Aup Dawpey and Aum Sedy

Aup Dawpey (birth name Dawa Peljor; also known as Ap Dawpel and Kinzang Tshering; died aged 91) and Aum Sedy are among the most revered traditional musicians in Bhutan. Between them, they embody the living memory of Bhutan's classical and folk music heritage — the sacred songs, instrumental techniques, and oral histories that have been passed down through generations but are now at risk of being lost. Aup Dawpey was the country's foremost drangyen (lute) master and the only musician ever to receive Bhutan's Druk Thuksey ("Heart Son of Bhutan") medal, while Aum Sedy is the sole surviving singer who retains perfect knowledge of the Tangsebji version of the zheym, a culturally iconic song dating from the seventeenth century.^[1]

Aup Dawpey: Master of the Drangyen

Aup Dawpey was born in the village of Talo Nubgang in Punakha district. His birth name was Dawa Peljor, and he was also known as Kinzang Tshering during his years as a mask dancer at Punakha Dzong. He picked up the lim (bamboo flute) at the age of nine and spent the rest of his life devoted to Bhutan's traditional folk instruments: the lim, the chiwang (two-stringed fiddle), and above all the drangyen. His mastery of the drangyen was recognised as unparalleled, and his performances of the Talo dangrem style were considered the most pure and authentic expressions of that tradition.^[2]

In 1968, His Majesty the Third King, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, sent a select group of musicians — including Aup Dawpey, Aum Thinlem, and Aum Tshewang Lham — to Calcutta, India, to record what became the first album of Bhutanese traditional music. This pioneering recording session captured zhungdra and boedra performances that might otherwise have been lost entirely, and it remains one of the most important archival documents in Bhutanese musicology.^[3]

After fifty-eight years of dedicated service to folk music, Aup Dawpey's contributions were formally recognised on 2 June 1999 when His Majesty the Fourth King, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, awarded him the Druk Thuksey medal, one of the highest civilian honours in Bhutan. He was the only musician ever to receive this distinction — a measure of the extraordinary esteem in which his artistry was held. He passed away at his residence in Motithang, Thimphu, at the age of 91.^[4]

Aum Sedy: Guardian of the Zheym

Aum Sedy is a traditional vocalist from Tangsebji who is recognised as the only living singer to retain perfect, complete knowledge of the Tangsebji version of the zheym, a culturally iconic song dating from the seventeenth century that is performed exclusively by women. The zheym is among the most demanding and symbolically significant compositions in Bhutanese vocal tradition, requiring extended vocal tones sung in complex melodic patterns that even trained singers find challenging to execute.^[5]

Aum Sedy's masterful singing has been fully recorded by the Music of Bhutan Research Centre (MBRC), alongside her detailed explanations of the song's origins, meanings, and cultural significance. These recordings represent an essential act of preservation: without them, the Tangsebji zheym would almost certainly be lost within a generation. Her willingness to share her knowledge with researchers reflects a deep commitment to ensuring that Bhutan's intangible cultural heritage endures even as the society that produced it undergoes rapid transformation.^[6]

Zhungdra and Boedra: The Traditions They Preserve

The musical traditions that Aup Dawpey and Aum Sedy represent fall into two principal genres. Zhungdra (literally "song of the central region") is the classical form developed in the seventeenth century, associated with Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal and the formal traditions of the Bhutanese state. Zhungdra is considered one of the most difficult genres to perform, characterised by extended vocal tones sung in intricate patterns. Boedra, by contrast, originated from Tibetan court music and was spread by the Boed Garps (Tibetan officials) who travelled from village to village. Boedra songs are typically sung in a circle and are relatively easier to perform than zhungdra, though they carry their own sophistication and regional variation.^[7]

Both genres are transmitted orally, making them inherently vulnerable to disruption as modernisation, urbanisation, and globalisation reshape Bhutanese society. The Music of Bhutan Research Centre, founded by ethnomusicologist Kheng Sonam Dorji with support from the Smithsonian Institution, has been at the forefront of efforts to document these traditions while their master practitioners are still alive. The work of recording artists like Aup Dawpey and Aum Sedy is part of a broader national and international effort to preserve Bhutan's intangible cultural heritage for future generations. See also: Drangyen, Musical Instruments of Bhutan, Music of Bhutan.^[8]

References

1. "Master Artists." Music of Bhutan Research Centre.
2. "Bhutan lost a maestro of musical and cultural legend." Kuensel Online.
3. "Kheng Sonam Dorji." Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.
4. "Bhutan lost a maestro of musical and cultural legend." Kuensel Online.
5. "Master Artists." Music of Bhutan Research Centre.
6. "Master Artists." Music of Bhutan Research Centre.
7. "Zhungdra." Wikipedia.
8. "Kheng Sonam Dorji." Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.