Tuborg Kattu Concert at Pokhara,2068

"ABBS" presents the biggest musical event ever happened in Pokhara !

One of the biggest mega events of music is going to happen in Pokhara. All the Pokhreliz are being ready for the jumbo musical gear on saturday, September 24, 2:00pm - 10:00pm at Prdarsani Kendra, Nayabazar Pokhara.

Concert's main attraction will be the thrilling performances of 1974 AD(original band), The Edge Band, Revarse, G-9, Sanjaya Chaudhary along with the team of Hindi Movie "ROCK ON".

The concert another main hold is; It is compulsion for all the spectators to wear half pant as it symbolizes the degradation of environment. And the concert is also titled as "Toborg Kattu concert-Voice of Youngsters for rescue of environment". There is growing trend in fashion to shorten the length of wardrobe and on the other hand there is enormous degradation in quality of environment. The thing that symbolizes this change and easily attracts the attention of youngsters is "Kattu". So, the organizers believe it's worthy to give this title for the event.

There is ticket price Rs.100 for entrace only and Rs.250 including a can beer. For VIP ticket it cost Rs.500 and 1000 only. Tickets are available at Station the food club and Sausage Park, SK Sound and Pokhara FM.

Anyone out there, who would like to get lost in the moment of music, lights, fascinating stage, foods, beverages and fashion, can join the event.

History Of Metal Music In Nepal

Nepal, the Metal music doesn’t have long history.In the decade of 1980; few people start to sing the English Metal. None of them are able to create their own identity. In the late decade of 1990, few students of KU want to do something in the Metal so they came to Kathmandu and then formed a band named ‘Ugrakarma’.In 2001, they released their demo album ‘The Himalayan Metal of Death’ which is the first metal album released in Nepal in this Genre. Later in 2002, they released their another album ‘Blood Metal Initiation’. In 2000, another Metal band ‘X Mantra’ releases their first album ‘Crying For Peace’. Then another Metal band is also formed i.e. ‘Refused 13’.In 2001, ‘Nastik’ is formed. They release their album ‘Nastik’. In the same year, ‘X Mantra’ releases their another album ‘Kursi’.
In 2002/2003, many metal bands are formed like ‘Maya’, ‘Cruentus’, ‘Antim Grahan’, ‘Vhumi’ etc which brings a new wave in Metal music. Concerts are organised like the flood.

Annual Hits FM Music Award

The Annual Hits FM Music Awards took place on 13 December at the Army Hall, amidst the lights going on and off. Mukti and Revival grabbed 4 awards for there songs Jaba Ma Samjhanchu and Dekhdaichu Ma. Most of the award recipients were established musicians while Best New Artist was awarded to Dawa Gurung. Besides starting half an hour late, the performances were not well-rehearsed but the award ceremony went smooth. Everyone in the Nepali Music Industry looks forward to this event and hopefully was satisfied with the results. 

Songs for Peace

Search for Common Ground (SFCG), an INGO involved in reconciliation in many post-war countires, on 24March brought forward a peace compsition. After a workshop held in August where people from varous backgrounds and philospohers paricipated, songs on peace were written.Kutumba, a Nepali folk ensemble worked woith the group and helped with the music composition of the songs.

The Bypass Band of Nepal

In the Nepali music scene, sustaining one signuture sound can be quote a tsk. But doing so when the band members themselves are scattered in three different locations can be next to impossible.

Bypass started with sex members: Burno, Yoshi, Peter, Axel. Suman and Srijan, but today the band has been reduced to three: Burno, Suman and Srijan.

Jazz and 1974AD band Show

At the kathmandu jazz Conservatory in Jhamsikhel,Grammy-winning musician Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya from kolkota showed off the power and importance of indian range, on 16 March. Present amongest the audience were members of famed Nepali Band 1974AD, who also jammed together on a 14-year-old composition to kick start the workshop. As the pandit listened instead to the progress the Nepali musical scene had made, he also shared anecdotes. 

Steaming ahead of Abhya and the Steam Injues Band

The floor-level stage at Gurukul rocked as Abhya and the Steam Injuns released their latest album on 14 march. Refreshingly different,Abhya and with her band belted out all eight songs in the album to a crowd that consisted of many famous faces and music lovers. An intersting collaboration with poet Viplob Prateek, who penned six of the eight songs, the tunes have a timeless feel to them.

