Amber Gurung
Encyclopedia
Amber Gurung is a renowned composer
, singer and lyricist
of Nepali music.
, where his father, Ujir Singh Gurung, a former soldier in the British Indian Army, was serving as a policeman. His mother encouraged him to sing and compose as a child, and he taught himself to play both Indian and Western instruments. He studied at Turnbull School, Darjeeling, where he had fallen in love with music singing Bible hymns.
In the 1950s, one of his important associations was with the Nepali poet Agam Singh Giri. He became the headmaster of Bhanu Bhakta School founded by Giri and instituted a music school, the Art Academy of Music, in the school's premises. He recorded his famous song “Nau Lakh Tara” (a song about the sufferings of the Nepali diaspora in India) in the early 1960s, written by Agam Singh Giri. His students at his academy included musicians and singers such as Gopal Yonjan
, Karma Yonzon
, Aruna Lama
, Sharan Pradhan, Peter Karthak, Indra Gajmer, Jitendra Bardewa and Ranjit Gazmer
. He worked as the Music Chief of Folk Entertainment Unit, Government of West Bengal, Darjeeling from 1962 to 1965. Here, he was barred from singing or recording songs outside the unit. He moved to Kathmandu, Nepal
in 1969.
, Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka (2007)
• Invited by Nepal’s King Mahendra
to return to Nepal to establish and chair the music department of the newly founded Nepal Academy of Arts (1968.) Served as Music Director
for nearly 30 years.
• Renowned as the father of modern Nepali music
, having introduced and integrated Western musical methodology and styles into the Nepali music scene
• Author and recording artist of more than 1000 songs (1961–2006)
• Composed/conducted the first Nepali chorales (1988, 1997)
• Composed/conducted the first Nepali operas, Malati Mangale (“Malati and Mangale,” 1986), Muna Madan, (“Muna and Madan,” 1979), Kunjini (1963)
• Composed/conducted the first Nepali cantatas, Smriti (“Reminiscence,” 1964), Brave Gorkhas (1972)
• Scored 3 feature films and several documentaries
• Published 3 books: 2 volumes of lyrics, Samaalera Raakha (“Keep It Safe”, 1969) and Akcharkaa Awajharu (“Sounds of Words,” 2003), and an anthology of essays and memoirs, Kahaa Gae Ti Dinharu (“Remembrance of Days Past,” 2006, which won the Uttam Shanti Shahitya Puraskar for 2007)
• Honored with more than 25 life-time awards and felicitations
• Frequent presenter at international music and cultural fora, including:
• “Songs of Asia,” sponsored by UNESCO
, in the Philippines, Japan and China
• Conference on music education, sponsored by the International Society for Music Education, Spain....
Kathmandu, Nepal (2006–2007)
Music Director, Nepal Academy (of Arts and Literature)
Kathmandu, Nepal (1968–1996)
Music Teacher, Dr. Grahams Homes,
Kalimpong, India (1967–1968)
Music Chief, Folk Entertainment Unit, Government of West Bengal, Darjeeling, India (1962–1965)
First Song Recorded Nau Lakhe Tara ("Anthem of the
Nepali Diaspora")
• Kantipur FM Lifetime Achievement Award
(2006)
• Hits FM Lifetime Achievement Award (2001)
• Madhurima Phulkumar Mahato Puraskar, Kathmandu (2000)
• Tuborg Outstanding Award (1999)
• Image Award, Image TV, Kathmandu (1999)
• Jagadamba Shree, Kathmandu (1998)
• Bhupal Man Singh, Kathmandu (1998)
• Sha-Shanka, Jhapa (1996)
• Giri Puraskar, Darjeeling, India (1994)
• Golden Flute Award (CEDOS), Sikkim, India (1993)
• Indra Rajya Laxmi Pragya Puraskar, Kathmandu (1987)
• Chinalata Puraskar, Kathmandu (1983)
• Gorkha Dakshina Bahu
, Kathmandu (1971)
• Gold Medal, Radio Nepal
, Kathmandu (1970)
• Tamu Lochar Mul Aayojak Sameeti (2007)
• Democratic National Youth Federation, Nepal (2007)
• Hamdard Laboratories, Letter of Honour (2007)
• Aadibasi Janajati Uthan Rastriya Pratisthan (2007)
• Indigenous Lyricist Society, Nepal (2006)
• Narayan Gopal
Sangeet Samman (2005)
• Darjeeling, India (2005, 1994, 1968)
• Nepal Sahitya Parisad, Sikkim, India
(2005)
• Nepal Samman Everest Foundation, Nepal (2003)
• Radio Puraskar Sewa Bikash Sameeti, Nepal (2002)
• Kha Pa Sangeet Pucha, Bhaktapur (2002)
• Tamu Sanskritik Pratisthan, Nepal (2001)
• Nepal Cultural Council, Nepal (2000)
• New York, NY
, US (1998)
• Boston, MA, US (1998)
• Washington D.C., US (1998)
• London, England
(1998)
• Ilam, Nepal (1998)
• Mitra Sen, Bhagsu, India (1996)
• Kurseong
, India (1994)
• Mirik
, India (1994)
• Astha Pariwar (1992)
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, singer and lyricist
Lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who specializes in lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-composer, who composes the song's melody.-Collaboration:...
