Folk musician Sonam Tshering Lepcha dead

Kalimpong (WB), July 30 (PTI Folk musician and Padma Shri awardee Sonam Tshering Lepcha passed away at Kalimpong on Thursday due to old age ailments, his family sources said. He was 92. He passed away this morning due to age-old ailments in Kalimpong. He was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of folk music.

Kalimpong (WB), July 30 (PTI Folk musician and Padma Shri awardee Sonam Tshering Lepcha passed away at Kalimpong on Thursday due to old age ailments, his family sources said. He was 92.

He passed away this morning due to age-old ailments in Kalimpong. He suffered a cardiac arrest, a senior district official said. He is survived by two wives and several children.

Lepcha was born in Kalimpong in 1928 and started his career as a soldier. He travelled to various parts of Sikkim and complied a wide range of Indian folk and traditional Lepcha songs and played folk music on All India Radio in 1960.

He was highly reverred in Sikkim, where he spent much of his time for his role in the revival of Lepcha culture, which is an indigenous one in Sikkim. He was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of folk music.