Folk Music of Bhutan

The change of the Drukpa Buddhism and Buddhist music on Bhutanese tradition and culture is such that several folk songs and chanting patterns are derived from Drupka music. While some of the lama and monks are credited for the composing of certain Bhutanese folk music, while the majority of its creators are unknown. In the religious music, the lyrics of the traditional music are most often in literary Dzongkha or Choke, also there are many traditional songs in Khengkha and Bumthnangkha.

 

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The vocal and the behavioural discipline for the folk singing requires thorough training in order to know the correct pitch, facial expressions, gestures and also the overall conduct in performing. Along the traditional music, the masked dances and dance dramas are common participatory units of the traditional music and features of the obviously at the Bhutanese tsechus (the festivals). The energetic dancers wear colourful wooden or composition face masks employ special costumes and the music portray a panoply of the heroes, demons, death heads, animals, gods and the caricatures of the common people. The dances enjoy the royal patronage and preserve not only ancient traditional and religious culture but also continue the art of the mask making.

The Bhutanese traditional songs which include a variety of subgenres is made up of the zhundra and boedra as well as many minor varieties like the zhey and zhdem, yuedra, tsangmo, alo, khorey, and also the ausa. The traditional songs and dance are also an integral part of the archery in Bhutan, which is known for the lyrics that range from the literary and sublime to provoking and imitation.