DANNEY DENJONGPA-SIKKIM

Danney Denzongpa (Real name: Tshering Phinsto Bhutia) was born in Yoksom, Sikkim, grduated from St. Joseph’s college(B.Sc. / Bio science) Darjeeling.
He started his career by singing Indian Nepali songs and acting in Indian Nepali movies and has acted in more than 150 hindi movies, several Indian Nepali movies.
He has also done some international projects, the most famous being Seven Years in Tibet where he acted alongside famous Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. In 2003, Denzongpa was awarded the Padma Shree, India's fourth highest civilian honour.
A few people know that he is also an accomplished singer having sung with Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and Asha Bhonsle, three stalwarts of Indian music. He has sung for several Indian Nepalese movies. His most famous songs are “kanchi lai ghumauney kathmandu sahaara”, “maan ko kura lai badhi narakha"“Chiso Chiso Hawama", “Suna katha”and "Rato Rani Phule".

My salute to such a great personality of SIKKIM!!!

Song: Suna Katha(Saino)

SANSKRITI-MANTRA

The jeans vs. daurasuruwal, drums vs. madal, these are quite old rivals. One politician passed a remark in public about the song Bir Gorkhali. He said, “Our guys talk about culture in songs (referring to bir gorkhali), but live/dress like westerners”. I did not have remotest possibility of replying his remark anyhow as it was considered too dangerous, especially during heydays of GNLF. But, it gave me impetus to pen down a song about a person tagged as "western" by one school of people. The result was the song titled Sanskriti.
Music: Vasker Dewan and a little bit of inputs from the lyricist.
Well, this song was my answer to those who think the new generation has forgotten the cultural dress, songs and rituals. Be it a folk song or rock numbers, they are just a beat apart-that's the theme of the song.

Lyrics:
Birseko chainau hami Sanskriti ajhai pani
Nasa nasa ma purkha ko ragat Bagdacha ajhai pani
Sirma topi nahola hamro Daura suruwal nahola
Tara chati bhari maya ccha aafnai jati prati
Deurali pakha bhiralo kasari birsula
Yahi mato ma janmeko yasaima milula
Naulocha saili hamro naulo ccha hamro vesh
Birseko cchainau tara pahar jharna khola ko desh
Damphu ra madal nahola hamro sarangi nahola
Tara hridaya bhari sraddha ccha yahakai sangeet prati
Maruni selo juhari Prerna hamro ho Je bhaneni lok bhaka sarainai ramro ho............

Music video: Sanskriti

OM BAND

The band started in 2004 with a spiritual dictum, OM.They are really talented young group, with Alfa in vocals, Pranesh in guitars, Suraj on Bass, Sujay on drums and Pankaj on keyboards (Anup was the former keyboardist). Though they haven’t lunched their solo album as yet, but have already created an indellible impression by playing overwhelming live shows in various places. For those who want to have kind of feel of the band, I suggest, to get hold of an original copy of compilation album named THE NEW BEGINNING (2005). Their song ‘Sapana’ became quite hit in Darjeeling, Sikkim and other places.The song goes like....Parkhi base..aucchau bhani....
“We have been experimenting with our music for 4 years now and we feel experienced enough to deliver a brand new album with a difference soon”, Pranesh says.

MADHUSUDAN LAMA-SIKKIM

“Kati Kura Nabhanera nai; Mitha Mitha Mitha hunchan. Bhaniyeka Kura Baru; Jhuta Jhuta Jhuta Hunchan.” (Some words are better not expressed, when expressed they are often faulted)
Four years back when Nepali people of Darjeeling, Nepal and Sikkim were waving their heads in the mood of music by the song of Deo Narayan Pradhan, a Kathmandu based renowned singer, Madhusudhan Lama was lonely doing his bit in his Ragini Studio at Panihouse, Gangtok. Pradhan’s song was so popular that more than one lakh albums were sold like hot cake in the market. But very few people knew that the famous song was composed by Madhusudhan. Mr. Lama not only composed the music for that song, he also composed the music for a number of songs which are still doing rounds mouth to mouth.
Mr. Lama is a Nepali Post graduate teacher of Ranipool senior secondary school. He was born and brought up in Kalimpong. But for more than 25 years he has been in Sikkim all by himself. He has opened a music studio, Ragini Studio, which has the facilities comparable to those in Mumbai and Kathmandu. “I have every facility in the studio like Sangam studio of Kathmandu, a renowned studio of Nepal with 24 tracks of recording machine,” Mr. Lama said. He rued that still the people go to Mumbai and Kathmandoo for recording and said “it is just waste of money and time.” Regarding the prospect of his studio, he said “It is not that I do not have good business. We have been given entrepreneurship award by NBCFD, New Delhi, and SABCCO, Gangtok, as best performing enterprise”.
(Courtesy: D B Rai Sikkim Express)

SURESH KUMAR CHETTRI

Born in the year 1957, he brought a substantial change in Darjeeling music. His first album “LOVE SONGS” hit the market in 1994. There was no MEDIA to publicize his music. But the magical feel of his songs spread own its own like a wild fire. In mid 90s there were no happy occasions/ marriages were his songs were not played.
The first album was followed by equally brilliant ones.
Songs like “Awu aba angalo ma”, “ Jindagi ko kiran”, Herda herdai sapana mero” , "priya timro samjhan.."
etc. are still close to our heart.

KAGENDRA KALIKOTE

The song “Kewal timro” was a super duper hit when I was in St. Robert’s high school. It ruled million hearts world over without any assistance from MEDIA. THE singer, composer and writer of this song, KAGENDRA KALIKOTE had just finished the college, when I got admission in St. Joseph’s college as a fresher. He suddenly vanished form the Darjeeling music scene leaving us all awaited for his come back.
He actually did make his come back in year 2006 or so (After 8 years), but his second album went into oblivion unnoticed as MANTRA was already ruling the hills by this time. Besides his song, I (perhaps we) hardly know anything about him. But his name will be certainly written in the history of Darjeeling music for his short, yet eternal service…
Even Prashant Tamang sang this song in the reality show Indian IDOL3, but nobody ever mentioned his name.
Lyrics of the song KEWAL timro:
केवल तिम्रो याढ लिएर कति दिन बाँचीदिनु
चाहे धेरै भुल्न तिमीलाई कसरी भुलु तिम्रा बातहरु
....
प्रीति गाँस्न भुल होइन सजाई किन व्यर्थै मलाई
रोजेथे तिमीलाई आफ्नु सम्झी विरानो ठानी नढुखाउ मनै
केवल तिम्रो ...
....
जति टाड़ा भएपनि तिमै याढमा रोईरहन्छु
चोट सबै उपहार सम्झी तिमै आश्मा बाँचीरहन्छु
केवल तिम्रो ...

Watch (or rather listen) the song KEWAL timro

BHRAM-A new BAND with OLD charm

WE had an awesome band called REINCARNATION a few years back in Darjeeling. They rocked the hills with their timeless numbers HIJA SAMMA and TIMI BINA.
Some of the band members left the band as the hills had very little to offer such great talents. Most of them left for big cities. BUT now, the lead guitarist, SADEO Tamang has made a come back with a new band called BHRAM. The album seems to be an admixture of ROCK, blues, pop and some jazz. Perhaps, a FUSION of its own kind. I listened the songs and believe me, SADEO is at his best again with his guitar.
DAWA’s husky vocals have given the metallic touch to the songs-making them more raw and appealing. I liked the title song “Bhram” and “lakhao tara”, which kicks off with a nice punchy keyboard works….