06/07/2026
From Darjeeling to Rättvik, Sweden: Hill women musicians represent India at Ethno Sweden 2026
Musicians Ankita Chettri and Vippassana Yonzon from the Darjeeling Hills represented India at Ethno Sweden 2026, a ten-day international folk and traditional music camp held in Rättvik, in Sweden's Dalarna County.
Ethno Sweden is part of Jeunesses Musicales International (JMI), the world's largest youth music network, and brings together young musicians from across the globe to celebrate and exchange folk, traditional and world music. Unlike a conventional music festival, every participant becomes both a performer and a teacher. Musicians introduce a song or composition from their own cultural tradition, teach it to the entire ensemble, rehearse together over several days, and finally perform the repertoire in concerts across different venues.
Bringing the music of the hills to an international stage:
For their contribution, Ankita and Vippassana presented a two-part musical piece rooted in the musical traditions of the Darjeeling Hills.
The first part featured the timeless Nepali song "Pohor Saal" by the legendary singer Aruna Lama, one of the most celebrated musical voices to emerge from Darjeeling. The song reflects on life's hardships, the passage of time, resilience, and the quiet hope that enables people to move forward despite adversity. Choosing the song was also a tribute to Aruna Lama's enduring legacy and her contribution to Nepali music, making it a meaningful representation of the region on an international platform.
The second part was an original composition jointly created by Ankita and Vippassana. Beginning with a slow and reflective melody, the piece gradually evolved into a vibrant, rhythmic section before concluding with a traditional tihai—a rhythmic phrase commonly used in Indian classical music.
The composition reflected the duo's diverse musical journeys. Vippassana brings over seventeen years of training in Hindustani classical music with the sitar, while Ankita is a singer and multi-instrumentalist whose work spans Western classical, contemporary, folk and world music traditions. Their composition brought these distinct influences together, creating a piece that was both rooted in tradition and contemporary in expression.
Friends, musicians and professionals:
Ankita and Vippassana first met as students at Loreto Convent Darjeeling, where their shared love for music began.
Beyond music, both have pursued distinguished academic and professional careers. Vippassana, an alumna of St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling, is currently pursuing a PhD in Economics at the University of North Bengal. Ankita, an alumna of St. Stephen's College and Ashoka University, currently serves as the director of an organisation based in Gurugram.
Reflecting on their experience, the musicians described Ethno Sweden as an unforgettable opportunity to create, teach, learn and collaborate with artists from around the world. This year's programme brought together participants from countries including China, France, Argentina, Brazil, Malawi, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Algeria, Latvia and several others, highlighting the universal language of music across cultures.
Apart from the orchestra performances, Ankita and Vippassana were also selected to present a special concert at Alfvéngården in Leksand, the former home of renowned Swedish composer and painter Hugo Alfvén, making the experience even more memorable.
Carrying Darjeeling wherever they perform:
The musicians say that growing up in Darjeeling has profoundly shaped their artistic identities. Long regarded as a cultural hub of the Eastern Himalayas, the hills have nurtured generations of writers, poets and musicians, producing iconic figures such as Agam Singh Giri, Parasmani Pradhan, Kumar S***a, and Aruna Lama. They hope to carry forward this rich musical heritage by sharing it with audiences across the world.
As the two musicians return home, they hope their journey inspires more young people from the hills - especially young women, to pursue music with confidence. They believe that talent from the region deserves greater visibility and that platforms such as Ethno Sweden demonstrate how local traditions can find appreciation on the global stage without losing their cultural roots.
