Zhungdra

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Zhungdra (

Ngalop cultural area.[2] Bödra, in contrast, evolved out of Tibetan court music
.

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 synthesizers.

The Zhungdra style may be appreciated in songs such as Lhodrak Marpai Zhab, found on Jigme Drukpa's album Endless Songs from Bhutan.[3]

Although formally 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
.

See also

References

  1. ^ "༈ རྫོང་ཁ་ཨིང་ལིཤ་ཤན་སྦྱར་ཚིག་མཛོད། ༼གཞ-༽" [Dzongkha-English Dictionary: "GZHA-"]. Dzongkha-English Online Dictionary. Dzongkha Development Commission, Government of Bhutan. Retrieved 2011-10-23.
  2. ^ Levy, John (1971). "Note for Tashi Laso (track 1)". Tibetan Buddhist Rites from the Monasteries of Bhutan, Vol IV (Media notes). Lyrichord. p. 3.
  3. ^ Drukpa, Jigme (2000). "Lhodrak Marpai Zhab (track 5)". Endless Songs from Bhutan (Media notes). Norway Music.