Music maestro’s classes and stage for Sikkim lady

NIRMAL MANGAR

The choir performs in Mumbai. File picture Gangtok, April 10: Tshering Leezum Bhutia missed a chance to achieve her academic ambition, but that helped her find a place in the world of music, her childhood calling. The 25-year-old woman from Gangtok has already performed with A.R. Rahman in five metros and is about to complete her diploma in vocals from the KM Music Conservatory, set up by the music maestro in Chennai. Tshering is said to be the first singer from the Northeast to get admission to the conservatory. This wouldn’t have been possible if she had got admission to a college in Bangalore to pursue MBBS in 2009. Mumbai, New Delhi, Calcutta, Chennai and Bangalore were the five cities where the concert titled Classic Incantations was staged in the second half of January. The choir was composed of 28 people, including the Mozart of Madras, students of the music academy and members of German film orchestra Babelsberg. Rahman’s popular songs from Indian and Hollywood films featured in each show that lasted for three hours. The composition of the concert was specially arranged by Matt Dunkley of United Kingdom, a long-time collaborator of the maestro. “The experience was different. There are not many orchestras in India. We got an opportunity to sing with one of the best orchestras in the world,” said Tshering, who is here for a short break. She is the daughter of Ganzey and Gayatri Bhutia from Development Area in Gangtok. Tshering (second from right) with other members of the choir in Mumbai. File picture The singer became a part of the choir after passing an audition at the institute. “Rahman is very humble. He used to meet us and give advice before the show. He would encourage students and say he was also learning everyday,” said Tshering, who will complete her diploma in June. She will go to Middlesex University in England in September to pursue a degree in music. KM Music Conservatory is affiliated to Middlesex University. The woman said music was her childhood passion and she wouldn’t have been able to make a career out of it if she had made it to a medical college in Bangalore in 2009. “I wanted to study MBBS. As I couldn’t find a berth in a medical college in Bangalore, I was compelled to take admission to an engineering institute. I was not interested in engineering and in my second year, I went for auditions in the KM Music Conservatory and got admission. I was interested in singing since my childhood and used to work with bands here.” All was not well initially when it came to lessons. “At first, most of us struggled in western classics. Some students had studied Hindustani classical music earlier. I still have difficulty in Hindustani classical music,” she said. Tshering has given background vocals for six songs in Rashid Ali’s album in November. She released her debut album Kina Kina in Nepali last year.(Telegraph)