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Issue 71 / 2015
travel
guestlist.net
17
Drummer Boy: Hidden talent in Kathmandu
Even though travelling by land to Nepal's capital proved to be an unanticipated physical and emotional struggle, the
musical discoveries I made more than compensated for my pains. Making a good friend in the process, I found out what
life was like for those whose talent and dreams are bigger than their chances of success, but who are also willing to break
the mould to make it happen.
Following continuous threats of
abandonment, a 9km uphill hike through
the Himalayas in the midday sun with no
food or water, two bus rides, and a tuktuk,
12 hours later and barely able to stand with
my backpack, we had finally arrived in
Kathmandu.
Every bar we went to was hosting some
kind of live music and there was quite the
variety.
A place I'd recommend is Woodstock; a
hippie-rock type bar complete with low-
lying sofas, ambience, good vibes and a live
band. Spot on.
The band was made up of four local lads in
their early-mid twenties, and their frontman
had an insanely beautiful voice.
It was the drummer who caught my
attention however, and I proceeded to
swoon while I ordered drinks at the bar.
After their set, they joined us for a drink.
Sagar, my drummer boy, told me all about
his instrument, the Cajon box drum, and
a bit about his band. The conversation
progressed to how his parents had sent
him to school in the city while they had
remained in his more rural hometown of
Pokhara. He'd grown up in a hostel with his
classmates and enjoyed it immensely, but
not as much as he enjoyed making music.
Keeping in touch, a few months ago he told
me how his classical Nepali band, Avedhya,
had it to the semi finals of Pepsi's "Voice of
Nepal" competition to appear on MTV.
They didn't win, but they'd gotten pretty
damn close. I was delighted for him.
Metal bands heavily influence the music
scene in Kathmandu. Sagar's currently
unnamed band that I had seen in April last
year want to bring a jazz-funk fusion to the
scene. With artists like Bruno Mars bringing
back sounds reminiscent of Prince, I'm
anticipating a seriously overdue revival of
funk, and looking forward to hearing what
Sagar's band come up with to contribute to
the movement.