Yartung Mustang Folk Song Collection

As the world modernizes and education standardizes, many unique societies find their cultures suddenly endangered. This is undoubtedly true in Mustang, in the Nepali Himalayas. Due to standardized education in Nepali, out-migration, and economic pressures, a great deal of Mustangi culture has already been lost. In the Varagung region of Mid-Mustang, locals estimate that 40% of folk songs have already been lost forever. The Varagung language (a dialect of Tibetan), is almost exclusively spoken by the older generation and likewise is at an imminent threat of loss.

But we are not going to let that happen.

Led by Laxmi Gurung and Phenchok Tsepten "Dara" Gurung of the Fama Foundation (Kagbeni, Nepali) and Amalia Rubin of Alatala (New York, USA), numerous projects are underway or planned not only to preserve but promote the unique cultures of the Himalayas.

This year, on August 12th, Muktinath will host "Yartung" or the annual Mustang summer festival. During the festival, people from all over the Mustang, Manang, and Dolpo regions will come into Mid-Mustang to partake in horse races, games, and folk music and dance! With your help, The Fama Foundation and Alatala will be there to record these beautiful songs, dances, and stories. But we need your help! Your donations will help us buy professional recording equipment and editing software and fund these songs' professional editing and distribution for free online. Any amount over our goal will go towards further recording traditional regional folk songs outside the Yartung festival.

About our team:

Phenchok Tseptan "Dara" Gurung is a native of Kagbeni in the Varagung region of central Mustang, Nepal. He is a founder of the Fama Foundation and the former Chariman of the Mid-Mustang region (Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality). A native Varagung speaker and singer himself, Dara can always be found at community events joyously singing traditional folk songs. As a former government head for the region, Dara is deeply entrenched in the community and passionate about the preservation and promotion of endangered Himalayan cultures. He has also co-authored a book on the Varagung language and produced several music videos of traditional folk songs and dances.

See one of the Dara's Folk Music Recordings:

Laxmi Gurung is a native of Kagbeni in the Varagung Region of Mid-Mustang, Nepal. She is a co-founder of the Fama Foundation and a graduate of Lincoln University in New Zealand and Bangalore University in India, where she received a Master's in Tourism and a Master's in Mass Communication. Laxmi is well known in the local community for her regional tours to teach visitors about traditional culture, as well as her community welfare projects. Laxmi is a passionate filmmaker who has managed truly excellent work on even a shoestring budget.

See Laxmi's solo project on Yartung:

Amalia Rubin hails from Upstate New York, USA. She is Ph.D. Student in Modern Tibetan Studies at the University of Leeds, and a fluent Tibetan speaker. Amalia created Alatala as an outlet for the numerous freelance charitable, cultural, and welfare projects she was approached about while in the Himalayas. Amalia also acted as a co-producer of Strowlers Mongolia and directed numerous music videos in the Himalayas, Central, and Inner Asia. Her main skill is "knowing everyone and fixing everything," according to those that work with her. Additionally, Amalia is an award-winning singer of Tibetan folk and modern music, with a great deal of experience recording in the Himalayas.

See Amalia's Self-Directed Music Video, shot in Muktinath during Yartung 2013:

How Will Your Donation Help?

With your generous donations, we will be able to purchase professional recording equipment for both this and future preservation projects. They will also fund the costs of professional editing and free distribution, as well as smaller expenses, such as transportation, food, and lodging.

If we do not reach our goal of $5000, we will work within our means to record the folk songs as best we can on cameras and mobile devices and work with whatever means available.

If we go over our goal of $5000, the Fama Foundation has already created a handful of excellent music videos to record the traditional songs and dances of the region. All additional funds will support the creation of additional resources, documenting, recording and promoting the numerous cultures found across the Himalayas.

We look forward to your support with this project!