Chiwang
Encyclopedia
The chiwang is a type of fiddle
played in Bhutan
. The chiwang, the lingm
(flute
), and the dramyen (lute
) comprise the basic instrumental inventory for traditional Bhutanese folk music
.
Although the chiwang is considered typically Bhutanese, it is a variety of Tibetan two-stringed fiddle. It is heavily associated with boedra
, one of two dominant genres of Bhutanese folk music]], in which it symbolizes a horse
.
Fiddle
The term fiddle may refer to any bowed string musical instrument, most often the violin. It is also a colloquial term for the instrument used by players in all genres, including classical music...
played in Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
. The chiwang, the lingm
Lingm
The lingm is a type of flute indigenous to Bhutan. The lingm, the dramyen and the chiwang comprise the basic instrumental inventory for traditional Bhutanese folk music....
(flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
), and the dramyen (lute
Lute
Lute can refer generally to any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back, or more specifically to an instrument from the family of European lutes....
) comprise the basic instrumental inventory for traditional Bhutanese folk music
Music of Bhutan
The music of Bhutan is an integral part of its culture and plays a leading role in transmitting social values. Traditional Bhutanese music includes a spectrum of subgenres, ranging from folk to religious song and music. Some genres of traditional Bhutanese music intertwine vocals, instrumentation,...
.
Although the chiwang is considered typically Bhutanese, it is a variety of Tibetan two-stringed fiddle. It is heavily associated with boedra
Boedra
Boedra is a traditional genre of Bhutanese music. Boedra, which is influenced by Tibetan folk music, is one of the two main folk singing styles in Bhutan, the other being zhungdra, which was developed in the 17th century....
, one of two dominant genres of Bhutanese folk music]], in which it symbolizes a horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
.