Singing Legend in Bhutan

Bhutan's singing legend Yeshi Wangchuk was at the GNH conference in Paro last week. I know this is not even a news. He was singing those songs we heard on radio as a child, but not on the stage, rather near the refreshment tent when the guests passed by to sip their tea. It was painful to see our legend sing like a gypsy in the open to entertain the guests.

Worse was in the evening, when he had to sing as the guests were enjoying their dinner. He went on till the last person left the buffet, by then even random visitors like us finished eating. He and his musicians were the last to eat. I know he must have been paid for his service but personally I felt very bad.

I know it wouldn't make a difference but I walked up to him and requested a pictures together just to let the foreigners around know that he's an important person. But even if nobody noticed I felt better after seeing him happily pose with me.

Bumchu Talozam and the Spiritual Copyrighted Songs

First, congratulations to Au Kencho Wangdi for successfully running four seasons of Druk Super Star singing contests and discovering many national treasures. I wish him health, knowing he has all the other factors in himself, to continue entertaining the nation and bringing out the best in our youths.

Among the many singing talentshe discovered, Bumchu Talozam has become a household name in the last many months. I have heard her name in towns and villages; I have seen people stop on the street and crowd over shop windows when she appeared on the TV, and I have seen humble villagers spend their hard earned money in voting for her.

 

Bumchu Talozam

Her melodies from Talo charmed the nation and rejuvenated people’s love for Zhungdra, which was earlier only appealing to the elders. Zhungdra was disappearing because of its difficulty in singing, slow pace, philosophical lyrics, length, and it could only go well with one musical instrument, Dramney. Younger generation found it hard to like, since our times, and had to be compelled into preserving it by making it a mandatory item on school stages.

But Bumchu Talozam suddenly made Zhungdra sound like a new genera and people started humming. History shall remember Kencho Wangdi and his treasure Talozam for the great Zhundgra Revolution.

Talking about history, it’s said that the reincarnations of Zhabdrung composed the songs Bumchu Talozam sang. Since 1705 four reincarnations of Zhabdrung lived in Talo; Zhabdrung Jigmi Drap, Zhabdrung Jigme Chogyel, Zhabdrung Jigme Norbu and Zhabdrung Jigme Dorji. I knew about this from a Bhutanese scholar who presented on Talo Tshechu during the 7^th Colloquium on Culture and Environment in March 2015 at Kichu Resort.

The songs, believed to be very holy, were heard widely by the older generations from Ap Dopay, who is also from Talo. But it’s said that the songs though exceptionally melodious never went beyond Talo. Ap Dopay, a natural singing star never taught these songs to his students from outside Talo. It’s believed that Ap Dopay respected the spiritual copyright, a Kasho issued by one of the Zhabdrungs, which apparently said that the songs and dances from Talo should not be reproduced by any person or community outside Talo. (Need to find out which reincarnation of Zhabdrung)

Today, Bumchu Talozam won runners up prize and I am very happy for her. What she won from the show is far beyond any powertiller, she has spread the love and melodious history of Talo that was dying a natural death, and that without breaking the Zhabdrung Code (After all she is from Talo and it’s her spiritual right). She has become a cultural ambassador. She is Kencho Wangdi’s gift to the Nation.

Phuba Thinley in Sunday Market

It's hard to determine why movie actors and singers are not regarded as stars in Bhutanese society; nobody really becomes excited(or pretends not to be) about seeing one, nobody walks up to them to ask for an autograph or photograph, nobody stops to watch them pass by expect the little children- those honest souls. Rest of us look at them from the corner of our eyes and watch them only when they have passed. Then we make a u-turn and follow them with excitement and without admitting it. We pretend not have seen them, why?
We Bhutanese, I believe, are so full of ego, enough to export across the world. Their movies make us laugh and cry, their songs make us tap our feet and nod our head but we find it so hard to submit it, we find it hard to wave at them when they pass by, we find it hard to shake their hand and tell them how we feel about their latest movie or the song.
I am guilty of hiding my excitement as well but it's more of my worries than my pride, I am worried if the stars are ready and open enough because they are used to being unacknowledged and I could take them by surprise. But to the stars I know- Chencho Dorji, Toeb Kinley Tshering, Tandin Bidha, Pema Yangki and Sonam Choki- I have honestly admitted how their works thoroughly entertained me and my family. I am yet to meet Namgay Gigs to tell him that my daughter was fond of his songs right from the birth, I wish to shake hands with Ugyen Panday and tell them how he transformed the Bhutanese Music Industry, I wish to hug Jangchub Choden and tell her how she touches the bottom of soul.

Phuba, his dimple, me and my little one!