of Nepali music.
Early life
Amber Gurung was born in Darjeeling, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, where his father, Ujir Singh Gurung, a former soldier in the British Indian Army, was serving as a policeman. His mother encouraged him to sing and compose as a child, and he taught himself to play both Indian and Western instruments. He studied at Turnbull School, Darjeeling, where he had fallen in love with music singing Bible hymns.
In the 1950s, one of his important associations was with the Nepali poet Agam Singh Giri. He became the headmaster of Bhanu Bhakta School founded by Giri and instituted a music school, the Art Academy of Music, in the school's premises. He recorded his famous song “Nau Lakh Tara” (a song about the sufferings of the Nepali diaspora in India) in the early 1960s, written by Agam Singh Giri. His students at his academy included musicians and singers such as Gopal Yonjan
Gopal Yonjan
Gopal Yonjan is a one of the most prominent music composer, director, lyricist, singer and music arranger in the history of Nepali music. Gopal Yonjan has over 2000 musical compositions to his credit, ranging from folk, classical, modern to Western music....
, Karma Yonzon
Karma Yonzon
Karma Yonzon is a Darjeeling-based Nepali music composer. He is the brother of another Nepali musician Gopal Yonjan.He has composed music for numerous singers like Narayan Gopal, Aruna Lama, Dilmaya Khati, Kumar Subba, Dasiy Baraili and Pema Lama...
, Aruna Lama
Aruna Lama
Aruna Lama is one of the well-known singers of Nepali music. She is popularly known as "The Nightingale of the Hills". She sang hundreds of Nepali songs, including some for Nepali films, and left an indelible mark as one of the best singers in Nepali music....
, Sharan Pradhan, Peter Karthak, Indra Gajmer, Jitendra Bardewa and Ranjit Gazmer
Ranjit Gazmer
-Early life:Ranjit Gazmer was a student of Amber Gurung at his Art Academy of Music in Darjeeling, India. His contemporaries were Karma Yonzon, Gopal Yonjan, Sharan Pradhan, Aruna Lama and Jitendra Bardewa, all of whom went on to be musicians. He was a part of a musical group called Sangam Club and...
. He worked as the Music Chief of Folk Entertainment Unit, Government of West Bengal, Darjeeling from 1962 to 1965. Here, he was barred from singing or recording songs outside the unit. He moved to Kathmandu, Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
in 1969.
Lifetime achievements
• Composed Nepal’s new national anthemNational anthem
A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a nation's government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people.- History :Anthems rose to prominence...
, Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka (2007)
• Invited by Nepal’s King Mahendra
Mahendra of Nepal
Possibly no heir for the time period of 1911 through 1920. Previous Crown Prince: Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah, from 1906 to 1911....
to return to Nepal to establish and chair the music department of the newly founded Nepal Academy of Arts (1968.) Served as Music Director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
for nearly 30 years.
• Renowned as the father of modern Nepali music
Music of Nepal
Music of Nepal refers to the various musical genres of Nepal. With more than fifty ethnicities, the music of this country is a highly dispersed phenomenon. Although genres like pop, rock, folk, and Classical music exist, a huge number of such genres are yet to be cataloged...
