Sonam Tshering Lepcha  Sonam Tshering Lepcha is an Indian folk musician, composer and lyricist. He is the first among Lepcha people to air his voice on All India Radio and is credited with the revival of Lepcha culture, one of the indigenous cultures of the Indian state of Sikkim. He is reported to be credited with over 400 folk songs, 102 folk dances and 10 dance dramas. Sonam Tshering was born on 3 January 1928 in Bong Busty, Kalimpong, West Bengal, and started his career as a soldier. Lepcha travelled in Sikkim, collecting traditional musical instruments and compiling songs and became the first Lepcha to feature on All India Radio in 1960. He is the founder of a museum in Kalimpong which houses several ancient and rare artifacts including indigenous musical instruments, ancient weapons and manuscripts. He received the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award of the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1995. The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri, in 2007, for contributions to folk music. In 2011, in connection with the 150th Birth day celebrations of Rabindranath Tagore, Sangeet Natak Akademi selected 100 eminent performing artists of the country and Tshering Lepcha was included in the list of 50 for the Tagore Akademi Ratna Award.