Kathmandu:

Dressed in a soft pink-and-grey sari, a diminutive woman entered the room and as she talked, she grew in stature dwarfing even her larger than life image. This was Shanti Thatal, the person to whom goes the distinction of being the only woman music director in the Nepali film world apart from being a towering personality as a singer and composer.

Born in 1938 in Darjeeling to a family that was “not musically inclined”, Thatal however grew up singing bhajans and attributes her interest in the world of arts to the likes of Dalsingh Ghahataraj, Mandoj Gurung, Navin Bardewa and Heera Singh. She says she was interested in singing while her youngest (kanchhi) sister was interested in dancing.

During that time the Darjeeling Himalaya Kala Mandir was a thriving and active body that advocated music and culture. When the Sangeet Pratiyogita was organised in 1957 for the first time, Thatal says this set the stage for the flood of music that engulfed Darjeeling hills, meaning there was an overpouring of musical talents from the place.

It must not have been easy for her to be involved in the world of performing arts at a time when girls were still being kept ‘in purdah’ (if one may use the phrase). Recalls Thatal, “When people started saying we (two sisters) were spending too much time singing and dancing, a meeting was called at home to decide our fate. It was decided that singing was still okay, but not dancing.”

This okay started Thatal on a musical journey that saw her singing Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhonsle songs, adhunik Nepali songs, saw her become the only woman approved music composer on the radio with her feature music compositions being aired and the likes of Aruna Lama, Dawa Gyalmo singing her creations.

Of her musical career, she says it was more about teaching others than anything else. Her entry into the world of composition began when she was given the responsibility to score for the play Tyo Pheri Pharkala. After that when she was approached to do Paral ko Aago and Banchna Chahaneharu, she was more than ready for it.

She informs she will be performing one of her very first compositions at nepa~laya’s Paleti Shrinkhala on March 31. For the first time she will be singing “around 16 songs”.

And another first for her, she will be giving two Paleti perfomances — one on March 31, again on April 1. Asked about this, she says, “This is all the listeners’ love.”

About the current musical scene in Darjeeling, Thatal says that the young ones there have come to realise that one must have some kind of a “classical base” in music to get far — be it Western classical or Eastern, or Shastriya music and many are taking classes to that effect.

And she warns: “There are no short cuts in music.”