Comments on: Remembering the Colorful HILLIANS of Black & White Darjeeling

By: Kiran Rai

Kiran Rai — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:26:51 +0000

I am wordless!!While reading this article in the office and for the entire duration of reading it I did not realize what was happening around me, I studied in St. Josephs College (NP) around in 1998 – 2001, but getting to know about this band after 9 years of leaving Darjeeling, I pity myself! the black & white photo looks recent although its very old. I can’t believe there are so many bands in darjeeling now but the one that started this era in darjeeling is not known by many.
I loved this article and would love to read many more.

Mr. Karthak, thank you for your contribution to music in Darjeeling.

Kiran Rai
Pune
India.

By: Gyanendra Raj Shakya

Gyanendra Raj Shakya — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 11:42:23 +0000

I am touched with the articles. Lets revive Hillians music again. We at Digitainment distribute songs digitally worldwide and I beleive this will add extra benefit and advantage to this classic band and its priceless creation. We will take your music to worldwide arena for legal downloads through iTunes and Nokia Music Store (OVI Store), also will distribute through all mobile network in India and Nepal in the form of Ring Back Tone.

Do let me know on this and will start to work right away.

Mail me in gyanendra@digitainment.com.np or gyanendra@cellroti.com
Call me: +977-9851111031

Regards,
Gyanendra

By: Vinita

Vinita — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 00:05:10 +0000

Excellent Interview!!! It makes me want to track the musical footsteps of The Hillions in Darjeeling! Kudos to the kalimpong info for this brilliant interview with Peter, and thank you Peter for providing us a detail history of the music scene in Darjeeling…very nostalgic for someone that has never been but has always had a fondness for the Darjeeling scene.

Sincerely,

Vinita
San Francisco, CA.

By: Ram B. Chhetri,VA,USA

Ram B. Chhetri,VA,USA — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:45:43 +0000

Hello Sonam,

I am simply overwhelmed by reading some of the great episodes in the life of Mr. Peter Karthak with whom I have the singular honor of getting in touch through e-mail traffic.I have to read it again as I find it so fascinating.Will post my humble and brief comments later.All I can say at this stage is that those beautiful places are in itinirary to be visited some time in the future.

All the best,and Happy Diwali.

Humbly,

Ram B. Chhetri
VA,USA

By: Peter J. Karthak

Peter J. Karthak — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 02:49:24 +0000

Dear Sonam:

Many thanks for your nostalgic comments, and I’d like to add my own to yours:

The line from “Mayalu” you quote is “Timi afai na ayepani chhayalainai pathaideu.” Well, so much for my post-teenage wishfulness when I wrote the song -the silhouette will do instead of the real stuffs, what!

Phurba of Ghoom as “Marshall” confuses me. Our Phurba was related (brother/cousin?) to Karma Daju, the famous bespectacled fooballer and lifelong teacher at North Point who, I believe, succumbed to cancer a few years ago.

While talking about Ghoom, again, there was one Shanta Chhetri who received guitar tuition from Mr Louis Banks. Shanta was a member of Mr Amber Gurung’s Art Academy of Music beore I joined it. It was quite a sight to see Shanta lugging his big electric/accousic instrument in its case on the Toy Train and up and down the steep hills. I wonder where he is now.

There are two Purans involved here.

The first is Puran Pal who was a close friend of mine before he joined the British Gurkhas. He lived at the top of Queen’s Hill and he also received regular guitar lessons from Mr Banks. He became a Judokan Sensei in the Brigade and I met him in Kathmandu when he worked with the Reiyukai in Nepal before he headed a security group to the Gulf for some corporate houses, embassies, or something like that. No, he wasn’t with The Hillians because he was away from Darjeeling during those years when we were active.

The other is Puran Gongba of the Dilkhush Rstaurant near the Rink Cinema. Nicknamed “Nixon” for the American twang in his accent, Puran owned one of the first flat electric guitars in town, and The Fentones of Shillong borrowed it while playing at Glenary’s.

Pemba Lepcha and Subarna Limbu reorganized The Diamonds in Kathmandu and played as an inhouse band at the Soaltee Hotel for many years. I met Subarna a few weeks ago at Anam Nagar where he lives and is a busy musician at Kathmandu’s many recording studios.

Well, so much for the updates from my side in Kathmandu. Thank you again for your warm words.

Sincerely yours

Peter J. Karthak

By: Sonam

Sonam — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:48:12 +0000

Absolutely great and appropriate. The piece took me back to my childhood. I think the song Mayalu had a line that went something like “Timi na aayay pani chhayalai nai pathai deu” and on reading the post I could literally feel the “chhaya” of the past coming back to me. Also it is high time that people like Peter Karthak and Pemba Lepcha be given due recognition. Phurba Tshering (Marshall)from Ghoom is still around and it was nice to read his name. Puran Dai (? First Gorkha Judoka Sensai)also of Ghoom was also involved with the Hillians if I am not mistaken. Finally, I think we knew the song “Ramra Ramra Bhavana” as “Timilai man parcha”. Anyway, something from the past that could have been easily lost has come to light and with that I am sure there will be feedbacks, phone-calls, emails etc that will provide for a larger and clearer view of the past. Good job and muri muri dhanyabaad.

By: Peter J. Karthak

Peter J. Karthak — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 02:34:50 +0000

Dear Admin Bhai:

Thank you for posting the picture of Choden and me on your website. I trust Choden won’t mind being pasted like this because I/we haven’t yet obtained her prior permission before hosting the print.

For general information, the photograph goes back to the winter of 1963 or thereabouts, and was taken at the entrance of the Lebong Military Garrison/Darjeeling Racecourse Grounds. I was 20 then, and Choden perhaps 17?

Sincerely

Peter J. Karthak

By: shyam

shyam — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 18:05:18 +0000

Great effort!!!
This is a detailed documentary of music history. Good one