Traditional Bhutanese Folk Music

The two styles

Bhutanese folk music is divided into two styles:

Zhungdra
This is a very difficult and unique singing style which first arose soon after the unification of the Bhutanese people. Its main feature is a complex vocal tone that follows a simple melody. It is difficult even for highly skilled singers to master. It is believed that if zhungdra is sung too improperly, it will bring bad fortune.

Boedra (also bödra)
This style is a direct descendant of Tibetan court music. It is livelier and features instruments such as dulcimers, flutes, lutes and fiddles.

Drukpa Buddhism

In addition to borrowing from neighbors such as Tibet and Nepal, the musical character of Bhutan is also largely shaped by its ties to the chanting monks of the Drukpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. This is the largest school in Bhutan.

Losing to rigsar?

These days, traditional Bhutanese music is in significant danger of disappearing. The younger generation overwhelmingly prefers rigsar, which is modern Bhutanese pop music that relies on synthesizers and seems to carry no traces of any music created before the 1960's or so.

The older generation often laments this, and it is left to a few scattered enthusiasts, such as musician and scholar Jigme Drukpa, to struggle to keep Bhutan's musical past from being obliterated forever.