Drache

The Cultural Revolution resulted in the loss of whole portions of the folk repertoire of many Tibetan communities. Tibetan song is an oral tradition. Songs and dances have not generally been recorded or documented in any form. When populations were prevented from practicing their traditions, they simply dissapeared.

In Porong, the story is slightly different. Hundreds of songs were quietly archived in the minds of a handful of villagers. The period of liberalisation beginning in the early 1980's gave these singers the opportunity to pass on their knowledge once more. Three such people in Porong set about teaching their repertoire to their families and friends. Almost all the songs currently sung in Porong are a result of this strategic re-learning.

The last of these incredible human archives is Penjo-la of Darche. Now approaching is 80th birthday, he sings unaccompanied, at length, and often in a dialect long forgotten by everyone else. Dawa-la, our field contact, posesses an encyclopedic knowledge of the region's folklore and history. Yet on our visit, Penjo-la sang a song which Dawa-la had never heard of before.

From his, the wealthiest house in the village, Penjo-la told us of battles between contesting song cycles. The Ga She (performed at the Happy Times festival) gained official recognition from the Nyalam government over the Ga-to. The Ga-to is a similar cycle but rooted in agricultural (it is sung after hail) rather than nomadic traditions.