Lozeys up against rigsar music

13 July 2009

Today, a battle between the old and the new, the traditional and the modern, is being played out in the music market. It is lozey against rigsar songs.

Norbui Thro Zang, Khathen (verbal message to my beloved) and Yar Mah Song are some of the lozey audio cassettes available in the market. But the business is bleak in the face of more popular songs from Bhutanese films.

O ne of the lozey cassette producers, who did not want to be named, said, “Lozeys are an integral part of our culture but people these days are more into western songs and have no concept of lozeys. Although we are trying to reinforce this culture in the society, the response is not impressive.”

The producers of Khathen, Karma and Karma Gyeltshen, are both from Royal Bhutan Police. They released their lozey cassette in September 2008 for which they spent Nu 80,000. Besides spending Nu 20,000 for recording, they also spent on singers.

They have not even recovered their expenditure incurred on the first album, yet they are planning to produce another one as soon as they gain financial stability.

Karma said, “I compose songs and save them on my mobile phone. I always make an effort to learn from others, get views from my friends and make the necessary changes.”

S ince lozeys are available in cassette form only, retailers are not eager to sell it because CDs are more popular among customers.

Lozeys are probably the oldest form of lyrical composition in the vernacular Dzongkha prevalent in Dzongkha-speaking western part of the country. They are a poetic rendition of feelings and opinions.

While it was preserved as an oral tradition in the past, some individual efforts have been made recently to document them.

Lozeys are in the form of ballads or witty repartee. They can be argumentative or confrontational (dra tam), sentimental or emotional (cho tam) and romantic or affectionate (nyen tam).

While the sentimental or emotional form of lozey is popular among the older people, the argumentative and romantic forms are popular among the youngsters.

A mong the most popular of lozeys are Gaylong Sumdar Tashi’s Songs of Sorrow and Pemi Tshewang Tashi, which are in the documented in the ballad form. Both the lozeys tell the story of a man during the pre-monarchy era who is torn between filial bond and state obligations.

Tashi Peljore, 22, says he has never heard of lozey and is not interested to know about it because it is an “outdated” literary culture. But those who have cultural and religious education admire lozey as an enduring literary genre.

BY ESHORI GURUNG

Ratings: 1 Star