high-altitude airship.Haa District is one of the 20 dzongkhag or districts comprising Bhutan. Per the 2005 census, the population of Haa dzongkhag was 11,648, making it the second least populated dzongkhag in Bhutan...
, and Miritsemoi Zhey of Chukha).
The Goen Zhey is of central importance among all zheys. Its origins lie in the coming of Shabdrung
Shabdrung
Shabdrung , was a title used when referring to or addressing great lamas in Tibet, particularly those who held a hereditary lineage...
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal was a Tibetan Buddhist lama and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation state...
, the founder of Bhutan. According to tradition, when he came in 1616 to at Bangdekha below Wakeyla, a place between Gasa
Gasa, Bhutan
Gasa is a town near Gasa Dzong in Gasa District in northwestern Bhutan.Population 3116 ....
and Laya
Laya, Bhutan
Laya, Bhutan is a town in Laya Gewog in Gasa District in northwestern Bhutan. It is inhabited by the indegenous Layap people....
, the people of Goen in Gasa offered the elaborate dance. Requiring two days and 21 dancers to complete, the dance has 25 intricate steps. Dancers wear red woolen gho
Gho
The gho is the traditional and national dress for men in Bhutan. Introduced in the 17th century by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyel to give the Bhutanese a more distinctive identity, it is a knee-length robe tied at the waist by a cloth belt known as the kera...
, black tego
Toego
A toego is a long sleeved, short jacket-like garment worn over a kira by women in Bhutan. The toego is thus part of the national dress of Bhutan, along with the kira dress and wonju undershirt....
undershirt, and red-and-white kabney
Kabney
A kabney is a silk scarf worn as a part of the gho, the traditional male costume in Bhutan. It is raw silk, normally 90 x 300 cm with fringes...
in the fashion of ancient warriors. The zheypon (dance master) wears an elaborate headdress.
The Woochhu Zhey, from the Wochu Village ("Jackal River Village"; modern Woochhu Village in Lungnyi Gewog
Lungnyi Gewog
Lungnyi Gewog is a gewog of Paro District, Bhutan. In 2002, the gewog had an area of 59.7 square kilometres and contained seven villages and 265 households....
, Paro
Paro District
Paro District is the name of a district , valley, river and town in Bhutan. It is one of the most historic valleys in Bhutan. Both trade goods and invading Tibetans came over the pass at the head of the valley, giving Paro the closest cultural connection with Tibet of any Bhutanese district...
), also bases its origin in Shabdrung
Shabdrung
Shabdrung , was a title used when referring to or addressing great lamas in Tibet, particularly those who held a hereditary lineage...
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal was a Tibetan Buddhist lama and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation state...
, first performed by a lam
Lam
-Lam:*Mor lam, an ancient Lao form of song in Laos and Isan*Lam saravane, a music genre*Lam luang, a music genre*Lam, Germany, a town in Bavaria-LAM:*Lactational amenorrhea method, a contraceptive method...
in the procession to receive the Shabdrung.
One particularly endangered performance is the Wang Zhey of Thimphu
Thimphu District
Thimphu District is a dzongkhag of Bhutan. Thimphu is also the capital of Bhutan and the largest city in the whole kingdom.-Languages:...
. According to tradition, it began with a commoner from the Wang valley who went to Laya
Laya, Bhutan
Laya, Bhutan is a town in Laya Gewog in Gasa District in northwestern Bhutan. It is inhabited by the indegenous Layap people....
. On his way, he stopped at the Gasa
Gasa, Bhutan
Gasa is a town near Gasa Dzong in Gasa District in northwestern Bhutan.Population 3116 ....
tshechu where he saw Goen Zhey for the first time. Inspired, he stayed to learn it. After returning to Wang, he taught his people the zhey in exchange for a fee of salt for every song. In 1620, with small changes, it was performed in Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
during the consecration ceremony of Chagri Monastery. Thereafter, it was performed regularly in receptions for important Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an Drukpa lama
Lama
Lama is a title for a Tibetan teacher of the Dharma. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru .Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries...
s. Though the Wang Zhey was once routine in rabneys, archery matches
Archery in Bhutan
Archery in Bhutan is the national sport of the Kingdom. Archery was declared the national sport in 1971, when Bhutan became a member of the United Nations. Since then, the popularity of Bhutanese archery has increased both within and without Bhutan, with a measure of government promotion...
