The demise of veteran composer Amber Gurung has taken Darjeeling, Gurung’s hometown, by grief. Musicians and Amber’s contemporaries have paid homage to the late great. “Darjeeling will always remember Amber,” says Gagan Gurung, a friend and collaborator to the late composer; “Amber was not only my friend but also a mentor.”
Amber and Gagan first met in 1950 and then the two worked together at the Art Academy, established with the aim of fostering the Nepali music scene in Darjeeling. The friendship between the two grew further until when Amber moved to the Kathmandu Valley after receiving an invitation from the then King Mahendra.
Among the collaborators of Amber were singers Aruna Lama and Shanti Thatal. While Lama passed away in 1998, Thatal is still singing. “Amber Gurung was a giant of the Nepali music landscape,” says Thatal. “It is a loss to Nepalis, whether living in Darjeeling or elsewhere.”
Musician Karma Yonjan, another of Gurung’s collaborators, remembers the legend in these terms: “He was an artist of unparalleled genius… He was a guardian and a mentor. His contribution in Nepali music landscape is immense.”