Bhutanese Show touches Japanese Hearts
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26 March, 2009 – Japan and Bhutan share a bond more than friendship. This was felt when a cultural troupe from Paro, Phuntsog Drayang visited the Itami City in Japan on March 12.
In its one week of stay, the troupe performed to a packed house at the Apiphonic hall, the Osaka College of Music and various elementary schools.
The vice president of the Itami Culture Foundation, who invited the troupe in his reception address, said that he was nostalgic by the performance. “Bhutan and Japan have many similarities, be it in looks, dress, musical instruments and the music notes.”
The Osaka College of Music’s board chairman, Professor Nobuo Nishioka said that the Buddhist element is another similarity. He felt that Bhutanese tunes are very similar to Okinawan and reminded the audience of plays like Noh performed in rural Japan long ago. “It reminded me of what dances were like in old Japan when I saw ‘Om sala mani’ the mud pounding dance with bamboo hats,” said the principal of Sasahara school.
The troupe also observed the rehearsal of La traviata by Guseppe Verdi, which is based on a novel by La dame aux Camelia by Alexandre Dumas.
Source: Kuenselonline