The music of the Basum region revolves around the central feature of its cultural landscape, Basum lake. Many songs describe local holy sites and protector spirits residing in the lake and surrounding mountains; others reference the annual circumambulation of Basum lake at Losar (Tibetan New Year). The fifteen days of Losar provide the main performative context for music in Basum, in both the public performances during the raising of prayer flags in Tsogho, at the head of the lake, and the private singing of Ceremonial songs (gzhas chen) and Drinking songs (chang gzhas) in villagers' homes. In addition to the celebratory highlight of Losar, local music accompanies the rhythms of daily life, from Work songs (las gzhas) sung during house building and the planting, harvest, and threshing of barley, to spontaneous "Folksongs" (dmangs gzhas) used to express feelings (and flirtations) between individuals. It is interesting to note that while the Basum region is quite different from the rest of Tibet – separated by its alpine ecology, unique local dress, and distinct language – the musical genres of Basum correspond to those found elsewhere in Tibet. This phenomenon probably reflects the long process of acculturation to the cultural center of Lhasa, and the outside influences brought in by pilgrims to Basum's holy lake; still, much of the content and context of local musical traditions remain unique to the region.
For more on Basum music, see the longer essay on genres and musical context in the region or the Basum section of the Tibetan Music Collection Database. For more information on the region as a whole, see the Basum entry in the Digital Gazetteer.
See also the pages featuring the Basum village of Chipa.