The Neiipal band

Neiipal Band a nepali folk rock band formation started some times 2000 ere. It was a Mongolian group at first with no permanent members, except Lakpa T. Sherpa. The Band has been performing hither and thither in different places of the country with some temporary members since 2000. But the work and revenue generated had always been used for the social cause. Soon, the fame of band flourishes in the countryside where the band performs now and then. Their dedication made them to have permanent members. It was by 2006 that the band made them all attached and stucked and name their band as "Neiipal Band". It was Lakpa T. Sherpa leading the band and who still leads on as the main vocalist. The other members are Pemba Nuru Sherpa (Drums, Vocal), Manjil Mukarung (Lead Guitar), Udip Shrestha (Bass Guitar), and Mingma Sherpa (Madal, Percussion). The band had all professionals by then who had been performing under different banners.

Neiipal – Vol 1 has 8 songs which are collected from various parts of the country. Each and every songs in the album holds its own story, say it be the story of a 65 years old man from the Annapurna region or the songs of street children in Nepal. The songs sing stories and melodies of different places of Nepal.

The band has been performing at various places especially in the countryside and collecting funds for the social cause. Neiipal is also attached to a non-government organization named “Aashraya Foundation Nepal”. Since they have been serving the society through music and producing songs that depict the Nepali flavor, their music has its own meaning and message to convey. 

Axix Band of Nepal

Six years ago with Black and White, Axix formed new ripples of soft rock in the Nepali music scene. Its copies sold like hotcakes; tolling to more than 30,000. While we hummed Timi Pheri Aauna and the radio waves endlessly played Adhuro Prem, Axix were on a hideout for Maaf Gara, their second album.

With a total of nine tracks, Maaf Gara has all of shades of rock. The title track Maaf Gara has a heavy instrumental start. With a gentle vocal intro, it leads to the high chorus. With heavier instrumentation added while the lead voice soars, the second track Eklo Jiwan has a deceptively soft beginning.The chorus is beautiful and the guitar solo complements it well. A touch of fuzz takes us away from the soft intro. You can hear Sandeep's incredible vocal range in this track. With a touch of western influence, the third track Muskaan speeds up with an accumulation of heavy music that is hypnotically repetitive. Euta Maya, the next track has vocals with a melody line reminiscent of the song Honey, which looms melancholy. The music is influenced by 80's heavymetal.

Through all the heavy instrumentation, the vocal in the Mayako Artha comes out high and clear. As the song progresses, it segues into rap which gives it a different zing, as compared to the rest. The intro music in next song Timro Yaad goes back to Axis's familiar raucous style. Hida Hida is probably the highlight of the album. Superbly mixed.

The second last track Muskaan 2 sways from the rebel-rousing mood of the rest of the album into a gentle, soft romantic track. The accent is on the voice and the words. The final track Hey Aama is a foot tapping farewell song to the album with some great guitar riffs. DS (Src: Wavemag).

Basan Band of Nepal

Former vocalist of "The Shadows", came back with his own solo debut titled "Emerge" few years back. Now again he is back as a band with is self titled band and with their second album "Sunaudai Chhaun" which is production and marketing from Rebel Creation. Music video of "Ko Hun Ma" has been aired on various television channels. And the video has been directed by 11:30 Basan himself

Rage Hybrid

Rage Hybrid performed for the first time in November 2009 at a congratulatory gig for E.Quals on them being qualified for the GBOB. For a cover band which played cover songs at concert, Rage Hybrid has come a long way. In less than eight months since their debut performance the band has two original songs ready with the third in the making. My Broken Tendency, one of their original songs, depicts the true image of the form of music the band plays.

Releasing an album is not in the list of priorities for the band. Going so-called mainstream is what they feel is against the ethics of an underground band. They plan to continue doing what they do best, performing onstage and remaining faithful to their fans. Each members share their own unique thought on how things should be in the music scene. Gaurav thinks the sound engineers are just too amateur to handle metal and never get it right, while Ranjit thinks new artists are not respected at all and never get paid. Sujan on the other hand feels a need for yet another platform where artist are promoted properly.

Rite of Spring Nepali Style

Mariano was joined by Jan on piano in classic folk tunes at Sukarma’s annual gala affair. This time, the band performed nine fresh compositions they had prepared specially for this spring concert. The show christened "Ritu Shrawan" was light and soothing to match the mood of spring.

The trio of Dhrubesh Chandra Regmi, Shyam Chitrakar and Pramod Upadhyaya mesmerizing the crowd again is hardly any news anymore, especially with Shyam playing murchunga, a Nepali instrument akin to the Jewish harp. Rounds of applause swept the hall. Hari Maharjan, formerly of Nepathya fame, was on guitar and Umesh Pandit, his flute a few inches longer than his hand, put in a stupendous performance.

Shekhar Kharel, the event manager, said in his welcome speech that the concert was for "free people of free countries" as music cannot be confined by geography. He forgot to add a tiny detail that pulled many to the concert – the program was free of cost.

