zhungdra

thumb | right | Women performing in 2024 Zhungdra (; Wylie: gzhung-sgra) is one of two main styles of traditional Bhutanese folk music, the other being bödra. Arising in the 17th century, zhungdra (zhung meaning "center, mainstream", and dra meaning "music") is an entirely endemic Bhutanese style associated with the folk music of the central valleys of Paro, Thimphu, and Punakha, the heart of the Ngalop cultural area. Bödra, in contrast, evolved out of Tibetan court music.

Zhungdra is characterized by the use of extended vocal tones in complex patterns which slowly decorate a relatively simple instrumental melody. Untrained singers, even those with natural singing ability, typically find it challenging to sing zhungdra. This has reduced the popularity of zhungdra compared with Rigsar, the fast-paced pop Bhutanese music style based on electronic synthesizers.