And of all the wishes I met Phuba Thinley in Sunday Market yesterday. I always wanted to tell him how he contributed to my good health and happiness but when I went face to face with him I couldn't say anything, he wouldn't give me any chance, so I went on laughing. He was selling genuine Bhutanese movie CDs and his lozay booklet. Though there was an old man selling same movies (but pirated copies) just a few meters away from him at price 10 times lesser I bought two movies and his booklet from him, and that's my contribution to fighting against open piracy and that's also my love for the big-jaw Phuba Thinley, at the cost of my own pocket. Me and my wife chanced to tell him how his movies are entertaining our daughter and how she is imitating him. He happily posed for photograph with us, where he asked the cameraman (my sister inlaw) to make sure that his dimple appears boldly in the picture- and it did!

Girl Who Found Her Way

These few months the news of youth going wrong never stopped taking the headlines. My month long stay in Phuntsholing gave me all the reason to worry about next generation of Bhutanese we are bringing up. From robbery to gang fights, drugs abuse to stabbing, lost of obedience to as far as homosexuality- they are leaving behind no bad stone unturned. I almost gave up all my hopes on them and just then I saw this 16 year old Yeshey Choden on Youtube, which gave me an insight into what is there beyond our eye and beyond the interest of Bhutanese media. Her magical voice and her very own lyrics held me stunned for a while. As I watch her fingers dance smoothly over the strings of her guitar I realized how guilty I was of those many assumptions.

While there are hundreds of kids who didn't find their purpose in life, and hundreds others who lost their purposes in the midst of influences but on the brighter side there are hundreds who found their way in life like Yeshey Choden. We just don't know about them because they are not put on the stage.

Update (2 Feb 2012): Yeshey Choden received an offer to sing for Yarkey Flim, on the recommendation of Bhutan Street Fashion.

Rising Star- Promote Little Tshering Dorji

Little Tshering Dorji is a fifth grader with magical voice. There are about five YouTube videos uploaded by pemajigs in last three days, and I couldn't help watching them over and over. The boy has that charm in his voice which I never felt in most Bhutanese singers. He is as good as those kids on SaReGaMaPa Lil Champs, only he needs some training and support.

If you haven't heard him yet, you won't believe me. Just watch the video and help him by spreading the words. Somewhere there may a musician who may invest in his voice and give us a singer who will pay us back with songs that could touch our souls. We must help him because he deserves it.

Update (2 Feb 2012): Tshering Dorji has found the stage with National Talent Hunt, and is winning the hearts of every Bhutanese with his seasoned voice on BBS 2. Like they say, he is going to Do Something!

Without Minzung Lham on Druk Superstar...

Forget about who will win Druk Superstar, at least it stopped mattering to me now. Just ask yourself when you are in an honest mood- Whose song do you have as your ringtone and caller tune? Whose melody stops your heartbeat? Whose songs do you hum subconsciously? If your answer is not Minzung Lham you are probably not being honest.

Minzung Lham, Kencho Wangdi and Dechen Zam. Picture Source: Bhutan Observer

Why is she eliminated from the competition? Is it because she doesn't a word on stage? May be not, her songs are thousand words stronger. Is it because we have fail her our votes? No, we voted but that wasn't enough. The hearts that beat from her are younger generations with lesser money to spare. The voting system is not about how many people love the singer, but about how much money! Honestly I don't have a better way of voting  to suggest since the show has to sustain. It is sustainability verses credibility- and nothing could be done about it across the world- from American Idol to Indian Idol.
But for a small country like ours nobody is going to make living out of the show, not even the winner but a voice that shall keep soothing you every moment of the day shall be Minzung Lham's and without her on the show there is no excitement. I don't know whether she lost the show or the show lost her.
The next singer to watch is Dechen Zam, but she is gone too. Now I am watching Karma Phuntsho and Ulap Lekey.
Thanks to Kencho Wangdi for entertaining us all on weekends.

Bhutanese Music

I didn't like Bhutanese music until recently, forgive me but there was nothing that could draw me- from lyrics to composition to the voice quality. Thanks to singers Namgay Jigs (forgive his name), Tshering Dorji, and Kheng Sonam Dorji, lyricist like Dirty and Composer like Tandin, who suddenly transformed the whole trend.

Now, Bhutanese children listen to great deal of local music and pride in being able to sing a few. Our generation, who grew insulting the half-hearted songs, is finally beginning to stop and listen, and even love some songs. It's unfortunate that the business is not good now a days with lot of piracy but the change in quality deserves all our respect.

I don't know what magic is there in Bhutanese songs, my daughter would run dancing to the TV as soon as she hears one playing. This has got me so curious, and I had to try playing different musics but god knows why it the Bhutanese music that has this magic. When I shared this story with my friends I knew I wasn't alone. This has been happening with many babies...

Business Idea: Why don't someone in web-designing business come up with a site from where we could download Bhutanese songs legally.