Music for all tastes

JUN 26 -

The occasion of International Music Day saw various themed celebrations take place the world over, and cities in Nepal were no exception. Festivities in Kathmandu and Pokhara were organised by Alliance Française, and sponsored by Tuborg Beer, starting from June 21 continuing up to June 28. Music of all genres and for all tastes—from rock ‘n’ roll, to folk ethnic, classical to jazz—have been brought to different stages around town.

On June 21, the longest day of the year, 1905 in Kantipath was the place to be. A number of Nepali rock bands comprised the evening’s entertainment, all performing under this year’s theme: ‘Let the good times roll on’. The event is the third of its sort that the venue has held over the last few years.

It was around 7:30 in the evening when rock outfit WE stepped onto the stage to start the show, with Yuskey on vocals, BJ on bass, Bikram on drums and Apurba on guitar. They began with a few old school covers, including Stevie Wonder’s I Wish, Mr Big’s Shine and Bon Jovi’s It’s My Life, among others, ending their set with a couple of inspired instrumental numbers.

WE was followed by Double Trouble, comprising Sanjeev on guitar and vocals, Rojan on bass and Jay Ram on drums. But 15 minutes into the show, technical problems compelled them to take a pause while adjustments were made. Soon enough though, the band was back on stage with Jonny Lang’s bluesy Good Morning Little School Girl alongside three other covers. “We couldn’t perform our originals because problems with the equipment cut our set short, but it was enjoyable all the same,” Sanjeev said.

For Iman Bikram Shah, principal at the Nepal Music Centre at Pingalasthan,who was attending the show, the turnout has been impressive. “This is a festival where music enthusiasts can rejoice, reconnect with the music they love, and it’s been growing every year since its inception,” he said.

Next up were the Midnight Riders, whose members first organised the festival’s 1905 instalment three years ago and they’ve been a part of performances at the venue every year since. The crowd was extremely appreciative of the efforts of Deep Sumsher Rana, Jigme Wangchuk Lepcha, Sunny Mahat, Bikram Shrestha and Sanjeev BK. Their set started with Deep Purple’s You Fool No One. “I had the added responsibility of coordinating the event and handling the bands, but that didn’t mean I didn’t get to play my heart out and have a great time altogether,” said Rana. 

The Newaz followed next, with Prajwal on drums, Roshan on bass, and vocalist/guitarist Satish. They mostly played original numbers besides a few classic covers. It was then time for the band of the hour—Cobweb—to come on stage. Greeted by wide applause, frontman Dipesh and his crew played a fun mix of covers, like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, as well as their own songs, most of which the audience seemed to know by heart, including Mercedes Benz and Timro Maya. The concluding act for the evening 

comprised of a jam between Mukti Shakya, Sunit Kansakar from Looza and various other artists.

Lasting till midnight, the event saw huge crowds, and guests were happy to dance to their favourite bands. One of them, Bishal Rai, who currently lives in the UK and is in Nepal for a visit, said: “I think local talent has been grossly underestimated; Nepali bands are just as good as bands abroad.”

Diwakar Pandey, one of the organisers who was preoccupied throughout the event trying to get photos, exclaimed that this year’s performances were much better than they’ve been before. “It’s good to see that crowds are increasing and the festival is getting much more attention lately.”

Source: http://www.ekantipur.com/2012/06/26/entertainment/music-for-all-tastes/356180/