, and weddings of well-to-do families, it is now less frequently performed, and young Bhutanese do not know its significance.
Tsangmo
Tsangmo (Dzongkha: ཙང་མོ་; Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: tsang-mo), also considered a literary genre, are very popular in Bhutan. They consist of sung couplets, the first of which describes a relevant scenario, followed by the second couplet, which conveys a point such as love, hate, abuse, or ridicule. Tsangmo may be sung in a call-and-reply fashion, and may be a means of competition.
Lozey
Lozey (Dzongkha: བློ་ཟེ་; Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: blo-ze), literally translated as "ornaments of speech," refer to two distinct vocal traditions. The first is a short exchange lines, while the second is a collection of ballads that vary from region to region. They all concern traditional customs, dress, and literature. Rich in metaphor, they are known and recited by ordinary people in modern language. Like Tsangmo, Lozey may be sung in a call-and-reply fashion, and may be a means of competition. Certain Lozey are sung in vernacular language.
Popular music
The modern popular rigsarRigsar
Rigsar is a music genre, the dominant type of popular music of Bhutan. It was originally played on a dranyen , and dates back to the late 1960s. The first rigsar song, Zhendi Migo was a copy of the popular Bollywood filmi song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo...
genre (Dzongkha རིག་གསར་; Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: rig-gsar; "new idea") emerged in the 1960s. Rigsar can be contrasted from most traditional music in its updated electronic instrumentation, faster rhythm, and vernacular language, especially Dzongkha and Sharchop. Its context can also be contrasted, as rigsar is a common feature of Bhutanese television and film. Some of the earliest rigsar tunes were translations of contemporary popular Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
songs. The first Bhutanese rigsar hit was Zhendi Migo, covered the popular Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
filmi
Filmi
Filmi is Indian popular music as written and performed for Indian cinema. Music directors make up the main body of composers; the songs are performed by playback singers and it makes up 72% of the music sales in India....
song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo
Love in Tokyo
Love In Tokyo is a 1966 Hindi film that became a hit at the box office. It was written by Sachin Bhowmick and produced and directed by Pramod Chakravorty. The film stars Joy Mukherjee, Asha Parekh, Pran, Mehmood, Lalita Pawar, Asit Sen and Madan Puri. Hasrat Jaipuri wrote the lyrics.-Filming:The...
. Since the 1960s, a great number of Bhutanse artists have covered or produced a staggering volume of rigsar music.
Rigsar gained popularity on the Bhutan Broadcasting Service
Bhutan Broadcasting Service
The Bhutan Broadcasting Service is the national radio and television service in Bhutan. A public service corporation, it is fully funded by the State and it is currently the only service to offer both radio and television to the Kingdom, and is the only television service to broadcast from inside...
, making way for the rigsar
Rigsar
Rigsar is a music genre, the dominant type of popular music of Bhutan. It was originally played on a dranyen , and dates back to the late 1960s. The first rigsar song, Zhendi Migo was a copy of the popular Bollywood filmi song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo...
band Tashi Nencha to established the first recording studio in Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
in 1991. Prior to this period, Bhutanese people primarily listened to filmi
Filmi
Filmi is Indian popular music as written and performed for Indian cinema. Music directors make up the main body of composers; the songs are performed by playback singers and it makes up 72% of the music sales in India....
and other kinds of Indian pop
Indian pop
Indian pop music , often known as Indian-Pop, Hindi Pop, Indipop or Indi-pop, refers to pop music in India. Pop music really started in the South Asian region with the famous playback singer Ahmed Rushdi's song ‘Ko-Ko-Korina’ in 1966...
music. Rigsar
Rigsar
Rigsar is a music genre, the dominant type of popular music of Bhutan. It was originally played on a dranyen , and dates back to the late 1960s. The first rigsar song, Zhendi Migo was a copy of the popular Bollywood filmi song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo...
is the dominant style of Bhutanese popular music, and dates back to the late 1980s. The first major music star was Shera Lhendup, whose career began after the 1981 hit "Jyalam Jaylam Gi Ashi".
