Kurseong (West Bengal)
Dzerouengmit Lepcha, also known by her fandom as Zeron, is a Sikkimese tribal artiste. Despite never having taken singing lessons, she refers to her natural ability to sing as a “gift from God.”
But since she comes from a family of musicians, music was part of her upbringing. She remembers the very first Lepcha song, Sumi Re, which she heard from her aunt when she was only three or four years old. The young Zeron was so enchanted by the melody that she was determined to learn the song. She then continued to sing in school competitions and, of course, won them. By the time she was in high school, she already had her own metal band.
As she was travelling, Zeron tells The Indian Tribal from her hotel room in Delhi how English metal and rock artistes like Guns and Roses and Cradle of Filth drove her to pursue her musical dreams. Though she completed her studies in civil engineering and interior design in Bengaluru, Karnataka, and is a professional interior designer, that doesn’t stop her from making music. She started penning songs and finding her own voice, primarily because of Damian Katkhuda, the vocalist and songwriter of The Mostar Diving Club.
The songstress writes and performs in three languages: English, Nepali, and Rong. Her desire to reach a larger audience is unhindered by language. People all throughout the world have heard her Lepcha tunes. She and fellow Lepcha artist Sunom Lepcha sang a duet called Lavo Zong, which became popular on Instagram. Individuals from various language communities were drawn to it as well as placing her in the spotlight within the Lepcha community. There have been 52,000 views of the video on her YouTube channel and 72,000 views on the official page.
“To see that my songs are being played in the USA, Africa and other countries gives me courage. It’s a great feeling that the Lepcha songs are being heard in all corners of the world. Maybe one day we can collaborate with tribal artistes from all over the world, like African musicians. I love their drum music,” she shares.
Folk melodies are reimagined in contemporary styles for a broader audience by artistes such as Zeron, who also deliver their folk music in genres they enjoy. The reason, in her opinion, why the Indian public now views songs in other languages favourably is because K-pop has encouraged listeners to put aside linguistic barriers and allow the music to speak for itself.
She acknowledges that “a lot of young people look up to me” as a Lepcha singer, thus she feels some pressure to perform to the best of her abilities. She exercises caution when it comes to what she shares on social media. The news that she will be releasing an EP (extended play) this year featuring songs in English, Rong, and Nepali will excite her fans.
The legacy of Lepcha music, preserved by artistes such as Zeron, will serve as a source of inspiration for upcoming vocalists. When artists like them adeptly carry on the legacy of their forebears while carving out their very own artistic careers without losing sight of who they are as individuals and their ties to their ancestry.
Being a tribal artiste, Zeron feels that the only way to touch people’s hearts is to be honest in what she does, and her work reflects this belief. “People connect with honesty. And honesty is art,” says the Lavo Zong singer, summing up her views on her music and as a Lepcha artiste.