, having introduced and integrated Western musical methodology and styles into the Nepali music scene
• Author and recording artist of more than 1000 songs (1961–2006)
• Composed/conducted the first Nepali chorales (1988, 1997)
• Composed/conducted the first Nepali operas, Malati Mangale (“Malati and Mangale,” 1986), Muna Madan, (“Muna and Madan,” 1979), Kunjini (1963)
• Composed/conducted the first Nepali cantatas, Smriti (“Reminiscence,” 1964), Brave Gorkhas (1972)
• Scored 3 feature films and several documentaries
• Published 3 books: 2 volumes of lyrics, Samaalera Raakha (“Keep It Safe”, 1969) and Akcharkaa Awajharu (“Sounds of Words,” 2003), and an anthology of essays and memoirs, Kahaa Gae Ti Dinharu (“Remembrance of Days Past,” 2006, which won the Uttam Shanti Shahitya Puraskar for 2007)
• Honored with more than 25 life-time awards and felicitations
• Frequent presenter at international music and cultural fora, including:
• “Songs of Asia,” sponsored by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, in the Philippines, Japan and China
• Conference on music education, sponsored by the International Society for Music Education, Spain....
Professional history
Chairman, Nepal Music CenterKathmandu, Nepal (2006–2007)
Music Director, Nepal Academy (of Arts and Literature)
Kathmandu, Nepal (1968–1996)
Music Teacher, Dr. Grahams Homes,
Kalimpong, India (1967–1968)
Music Chief, Folk Entertainment Unit, Government of West Bengal, Darjeeling, India (1962–1965)
First Song Recorded Nau Lakhe Tara ("Anthem of the
Nepali Diaspora")
Selected awards
• Uttam Shanti Shahitya Puraskar (2007)• Kantipur FM Lifetime Achievement Award
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
(2006)
• Hits FM Lifetime Achievement Award (2001)
• Madhurima Phulkumar Mahato Puraskar, Kathmandu (2000)
• Tuborg Outstanding Award (1999)
• Image Award, Image TV, Kathmandu (1999)
• Jagadamba Shree, Kathmandu (1998)
• Bhupal Man Singh, Kathmandu (1998)
• Sha-Shanka, Jhapa (1996)
• Giri Puraskar, Darjeeling, India (1994)
• Golden Flute Award (CEDOS), Sikkim, India (1993)
• Indra Rajya Laxmi Pragya Puraskar, Kathmandu (1987)
• Chinalata Puraskar, Kathmandu (1983)
• Gorkha Dakshina Bahu
Gorkha Dakshina Bahu
Gorkha Dakshin Bahu is one of the highest honors given traditionally by the King and now the President of Nepal. It can be awarded to both the military and civilians including foreign nationals for the distinguished contribution to the country in the field of arts, literature, sports, science, and...
, Kathmandu (1971)
• Gold Medal, Radio Nepal
Radio Nepal
Radio Nepal was established on 1 April 1951. Initially, the transmission lasted for 4 hours and 30 minutes through a 250 Watt short-wave transmitter. Over the years, Radio Nepal has strengthened its institutional capacity considerably and diversified itself in terms of programme format, technical...
, Kathmandu (1970)
Selected felicitations
• Kalimpong, India (1994, 2008)• Tamu Lochar Mul Aayojak Sameeti (2007)
• Democratic National Youth Federation, Nepal (2007)
• Hamdard Laboratories, Letter of Honour (2007)
• Aadibasi Janajati Uthan Rastriya Pratisthan (2007)
• Indigenous Lyricist Society, Nepal (2006)
• Narayan Gopal
Narayan Gopal
Narayan Gopal Guruacharya is the most prominent and popular singer and composer in the history of Nepali music. He is popularly referred to as "Swar Samrat" in Nepali music. He is also known as "Tragedy King." He is well known as a singer as well as a composer...
Sangeet Samman (2005)
• Darjeeling, India (2005, 1994, 1968)
• Nepal Sahitya Parisad, Sikkim, India
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
(2005)
• Nepal Samman Everest Foundation, Nepal (2003)
• Radio Puraskar Sewa Bikash Sameeti, Nepal (2002)
• Kha Pa Sangeet Pucha, Bhaktapur (2002)
• Tamu Sanskritik Pratisthan, Nepal (2001)
• Nepal Cultural Council, Nepal (2000)
• New York, NY
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, US (1998)
• Boston, MA, US (1998)
• Washington D.C., US (1998)
• London, England
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(1998)
• Ilam, Nepal (1998)
• Mitra Sen, Bhagsu, India (1996)
• Kurseong
Kurseong
Kurseong is a hill station situated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal, India.Located at an altitude of 1458 metres , Kurseong is just 30 km from Darjeeling...
, India (1994)
• Mirik
Mirik
Mirik is a picturesque tourist spot nestled in the serene hills of Darjeeling district in West Bengal, India. The name Mirik comes from the Lepcha words Mir-Yok meaning "place burnt by fire"....
, India (1994)
• Astha Pariwar (1992)