Kinley Wangchuk | Intern

Like most events during the pandemic, a virtual music festival will be conducted from today until July 31.

In the annual event called ‘The Hidden Kingdom World Music Festival’ nine Bhutanese bands and 24 international bands from 18 countries would participate.

The festival is expected to promote Bhutan’s rich tradition of folk arts, music and dance and showcase its talents to viewers in Bhutan and outside.

Two Bhutanese singers, Sonam Dorji of Music of Bhutan Research Centre (MBRC) and artistic director of Hidden Kingdom, Ugyen panday, conduct the festival.

The chief executive officer of MRBC, Sonam Dorji, said the festival would curate and preserve our cultural heritage. “The festival would ensure our folk culture finds wider appreciation and audience listenership and viewership”

He said the event is important as many fascinating facts and characters of folk and traditional music of Bhutan still remain undiscovered.

Ugyen Pandey said that folk music and arts of Bhutan have immense potential. “Through this event, people of the world will get a chance to see what has so far been sadly underrated and overlooked.”

The event, according to the organisers, would act as a platform to create and extend professional opportunities for the Bhutanese folk and traditional artists.

The Department of Information and Media under the Ministry of Information and Communications provides financial support to conduct the festival.

Edited by Tashi Dema