Music from the Himalayas: Nepalese folk-classical band sways capital audience

Musicians offer instrumental performance.

ISLAMABAD: A visiting folk-classical musical band from Nepal enthralled audience with a captivating performance, at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts on Tuesday.

Nepalese Ambassador Bharat Raj Paudyal welcomed guests and introduced the band. “Sukarma is one of Nepal’s most admired folk-classical musical bands. The instrumentalists belong to an illustrious musical gharana and have devoted themselves to teaching, playing and performing music for generations,” he said.

The instrumental players are: Homnath Upadhyay on tabla, Dhrubesh Regmi on sitar, Bharat Nepali on sarangi and Umesh Pandit on flute.

They opened with a ‘peace tune’ from the Himalayan region, a chorus of all instruments that picked up rhythm in a steady fashion. Progressing into nuanced compositions, they went on to perform ‘Struggle’ which encompassed melancholic undertones juxtaposed with uplifting sound. Another musical number depicted one’s dreams and desires, only some of which are realised in a lifetime.

“We believe that music is not just a tool for entertaining people, but also one with the power to empower society, to sensitise people, to spread messages. It provides energy to the external and internal beauty of the world,” Regmi said.

Sukarma means good deeds. The band takes devotion to music as a source of harmony and soft contribution to society. They endeavour to pass on genre of the Himalayan classical music to the younger generation and instill a sense of pride on the great musical tradition of the region.

While the band reposes faith on the ragas and rhythms of the classical music, this group has added value to the classical music through the innovative fusion of indigenous folk music and classics.

This has made the group popular among people of all generations, both in Nepal and abroad. The group has performed in over 40 countries and remains the most sought-after band in Nepal.

Designated as goodwill ambassadors by their government for promotion of Nepalese arts and culture, the band has received multiple awards, citations and recognition for their contribution to the promotion of art and culture.

The concert was organised by the Nepalese embassy and had an audience that included diplomats, foreign expats, government officials, and citizens of the capital.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2015.