Jigme Drukpa is a Bhutanese musician and singer of traditional folk songs, born in 1969 in the small village of Wongchelo, in Pemagatshel, eastern Bhutan. He graduated from Sherubtse College in 1993, and undertook postgraduate studies in Norway. He studied folk music at Rauland Academy and ethno music at Grieg Academy, and returned to Bhutan in 1999 as the country's first ethno-musicologist.

Career

He produced the country's first mass release in 1989 on a

Sony Walkman Walkman, stylised as , is a brand of portable audio players manufactured and marketed by Japanese technology company Sony since 1979. The original Walkman was a portable cassette player and its popularity made "walkman" an unofficial term fo ...

and individually recording 100 cassettes. In 1998 he became the first Bhutanese to digitally record music.Jones, N, 2003, ''Travellers & Magicians'', Prayer Flag Pictures, p. 18 Drukpa acted and performed in two Bhutanese films, '' Travellers & Magicians'' and '' Hema Hema: Sing Me a Song While I Wait'', both made by Khyentse Norbu, aka

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche (, born June 18, 1961),Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

. He appeared as himself in the documentary '' Bløf'' about a Dutch rock band giving a concert in Bhutan. He has performed traditional folk music in over 200 cities, in about 34 countries, since 1993. He plays multiple instruments, including the

dramyin The dramyin or dranyen (; dz, dramnyen; ) is a traditional Himalayan folk music lute with six strings, used primarily as an accompaniment to singing in the Drukpa Buddhist culture and society in Bhutan, as well as in Tibet, Ladakh, Sikkim and ...

fipple The term fipple specifies a variety of end-blown flute that includes the flageolet, recorder, and tin whistle. The Hornbostel–Sachs system for classifying musical instruments places this group under the heading "Flutes with duct or duct flute ...

flute and plant leaf whistle. He specializes in playing ''

zhungdra Zhungdra ( dz, གཞུང་སྒྲ་; Wylie: ''gzhung-sgra'') is one of two main styles of traditional Bhutanese folk music, the other being bödra. Arising in the 17th century, zhungdra (''zhung'' meaning "center, mainstream", and ''dra'' ...

,'' a complex style of Bhutanese folk music. In 2013 he was recognised as an "outstanding musician" and named Loden Entrepreneur of the Year.

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) Bhutanese musicians Grieg Academy alumni Bhutanese male actors {{Bhutan-bio-stub