The Bhutanese Leading the way.
In the quiet town of Paro, far from the buzz of international music scenes, a young Bhutanese man is trying to rewrite the story of music in Bhutan. His name is Jamyang Singye, a 26-year-old entrepreneur who returned from Australia, not to pursue a career abroad, but to start something deeply personal, a platform called Rhythm and Bhutan.
The idea behind Rhythm and Bhutan is simple but powerful: to create a home for Bhutanese music and only Bhutanese music. “There are so many beautiful old songs that are no longer available anywhere,” Jamyang said. “Even when we search on YouTube or Spotify, we just cannot find them. That is when I realized, if no one does something, these songs might disappear forever.”
His platform is designed to preserve and promote both old and new Bhutanese songs, making them more accessible to the people. Rhythm and Bhutan has started gaining attention through social media, especially Instagram and TikTok, where Jamyang features local artists, promotes their new releases, and shares forgotten classics with fresh audiences.
Artists like Sonam Wangchen, Dedrik, and Ayjamp have already been featured, and the response has been positive. “I just want to create a space where Bhutanese music is respected and remembered,” Jamyang says. “It’s about giving our own sound a place to grow.”
Jamyang’s journey is not one of easy choices. Coming from a humble background, he spent six years in Australia studying culinary arts. But despite building a stable life abroad, he decided to return to Bhutan to follow a completely different path. “I didn’t want to just live comfortably somewhere else,” he explains. “I wanted to come back and build something for my country.”
Alongside his culinary skills, Jamyang taught himself website development and coding, skills that now help him run and grow Rhythm and Bhutan on his own. Every post, every update, every idea comes directly from his hands and his heart.
But what drives Jamyang is more than entrepreneurship, it is preservation. “Music is part of who we are,” he said, “It carries our stories, our values, our language. If we do not take care of it, we lose more than just sound, we lose memory.”
He has submitted a proposal to the Loden Foundation, seeking support to grow his company and expand its work in the Bhutanese music scene. The goal is not to build an app or chase commercial success, it is to strengthen the foundation of a community that celebrates Bhutanese identity through music.
Even in its early stages, Rhythm and Bhutan is offering something fresh. By organizing songs, giving visibility to lesser-known artists, and building engagement around Bhutanese music, it is already filling a gap that has long existed in the local creative space.
Local artists are taking notice. “This kind of platform is something we’ve needed for years,” one singer shared. “It’s not just about exposure, it’s about pride in our own music.”
Jamyang remains grounded, yet hopeful. “Even if it’s just the beginning, I believe it can grow into something meaningful,” he added. “No one has done this before in Bhutan. That is why I am doing it, for the artists, for the fans, and for the future of our music.”
In an age where most young people are looking outward, Jamyang Singye is looking inward, toward his roots, his language, and his culture. Rhythm and Bhutan is not just a music platform. It is a quiet, determined act of preservation, and a reminder that sometimes, one person’s passion can help keep a nation’s voice alive.
