Apr 19, 2014

Bangkok rocker Kilang Pongen out with Good Friday single

I'm all too privileged to 'announce' Kilang Pongen's Good Friday Single 'Beautiful Love' (YouTube) released on Friday, April 18. Yeah, Jesus rocks!

Most of you know the former Faith (Patkai Christian College fame), and former Heritage frontman who is now based in Bangkok as a worship leader, a philanthropist, and of course being the good old rocker he has always been.

Kilang Pongen – the Naga rock dude thing from Mokokchunghas been busy running through Bangkok’s rock scene for several years now.

Before better winds flew him to one of Asia’s most vibrant music industries, Kilang was this geeky looking front man of a rock band called Faith. And then, singer of a popular Dimapur rock group called Heritage. Kilang Pongen decided he wasn’t going to do much of the noisy things anymore.

So he went ahead solo and released his debut solo album ‘Breakthrough’ (2004) – arguably one of the first and finest examples of original, professional rock music production in NorthEast India.

Two tracks from Breakthrough were selected to be on ‘Think Again,’ India's first ever Christian Rock compilation released around 2005. Another track, the classic metal anthem ‘Miracle’ was featured on another all-India compilation ‘Awake & Arise - A Musical Tribute to Life.’ After ‘Breakthrough,’ Kilang went on a tour across the state, and the Northeast region and the mainland as well as in Nepal and Thailand. 

Divine Connection and Alobo Naga & The Band owe their hallowed noise-making run to Kilang Pongen. It is the economics here, and the market a popular musician could contribute to creating.  

Today, Pongen is based in Bangkok in Thailand racking up good dust. And he is digging up gold: A guy called Brett Clarke – who has produced and worked with some musicians called Amy Grant, Metallica, U2, Jewel, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban or even a girl called Carrie Underwood –  produced and played in Kilang’s second album ‘Kilang.’ Another heavy puller Paul Hudson (oh, not Mr. Die Hard himself) is helping Brett Clarke and Kilang crank up the shindig.

Write to the man at:
kilang2011@gmail.com. Just don't spam him. You can support our musicians by sharing the video and spreading the word. 

PS: Kilang, thank you for giving me the first peek. You're now on my wedding card list. All the best. Keep rocking and go give 'em heaven.    

2 comments:

  1. WOW...The guy is still around? Thought he gave up music. Neway, congratulations, Kilang!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yeah I know this guy saw him play with heritage in Dimapur years ago, he's one of the first big musicn names in Nagaland. Gret going dude, keep making music

    ReplyDelete