Sukmit Lepcha Sikkimese Nightingale

Nearly two decades ago a variety 11 sical programme was being staged at . newly constructed Community Cent Gangtok by some non professional 10 artistes. The programme consisted of ml cal instrumentals, solo and group SOD dances, mimicry etc. Frankly speaking' quality of the programme was not WOI

'talking about. The hall was neverthel packed to capacity as those days enterta ment outlet in Gangtok was as scarce as Pa Oil these days.

Then a girl student in her early teens t( the microphone and rendered a popular Hindi s( (Hum thhe jinke saharay from the fi "KHAMOSHI") which stunned the packed hOl who listened to the number with rapt attentiol1 pit} drop silence. Though hardly 13 or 14 years I the girl's faultless rendition and the perfect tim: of the song could be compared to the perfOI ance of any professional singer. The number St

by the girl, who of course stole the glory of

evening, naturally became the talk of the audiel after the show and there was no second opiru that a singing sensation was born that day beCi whom laid a bright and glorious future in the wo of music. The girl was Sukmit Lepcha who v born and brought up at Gangtok and studied Paljor Namgyal Girls Sr. Secondary School. ~ is the daughter of Mr. Passang Tshering Lepcha and presently married to Mr. Balaram Gurung.

However, as the time passed and the memory of her melodious song started fading away. The sin~ herself abruptly disappeared from the scene altoghether. It is only the other day that her football star brott Soloman Lepcha told us that his sister is certainly not vanished from the musical scene and infact is presentl~

noted artist singer with Royal Nepal Academy since 1984.                                                                                                                                                            .

During her 10 years stint with Royal Nepal Academy the Sikkim Girl reached pinnacle in the Nep music world. The teenager who mismerised the Community Hall audience nearly 20 years back with her s( song has finally blossomed into a mature professional singer whose reputation as redoubtable singer has n( spread far and wide. She has already won the 1st prize on the occasion ofthe 34th anniversary of Radio Nep Shikar Award as best singer in Nepali future film 'Thuma', 1 st prize in the Voice Competition organised by Rat Recording Corporation, 1 st prize in All Nepal Pop Song Competition, Awarded Popular Singer by Chhinnah Song's Reward Committee. Declared Best Singer by Rashtriya Yuwah Sewa Coas and won Narayan 001 Yuwah Puraskar. She was also honoured with Nepal Order ofDakhim Bahu -IV class by His Majesty the Ki: of Nepal. She had also travelled a number offoreign countries including USSR, Republic of China and Malay! with culture troupe.

Today she is the foremost singer in the Nepali music world, next only to the legendary Tara De'