The Best Rock bands from Gangtok.

        Sikkim is a center for western-style music in India, and has been since the rise of bands like Orchids and Naren Rasaily's Flickers, beginning in 1968. This period ended in 1973, though it was revived in 1982 by Shooting Star and Soul Saviour (a reincarnation of Flicker).

The Best Rock Bands of Gangtok are:

·         Girish “n the Chronicles

·         Still Waters

               

Girish N the Chronicles

 'Girish N The Chronicles' At Suncane Skale Music Competition

July 7, 2010 : A Gangtok based rocked band 'Girish 'n the Chronicles', has become the first Indian band to compete in Suncane Skale a music festival in Herceg Novi, Montenegro. The festival is celebrated every year during the summer.

The five member band, which is now in New Delhi, will participate in this three day festival, starting on 7th July 2010. They are preparing for the prestigious competition and clearing the visa and other travel formalities.

The 'Girish 'n the Chronicles' band will be performing on the final day of the festival on 9th July. The three days of the music festival are categorized in three divisions- 7th July will be 'the night of the "Prince awards', 8th is for 'unknown singers' and the final day i.e. 9th July will be 'the Grand Finale'.

Girish Pradhan is the lead vocalist of the band, who also plays the guitar. Noel Karthak Lepcha can be seen on the bass guitar, Nagen Mangarati on drums, Yogesh Pradhan on keyboards as well as guitar and Suraj Karki is the lead guitarist. Ronald Pradhan is managing the band.

Dr. Janice Darbari, the Honorary Consul General of Montenegro Consulate General Office, sent a letter to inform 'Girish 'n the Chronicles' that they are the first band from India to be invited for this competition round of Montenegro festival. This opportunity has also given a musical recognition to the state Sikkim.

The Honorary Consul Generalof Montenegro in India has informed that the three day festival receives more than 200 hours of live air on Radio and television in Montenegro, which is watched in more than 50 countries of Europe and throughout the world.

The Consulate of Montenegro conducted a nationwide talent hunt in Guwahati a few months back in association with the Eastern Zonal Cultural Committee. The 'Girish 'n the Chronicles' band's 'Angel' won the talent hunt and thus got selected. The number was penned by Girish and arranged by his brother Yogesh. The organizers were very much impressed by the composition and invited the band to compose a fresh song for their performance in Montenegro.

The band is very confident of doing well in Montenegro. Hope they get a good recognition in the international market and come back home after being a success!

Still Waters

These guys from Sikkim did it, becomming the first ever band featured in RSJ magazine, who would have thought? some bunch of guys from gangtok could write so many splendid english songs!?

Below is their story :

 Suman(bass) and Ananth(vocal) came across each other as a batch mates in NIIT institute in Gangtok, somewhere back in July-Aug 2001, both were itching to hammer some serious rock n' roll into an almost dead band scenario in Gangtok, And at this crucial point if time, in walks Sonam(lead guitars), Suman's former bandmate and childhood buddy sharing a parallel rock n' roll history with him. After a few casual jam sessions, the most prominent fact that came to light was, with tonnes of cover-bands and concerts making up their past, what each one wanted was to try stepping into a totally new and unfamiliar terrain of making some good ORIGINAL music together. The song was "Farsighted Woman" and it got some real good reviews and personal reaction(s) from all who heard it. The birth of a whole new full-fledged rock entity was inevitable. And with the recruiting of ol' buddies n' bandmates Netra and Sameer, on drums and rhythm guitars respectively, Still waters was born. One small stint on stage at a local fest and another recording session later, the BIG BIG breakthrough came in the form of their song "Happy Go Lucky" being selected for RSJ's Great Indian Rock fest' (GIR-VI ) in Feb'2002.

Ananth Pradhan - Vocals

Sonam Lachungpa - Lead Guitars

Vishal Luitel - Rhythm Guitars

Netra Kharga - Drums

Suman Karthak - Bass & backing vocals