By the end of the 1980s, rigsar
Rigsar
Rigsar is a music genre, the dominant type of popular music of Bhutan. It was originally played on a dranyen , and dates back to the late 1960s. The first rigsar song, Zhendi Migo was a copy of the popular Bollywood filmi song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo...
was no longer so popular, its detractors citing repetitive, simple tunes that were often copied directly from foreign music. Since 1995, with founding of the Norling Drayang
Norling Drayang
Norling Drayang is a popular and prolific record label in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Since its establishment in 1994, Norling Drayang has released more than 150 music albums and 4 feature films. With the release of its first music album "Pangi Shawa", Norling Drayang was acknowledged as the first...
recording label, rigsar has returned to relative popularity as a fusion of elements and instruments from English language pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, Indian
Music of India
The music of India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and R&B. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music, has a history spanning millennia and developed over several eras. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as...
and Nepalese music
Music of Nepal
Music of Nepal refers to the various musical genres of Nepal. With more than fifty ethnicities, the music of this country is a highly dispersed phenomenon. Although genres like pop, rock, folk, and Classical music exist, a huge number of such genres are yet to be cataloged...
. Rigsar remains ubiquitous in Bhutan, heard in on public streets, in taxis, and on buses, and even used by the government to deliver health and sanitation education.
Institutions
The Royal Academy of Performing ArtsRoyal Academy of Performing Arts
The Royal Academy of Performing Arts is a Bhutanese government body within the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Department of Culture, that supports the preservation of traditional Bhutanese culture. It was founded in 1954 under the initiative of the Third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck...
(RAPA) has worked under royal prerogative to document, preserve, and promote traditional Bhutanese music, song, and dance since 1954. Its activities are overseen by the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs
Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs
The Bhutanese Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs is the government ministry within the Lhengye Zhungtshog which oversees law and order; the civil administration; immigration services; the issuance of citizenship documents, and other related documents; the...
of the Government of Bhutan. The Academy's performers participate in festivals, tour schools within Bhutan, and perform for tourists
Tourism in Bhutan
Tourism in Bhutan began in 1974, when the Government of Bhutan, in an effort to raise revenue and to promote the country's unique culture and traditions to the outside world, opened its isolated country to foreigners. In 1974, 287 tourists visited Bhutan. Since then the number of tourists visiting...
.
The Royal University of Bhutan
Royal University of Bhutan
The Royal University of Bhutan , founded on June 2, 2003 by a royal decree is the national university system of Bhutan....
Institute of Language and Cultural Studies
Institute of Language and Culture Studies (Bhutan)
The Institute of Language and Culture Studies or ILCS, is part of the Royal University of Bhutan. Presently ILCS is located at Semtokha near Thimphu. It is slated to expand to 500+ students and move to Taktse in Trongsa dzongkhag...
(ILCS) at Semtokha, Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
, was the only university level institute to offer elective courses on traditional and modern Bhutanese music, song, and dance as of 2003.
Khuju Luyang, a private performing arts group with international stage presence. Khuju Luyang won the folk music and dance competition in 2006 and received the silver medal from the Royal Government of Bhutan for preservation of folk dance and music.
See also
- Cham danceCham DanceThe cham dance , also spelled tscham or chaam, is a lively masked and costumed dance associated with some sects of Buddhism, and is part of Buddhist festivals. The dance is accompanied by music played by monks using traditional Tibetan instruments...
- Culture of BhutanCulture of BhutanCradled in the folds of the Himalayas, Bhutan has relied on its geographic isolation to protect itself from outside cultural influences. A sparsely populated country bordered by India to the south and China to the north, Bhutan has long maintained a policy of strict isolationism, both culturally...
- RigsarRigsarRigsar is a music genre, the dominant type of popular music of Bhutan. It was originally played on a dranyen , and dates back to the late 1960s. The first rigsar song, Zhendi Migo was a copy of the popular Bollywood filmi song "Sayonara" from the film Love in Tokyo...
- Royal Academy of Performing ArtsRoyal Academy of Performing ArtsThe Royal Academy of Performing Arts is a Bhutanese government body within the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs, Department of Culture, that supports the preservation of traditional Bhutanese culture. It was founded in 1954 under the initiative of the Third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck...