PURAN GONGPA

Mr.Puran Gongba is one musician who was admired then and still admired now. He started playing the guitar out of interest, and learnt it the hard way.He used to tirelessly listen to the radio, watch movies and teach himself to place fingers and strum the strings.he played the guitar with many bands like Extreme Moderation and Hillians.In between he went to the United Kingdom for a few years. Here he worked and took guitar lessons. That was when he learnt to read music.He is fondly called "Joey" by the Darjeeling crowd and the foreigners, who visit his pub called "Joey's Pub" ,the only pub in town.He tells us that Darjeeling was a happening place back in the sixties.He cherishes the Jazz,Samba,Ramba dances that used to be held at the Gymkhana Club and jokes that the ball room is now called the Dining Room.People from the North-East used to come to Darjeeling to buy the latest gadgets and ask him about the latest in music, he adds.Inspite of his love for music he stopped playing after his last stage appearance in 1985.We asked him the reason and he stated that guys in Darjeeling have lots of talent but there is one to promote them.So they have to give up their love for music soon and start finding other alternate ways to earn their daily bread and butter.
Courtesy: www.exploredarjeeling.com