Ethnomusicology Archive Video Hour

featuring

“Music from the Mountains of Bhutan”

A multi-media presentation by

Janet Herman and Jane Hancock
Music of Bhutan Research Center

This multi-media presentation introduces the culture and traditional music of the Himalayan Buddhist kingdom of Bhutan, a tiny nation with a rich range of beautiful performing arts. The genres to be covered include Buddhist ritual music, ancient zhungdra (ethereal spiritual songs), lively boedra (Tibetan-style folksongs), and tunes of the drangyen (dragon-headed fretless lute). The presenters will also discuss artists featured in their newest publication, Masters of Bhutanese Traditional Music, which highlights ten extraordinary keepers of Bhutan's unique musical heritage.

Janet Herman holds a Ph.D. in folklore and mythology from UCLA, and has been active for many years in applied ethnomusicology and folklore. Jane Hancock is a credentialed educator and photographer. Dr. Herman and Ms. Hancock are two of the co-founders of the non-profit Music of Bhutan Research Center, which was set up in 2008 with offices in Thimpu (Bhutan) and Santa Cruz (California). It is directed in Bhutan by renowned musician Kheng Sonam Dorji, and aims to break new ground by professionally researching, recording, and archiving the many musical traditions of the country's diverse regional, linguistic, and ethnic groups, and by documenting the finest living master musicians in performance and interviews.