A Bhutanese rapper is gaining attention around the world for his music and for the uniquely pro-democracy message. Inspired by the work of American rapper Eminem, Kezang Dorji is “one of the most popular hip-hop artists in Bhutan” according to a write up on his career written by journalist Surbhi Gupta for the Indian Express newspaper. From the World Youth Movement for Democracy:

Bhutanese rapper Kezang Dorji attended an international youth summit called Generation Democracy Academy in December 2017 at Jakarta, Indonesia. He won a grant for this project from the summit. The project is the biggest Bhutanese collaboration so far. It features 27 singers and the video feature 18 influential personalities from the Bhutanese film industry and other public figures.

“[Youth] are influenced by Bollywood, K-pop and the West. I want to use a musical form they can identify with and talk about what the Bhutanese are known for — Buddhism and their happy and peaceful nature,” remarks Kezang Dorji, one of Bhutan’s most popular hip-hop artists who uses music to encourage youth dialogue about democracy.

After attending the International Republican Institute‘s (IRI) 2018 Generation Democracy Summit, Dorji brought together 27 Bhutanese artists to create a music video encouraging youth to vote ahead of the National Assembly’s elections on October 18, 2018.

You can watch the new Kezang Dorji music video right here at Democracy Chronicles! Take a look:

See other artists like Kezang Dorji at the Democracy Chronicles Political Art page!