Girish ‘N’ The Chronicles in New Delhi

Gangtok, July 6: Girish ‘N’ The Chronicles are ready to rock the Adriatic Sea front.

The Gangtok-based five-member rock band flew out this evening from New Delhi to participate in a three-day music competition at Herceg Novi on an invitation from the organisers of the Suncane Skale festival.

The Montenegro consulate general’s office in the capital had said in its invitation that Girish ‘N’ The Chronicles is the first Indian rock band that has been given the opportunity to showcase its talent in the Suncane music fest held every summer.

The festival begins from July 7 and the Sikkim band has been selected to compete in the Best Summer Song category on the final day.

Media manager Shyam Pradhan said the band had been selected for the Suncane fest during a nationwide talent hunt organised by the consulate of Montenegro at Guwahati a couple of months back. Only original compositions had been allowed to compete for entry to the fest.

Girish ‘N’ The Chronicles’s Angels beat the others and was short-listed. The lyrics had composed by band frontman 24-year-old Girish Pradhan (lead vocalist and guitarist) and put to tune by brother Yogesh Pradhan (keyboards). For the fest, Angel’s Angel has been composed. Noel Karthak Lepcha, 29, (bass guitar), Suraj Karki, 22 (lead guitar) and Nagen Mangarati, 23, are the other members of the band.

“Elated over the selection, the band is looking forward to broadcast Sikkim and its appeal as a tourist destination to the audience in Montenegro,” said Pradhan. The organisers who are allowing only a maximum of 3.45 minutes for each song have given a special relaxation for Angel’s Angel which runs over 6 minutes.

The letter from the Montenegro consulate general’s office says the Suncane Skale festival has over 200 hours of live broadcast on radio and television and is watched in over 50 countries in Europe and around the world.

Throughout the years, over hundred music hits have been broadcast and more than thousand songs have been performed by singers of 30 countries, the letter to the band states. Ever since Girish formed the band in October 18, 2009, the Gangtok singers have become a hit in the regional rock circuit.

The band has been keeping a hectic schedule since its selection, performing live on Doordarshan recently.

Pradhan said though the band’s stay in Montenegro will be taken care of by the organisers, the travel cost is being borne by the band. “The group is a collection of young performers who have only recently started their professional journey in rock music and although they have won many contests, finances are still not strong,” he said.

The overall expenses are coming to around Rs 4 lakh, the media manager said adding that the state cultural affairs department has chipped in with Rs 1 lakh.

The band members are confident that they will not only do well in Montenegro but also upon their return, will be able to put up a string of performances to recover their costs for the trip, the media manager said.