Nepathya

Nepathya
Background information
Native name नेपथ्य
Also known as Nepathaya
Origin Pokhara, Nepal
Genres Folk rock
Years active 1991 (1991)–present
Labels nepa~laya
Website nepathya.com.np
Members Amrit Gurung
Suraj Thapa
Subin Shakya
Nikhil Tuladhar
Niraj Gurung
Hari Maharjan
Past members Rabin Shrestha
Bhim Pun
Deepak Rana

Nepathya (Nepali: नेपथ्य also spelled as Nepathaya) is a Nepalese music band that was formed in the early 1990s by three students from Pokhara while studying in Kathmandu, Nepal.[1] Nepathya is best known for blending folk melodies with modern western-influenced rock music. Nepathya has enjoyed both commercial and critical success. Nepathya is well known for contemporary tunes that have strong ties with indigenous music and songs sung using regional dialects from rural Nepal.

Amrit Gurung

The moving force behind this band is Amrit Gurung who is generally from Pokhara who wears Gandhian frames (supposed to have been presented to him from one of his aunts who was a staunch follower of Mahatma Gandhi) and sings about peace and harmony. He is the only currently active founding member of the band. His songs encompass all of Nepal and are not limited to Kathmandu Valley. By hobby he is a photographer and a traveler. He has been to more than 70 out of the 75 districts of Nepal, most of them on foot. Nepathya has seen many changes in its band's line up.Till date more than 19 members have joined and left the band. But the founder and the brain behind Nepathya is unfazed. "Being in Nepathya is like being part of a serious journey. Anyone who deviates from team spirit and artistic commitment find it hard to stay with the team", says Gurung. They have toured the UK, the USA, Australia, Israel, Germany, Finland, India among others with their live performance. They have performed in the United States in Summer 2012 and they became the first Nepali band/artist to have performed in Wembley Arena, UK on August 3, 2013. The band is also planning for such shows more around the world

Nepathya live at Wembley Arena

Nepathya performing live in Helsinki World village festival 2006

Nepathya became the first Nepalese band to perform at Wembley Arena, UK on August 3, 2013.[2] The concert was jointly presented by Parcha Productions (Nawal Rai and Samir Gurung) and Subsonic Routes. Nepathya was successful to charm the 8000 strong Wembley crowd (mostly Nepalese living in the UK and Europe).[3] The concert was a huge commercial success. Nepathya’s Wembley Arena concert is also the biggest ever performance by a Nepali band.

Albums

Nepathya has released nine albums to date.[4]

Style and lyrical themes

The band started as a folk pop band. The genre changed to contemporary rock and folk rock. They were able to use this fusion music to captivate wider listeners from different age groups and cultures. The lyrics usually depicted love and nature in their earlier albums. Their later albums began focusing on patriotism, peace and current issues plaguing Nepal. The album Ghatana released during the civil war period contains songs that tell the people the need for peace in the country and highlights the sentiment of the people as well as incites patriotism among the listeners.

References

  1. ↑ "Nepathya's 24 days & years". Republica. 2013-12-28. Retrieved 2015-03-22.
  2. ↑ Amos, Owen (2013-08-02). "BBC News - Nepalese folk-rock band Nepathya to headline Wembley Arena". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  3. ↑ "Nepathya charms 18‚000-strong Wembley crowd - Detail News : Nepal News Portal". The Himalayan Times. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  4. ↑ "» About". Nepathyaband.com. Retrieved 2013-11-18.

See also

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