"We´re doing this because there is an immediate need to bring classical music to the attention of as many as possible," said Dhrubesh Chandra Regmi, the sitar maestro of the band. "Not many people still want to spend money to come and listen to classical."

Image Award Honors

The 10th Annual Tuborg Image Award was held at open theater-Tundikhel on Saturday with awards in 25 different categories and song and dance performances by various artistes.

Veteran singer Yogesh Vaidya and lyricist Kiran Kharel were honored (see photo) with this year's Lifetime Achievement Award and the program also paid tribute to them with their songs.

Also, Dr Sanduk Ruit received the Image National Personality of the Year award, a new category introduced this year to honor the contributions by personalities from different fields.

Swaroop Raj Acharya won the Best Vocal Performance Male award for his song E Bottle while Radha Rai won the same in the female category for Khopi Rakhaunla.

Reshma Sunuwar's “Mai Thuli Bhaichhu Re” bagged the Best Album of the Year award, while Best Song of the Year went to Supari Dana by Karma Band. Dawa Gurung, meanwhile, was this year's Best New Artiste for his song, Bhandina Ma.

Tsujil Karmacharya for Bhumo and Shashi Rawal for Chahana Sakiyo won the Best Vocal Performance Pop awards in the male and female categories respectively. Best Vocal Performance Rock went to Naren Limbu for Antim Maya, while Neiipal band won the Best Vocal Performance Group award for Maile Bolne.

Yogendra Mani Dahal's Timro Saath was adjudged the Best Lyrics, Raju Singh won the Best Music Composition award for Ma Ramro Ra Naramro, and Samir Manandhar got the Best Music Arrangement award for Rumal Lukaai. The Best Song Recording award went to Maheshwor Rajbhandari for Champa.

The award for Best Song with National Feeling went to Shanti Lukaaun Kahan penned by Basanta Chaudhari and composed by Nhyoo Bajracharya. Likewise, Ganesh Neupane's Kanchenjungha Shir won Best Folk Song, Purushottam Neupane's and Laxmi Neupane's Poorvama Jhyaal Rakhen won Best Dohori Song while Suresh Adhikari won the Best Movie Soundtrack award for Timro Laagi.

In other categories, Jeevan Pasa by Suman Kapali and Nisha Desar won the Song of the Year award in Nepal Bhasha, while the same award went to Gyan Singh Waiwa's Ladamone in Tamang language and to Prem Safal by Prabal Deep Bishwas and Sunira Chaudhari in Maithili language.In the music video section, Asif Shah's Hunchha Malai Bihan won the Best Music Video award, while Gajalule fetched the best director and cameraman awards to Suraj Shrestha and Purushottam Pradhan respectively. Prakash Tuladhar won the best editor award for Mai Thuli Bhaichhu Re while Bishwadeep walked away with the award for special effects for Timilai Chhune.

The awards function that began with a group performance of Shanti Lukaaun Kahan, also had solo performances by artistes like Reema Gurung, Tsujil Karmacharya, Mingma Sherpa and Mausami Gurung as well as folk dances.

The program was attended by many veterans like Prem Dhoj Pradhan and Deep Shrestha, though the absence of some new generation artistes could be felt, said the organizers.

A Mellow Tune In Nepal

The Tamas Lounge in Thamel was all white in preparation for the unplugged session that took palace 22 March, 201.Amongest some instrument numbers, popular songs like Patience by Guns N Roses and John Denver’s leaving on a jet plane really caught the interest of the crowd, people were on their feet and singing out.  

Nepathya Rock Tel Aviv in Iseral

Famous Nepali folk rock band Nepathya entertained hundreds of nepalese living in Iseral with their live performance on 11^th August 2011. The band perofrmed at the Ellen and Walworh Harbour Cultural and Youth Center in downtown Tel Aviv. Most attended by Nepali students and migrant workers, the concert was organised by Tamu Samaj, an Iseral based organization, in collaboration with Fores Media. The 8 member Nepathya team led by front man Amrit Gurung, is the first Nepali music band to perform in Iseral.

Surya Nepal Jazzmandu 2011

The kathmandu Jazz Festival or popularly known as “Jazzmandu” is an annual event organized by Upstairs Ideas Pvt.Ltd.This year marks the 9^th anniversy of the festival, which has grown and improved greatly ovre the years.With the mision to put Kathmandu on the international jazz circuit, over the years Jazzmandu has been sucessful in promoting jazz in Nepal and bringing world-class musciansto audiances in kathmandu. It promotes creavity, encourages the sharing of international sounds and ideas, and nutures the talents of Nepali musicians.