Recollecting his memories from the past, he says he is not just serious while composing tunes and rhythms but he is equally a serious person in his personal life. Often a man of few words, Gurung though regards himself as someone who is not that outgoing, but his early life was full of fun, thrills and excitements.
“During my young days, I loved playing football. Even today, when I see a football match on TV, I feel like going back to the field and striking some goals. Unfortunately, my physical strength won’t allow me now,” he smiled humbly.
Gurung always loved co-curricular activities. Be it any kind of sports, from football to volleyball and basketball, he loved every kind of athletics. In fact, he was a good footballer of his time in his hometown Darjeeling. He also loved boxing.
“I’ve lost count of how many times I smashed people’s faces,” he chuckled slightly.
However, Gurung wants to make it clear that he was neither a naughty boy nor a spoiled brat. He was disciplined, and has made sure to stick to his principles all his life.
“By the time I entered adulthood, I was already into music. From the time when I was studying in Turnbull High School in Darjeeling, I already had developed a keen interest in music,” he unveiled. “Getting into music for me was nothing like an overnight realization of one’s passion; I guess I was born with it.”
During that period, there were not enough musical materials to listen to. To get vinyl records in itself was a big deal. “Forget about getting Nepali records, it was also difficult to get discs of Hindi songs. I used to do anything to get records because I loved listening to all sorts of music.”
Because he gave his full time and devotion to composing songs from his teenage years, he didn’t go through what other youths during his time experienced.
Said he, “The definition of recreation for me varied from what others defined it,” and added, “When I was young, composing music was the best thing I liked doing. But again, let me make this clear that I don’t regard music as something to get entertained by. For me, music provides 25 percent of entertainment and 75 percent of it is for the pleasure of the soul.”
Having been in Nepali music for six decades, he not only worked with veteran singers and composers of the Nepali world, in the process he also befriended many.
“I still remember working together and sharing personal matters of our lives with Rudra Mani Gurung, Aruna Lama, Shanti Thatal, and Karma Yonjan,” he recalled.
Getting to work as a music teacher in the school he once studied at – Turnbull High School – was one of the best experiences he ever had, says the maestro.
Whenever it’s about remembering those most creative days of Amber Gurung, and if one misses to talk about the music master Gopal Yonjan and the legendary singer Narayan Gopal, then he misses almost everything.
The three always created magic in their music. Both Narayan Gopal and Gopal Yonjan were junior to Gurung but they shared a lot in common.
“We were like friends. Ah…the memories are still so fresh in my mind. We sang, danced and partied like young guys do today. It’s just that whenever we sang, we made sure we didn’t go off key,” he smiled.
Gurung unveils that amongst the three, it was he who often lost his temper the most. He admits that because he was senior to them, he did take an advantage to show off most of the times.
“Gopal was very scared of my temper. Once, I even hit him with a stone. But by the next day, we often patched up and started arranging notes and rhythm. Whenever we had fights, I never took initiative to step forward and sort out the matter. They always came to me to begin the first conversation,” he laughed finally.
Gone are the days, says Gurung who thinks he has lived to his fullest. “I’ve done everything by now. Now, at this age, it’s time for me to recollect those memories and live the rest of my life cherishing them,” Gurung concluded.
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