Kathmandu. Lokrak band Nepathya is preparing for a performance in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. Paljore Stadium located there, on this 14th of October, there is a humming noise.
After the announcement of the concert in Sikkim, it was approved from the state level. Amidst the main ceremony of the 80th Republic Day of India, Chief Minister Premsingh Tamang Gole released the concert tickets and a specially designed t-shirt focusing on this project.
Nepathya is going to be presented for the fourth time in Sikkim. The organizers believe that the concert will be grand and special in terms of Nepathya’s presence in Sikkim as it will be held in the main stadium of the capital. Paljor Stadium, which has been hosting football matches for a long time, was inaugurated by the then Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam and developed as a multi-purpose stadium.
“Extensive preparations have been made in all aspects, from concert planning to resources,” Vikesh Kayastha of the organizer Positive Vibes Entertainment Network responded, “we have given special priority to the management and security of the grounds.”
He informed that the concert is being prepared so that the people of Sikkim will remember it till later. He said that the concert was promoted as an opportunity to promote the beauty of the Himalayan state and boost the morale of the younger generation.
According to the schedule, the doors of Paljor Stadium will be opened at exactly 5 pm on the 31st and the concert will start at exactly 7 pm.
In Sikkim, music developed from Nepali, Bhutia and Lepcha folk traditions is generally popular. As in Nepal, the society there, which widely uses musical instruments from Madal, Sarangi, Damphu, Tungna to Naumati, prefers Tamang cello the most. Even in the mountains of Sikkim, voices like jhyaure, dohori, cello, maruni, chutka and sorthi are resonating.
Palam is sung, Chabrung played/danced.
Since planting, fairs and festivals have been completed in harmony with Nepal’s music. In this way, the songs of Nepathya, which were collected by visiting the rural parts of Nepal, have been loved by the listeners of Sikkim for a long time. Nepathya’s songs are playing on the radios there. When he arrived for the concert, the interview of singer Amrit Gurung was also played.
“From time to time, I have received loving messages sent by listeners who are affected by the songs of Nepathya played on the radio in Sikkim,” says singer Amrit, who is also the leader of the band.
According to Amrit, after the establishment of the Nepathya band, the first people to invite for concerts were the audience from Sikkim-Darjeeling. “From international venues to small villages, the work of presenting the band at the same level has been successfully completed for a few years,” says Kiran Krishna Shrestha from Nepal, who has been promoting and mobilizing the band.
In the concert, Amrit will be supported by Dhruv Lama on drumset, Suvin Shakya on bass guitar, Neeraj Gurung on guitar, Shanti Rayamazhi on madal and Dineshraj Regmi on keyboard.
After Sikkim, Nepathya will be presented in two cities of eastern Nepal. On October 18, Itahari and on October 21, Nepathya will resound at Charali in Jhapa. After Tihar, the band will again tour four small and medium cities in the country. Then Nepathya will travel to Australia in December.