Recording of people carrying paddy seedlings to their respective paddy fields in Rolam village in the Trashi Yangtse District of Bhutan. There is a shortage of water, so it is distributed equally amongst the paddy fields based on a lottery system. For this reason, some paddy fields are left without water, while others have plenty of water for rice plantation.

View of rice paddies from Rolam Mazhing toward Thragom village. It is known as Mazhing 'main', meaning it is the main paddy for Rolam village. Conversations among the villagers and children can be heard in the background.

Residents of Rolam village are cultivating this paddy in Mazhing, near Rolam village after a long absence of rain during the peak season of monsoon. Water for irrigation is allocated based on a lottery system. Conversations among the villagers and children can be heard in the background.

Khuhpi Saihriem sings the traditional song 'Hi lang hi mo.' She is a Saihriem speaker living in Bahbahar village, around 90 years old at the time of recording. She is also a speaker of Bengali.

Khuhpi Saihriem sings the traditional song 'Apa bawi a' about an orphan. She is a Saihriem speaker living in Bahbahar village, around 90 years old at the time of recording. She is also a speaker of Bengali.

Khuhpi Saihriem tells a traditional story about a funny character named Benglam. She is a Saihriem speaker living in Bahbahar village, around 90 years old at the time of recording. She is also a speaker of Bengali.

This narration is about the songs of praise sung for someone who has achieved wealth and prosperity, or someone who has done great deeds.

This narration is about the importance and role songs played for communication in the traditional life of the Liangmai. Songs were employed in various situations, and they are expressions of different kinds of emotions. Liangmai ancestors used songs to express and convey their feelings and thought. It is a medium to express pleasure and pain, sorrow and joy, spiritual and moral values, and traditional and cultural knowledge. It is a rich form of cultural heritage that contributes towards maintaining the history of the people and plays vital role in connecting generations, establishing cultural identity and helps transmit cultural values, beliefs, knowledge, etc. When one is not happy or angry with another person, songs were used to express the feelings instead of talking and using explicit words. Angry facial countenance was not used; rather, a person used a song as a means to express his feelings or wishes. Then the other person would understand that the one singing the song is not happy or sad or angry. One would listen to the lyric of the song and understand the intended meaning.

This narration is about the importance and role songs played for communication in the traditional life of the Liangmai. Songs were employed in various situations, and they are expressions of different kinds of emotions. Liangmai ancestors used songs to express and convey their feelings and thought. It is a medium to express pleasure and pain, sorrow and joy, spiritual and moral values, and traditional and cultural knowledge. It is a rich form of cultural heritage that contributes towards maintaining the history of the people and plays vital role in connecting generations, establishing cultural identity and helps transmit cultural values, beliefs, knowledge, etc. When one is not happy or angry with another person, songs were used to express the feelings instead of talking and using explicit words. Angry facial countenance was not used; rather, a person used a song as a means to express his feelings or wishes. Then the other person would understand that the one singing the song is not happy or sad or angry. One would listen to the lyric of the song and understand the intended meaning.

Phiangaobo is the coming together of friends or peers to celebrate after a season of hard agricultural work. This group of friends, usually younger people, would gather at one house where they sing, drink, and eat the whole night.

When evening sets in, but parents have not yet returned from the field and children are crying, a babysitter carries a child on her back and soothe them in the front yard. Gazing to the direction from where the mother will come, the babysitter pacifies the child by singing these songs.

This narration is about songs that are sung while working on field. Some of the first songs sang while going to the field and while working on it are recorded here. Such songs are usually short, and their themes are numerous.

These are songs commonly sung by children. The narrator recollects some songs he used to sing as a kid.

These are songs commonly sung by children. The narrator recollects some songs he used to sing as a kid.

When a village girl is to get married, her peers and friends will gather at her house and spend a day singing and dancing with her. This narration is about the songs and dances performed during such gatherings.

The narration is about the songs of the village youth. Back in the days, on some auspicious occasions the youth will gather at a place, sing songs teasing each other, drink rice beer, and celebrate the whole day. The speaker narrates what kind of songs were sung on this day.

These are songs commonly sung by children. The narrator recollects some songs he used to sing as a kid.

Guarding of village is one of the most important duties of able-bodied young men. While on duty, young men usually sing songs to assure the villagers that they are in good hands.

When festive time comes, elderly women will sleep over in their dormitory. They will spend their time together drinking, singing, and celebrating. This narration is about songs sung by old women when they come together to have fun.

This narration is about the practice of house visitation and songs sung while visiting houses of the village. A group of singers will walk through the village and stop at certain places in intervals and sing songs.

When a traditional grand house is built, old men will stand beneath the house and perform a ritual. This narration is about ritual songs sung during construction of kakuki 'the grand house'.

Phenlakbou Marenmai briefly describes and performs the songs sung while building traditional grand house and common houses in the village.

Gangaa Devi and Amir Singh describe how they envision the future of Chhitkul village. The recording was made at their home, the Amar Guest House in Chhitkul village.

A description of village administration. Smooth functioning of a village life requires certain people to execute certain roles. The two oldest men in the village, known as singko and tingko, provide the mechanism of the social and religious systems. It was their duty to declare prohibitions, taboos, and so on. Kamu, the village shaman, performs funeral for the dead and attend to sick. He would perform all the rituals in the village. Apai, the village council, comprising old men from every clan in the village, look after the village administration.