Druk Luyang
Bram Stadhouders - guitar
Joos Lijbaart - drums
Sonam Dorji, one of the better-known Bhutanese singers. A Buddhist Kingdom north of Nepal.
Druk Luyang is a new project by guitarist and composer Bram Stadhouders, percussionist Joost Lijbaart and the Bhutanese singer and musical heritage bearer Sonam Dorji. A meeting of three worlds, in which age-old Buddhist traditions merge with ambient soundscapes, improvisation and Western lyricism. During a tour in 2023, Stadhouders and Lijbaart were the first Dutch jazz musicians to perform in Bhutan, at the invitation of the Hidden Kingdom Music Festival. There they met Sonam Dorji, a key figure in the preservation and dissemination of Bhutanese traditional music. In the days that followed, recordings were made in which Dorji's devotional singing and compositions were given a new perspective by the timbres of guitar, electronics and percussion.
Druk Luyang – literally “the music of the dragon” – is an ode to the mystical atmosphere of the Himalayas.The result is a meditative but layered sound universe in which East and West meet in a natural way.
Bram Stadhouders (Tilburg, 1987) is one of the most adventurous guitarists of his generation. With performances in more than 60 countries, projects with the Netherlands Chamber Choir and countless groundbreaking albums, he moves at the intersection of jazz, contemporary classical and electronic music.
Joost Lijbaart gained international fame with Yuri Honing Trio and is known for his versatile, melodic approach to drums and percussion. He has worked with musicians such as Ibrahim Maalouf, Wolfert Brederode and Rima Khcheich.
Sonam Dorji is an advocate of Bhutanese folk music and director of the Bhutan Music Institute in Thimphu.He masters several traditional instruments such as the dranyen (Bhutanese lute), and contributes worldwide to keeping his musical heritage alive.
