Music of Bhutan has traditional genres such as zhungdra and boedra, and a modern genre called rigsar. Bhutanese musicians include Jigme Drukpa, who is also a leading Bhutanese musicologist. Bhutan was first united in the 17th century, during the reign of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594–1652); the same period saw a great blossoming of folk music and dance (cham). Instruments dating to this time include the lingm (flute), dramnyen (lute) and chiwang (fiddle).
The influence of Drukpa Buddhism and Buddhist music on Bhutanese culture is important. Many folk songs and chanting styles are derived from Drukpa music.
Folk instruments include lingm, chiwang and dramnyen: similar to a large, three-stringed rebec.
Bhutanese popular music history began with the Bhutan Broadcasting Service, which was followed by the band Tashi Nyencha, who 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, until the founding of the Norling Drayang recording label. Since Norling came into limelight, popular Bhutanese music has primarily been the rigsar genre, a fusion of elements from Western pop, Indian and Nepali music. The best-selling rigar album in Bhutanese history was New Waves (1996) by Suresh Moktan & Lhamo Dukpa. Lhamo dukpa is the first bhutanese modern singer female singers, she writes lyrics, compose music. Suresh who later denounced his own album affirming that the recording quality was not up to his expectations. This change in his perception came about as a result of his exposure to professional music education in India – particularly after studying Indian classical music. Despite the discontinuation of mass production of New Waves , young Bhutanese rigsar enthusiasts soon espoused this new concept, and this has fundamentally revolutionized the rigsar into further blend of “new and old” melodies.
Other rigsar musicians include Neten Dorji.
Unlike many countries, Bhutanese folk music is almost never used in popular music.
The traditional dranyen, a kind of folk guitar, has been updated into the rigsar dranyen for use in popular music.
There is a Bhutanese Royal Academy of Performing Arts (RAPA) & Khuju Luyang Folk Performing Arts & Music in the Kingdom of Bhutan. Only Pvt. Performing Arts Group with many international stage performing expriences. The winner of the folk music and dance competation in year 2006 and the silver madallist for preservation of folk dance and music by the Royal Government of Bhutan. Post Box No. 805, Thimphu: Bhutan, E-mail: khujuluyang@druknet.bt
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