The Story of Sonam 

Sonam Tsomo

This is the story of a beautiful soul and her instrument the Dranyen. Dranyen (Dra/ da means sound and Nyen means melodious or pleasant. So it means pleasant sound) Sonam is an exiled Tibetan, born and raised in India.  As Sonam said during our interview, "No matter where you are or what you have become, never forget your roots. My identity as a Tibetan might be threatened but our culture, tradition and language are still alive and it is important to preserve that and pass it on to the next generation". The instrument means a lot to me because it is one of the first Tibetan instrument I learned. It reminds me of my younger self who was so eager and passionate to learn how to play the instrument. And this instrument also reminds me of my growth as a person. The song is one of the most popular and significant Tibetan classical music. It reminds me to never forget the beauty and the significance of our culture; our culture which is also our Identity.