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Laxmi Acharya is not a new name to those who love Nepali folk music especially Deuda songs. Her path to stardom is a captivating story that began in her early years. She was always a vivacious and outgoing individual, driven by an unquenchable passion for singing and dancing. Her playground was the stage of school dance and singing competitions, where the support and encouragement of her teachers played a pivotal role in boosting her self-confidence.

Born in Tikapur of Kailali on the day of Maghi festival, Acharya believes she was destined to make a career in the music sector. “Perhaps it was the cultural excitement of my birthday that inspired me to become an artist,” she added. Her parents, staunch advocates of her dreams, cultivated an environment where her artistic talents could flourish. Their steadfast support laid the foundation for her future endeavors. After completing her education in Kailali, she set out to explore the world, motivated by her experiences as a scout member and a profound understanding that expanding her horizons was the key to success.

In 2009, Acharya embarked on a new chapter in the bustling city of Kathmandu with a singular ambition: to pursue a career in music. Her debut song ‘Najik Najik Sarchan’, for which she collaborated with popular singer Ramji Khand, created a perfect launching pad for her in the Nepali musical scene.

As a native of the far-western region of Nepal, Acharya harbored a deep-seated desire to share its rich cultural tapestry with her country and the world. She wholeheartedly embraced the path of Deuda culture, composing songs steeped in its traditions. With each composition gaining national and international acclaim, she felt an inexorable drive to continue her musical journey.

Following the resounding success of her debut song, she released a succession of songs such as ‘Lai Hala Kalo Tika’, ‘Bhana Sali’, ‘Oh Meri Bhauju’, ‘Joi’, ‘Zaraki Man Parayau’, ‘Taruni Vetigai’, ‘Ma Humla ki Chori’, ‘Timro Dilma’, ‘Tin Sal Amerika’, ‘Tero Mero Maya Babali’, ‘Tik Tok ko Raja’, ‘Pauju Bajajhu Ma’ and many more. These compositions were deeply rooted in the language and diction of the far-western region, exuding the essence of local culture and imagery. Listening to these songs transported her back to her hometown while propelling her forward in her artistic pursuits. She knew she still had a long way to go.

While accolades and honors serve as affirmations of her talent and dedication, Acharya draws her true strength from the unwavering love and support of her audience. She has been honored with numerous awards, including the Special Contribution Award, Artist Award, Special Contribution Award, Artist Award, 12th National Box Office Film Fair Award, Far Western Artist Award, National Folk Music Artists Association Cassnap Award, Epic Nepal Music Award, Music Khabar Music Award, Far West Sewa Samaj UAE Award, First Chededaha Tourism Award,People's Cultural Federation Award, Nateshwar Music Award, Virat Music and Film Award, 2nd OS Nepal Music Award, Sundara Devi Sandesh Music Award and more and many others. These awards and honors have encouraged Laxmi to dream and achieve big.

Her musical journey has taken her far beyond the confines of her village in Kailali. She has had the privilege of performing Deuda music on international stages in countries such as China, Australia, UAE, Singapore, Thailand, Qatar, Malaysia, and India, among others. Her performances have earned admiration worldwide.

Surviving in the ever-evolving music industry characterized by emerging technologies, social media and growing competition is a challenging ordeal in itself. Nonetheless, Acharya remains steadfast in her dedication to rejuvenating Deuda culture and ushering in a new era. The tranquility and fulfillment of a creative lifestyle sustain her on this challenging path.

Reflecting on her journey from Kailali to the bustling capital, she is thankful to her national and global audiences for their support and the opportunities to grace the stage. Acharya believes that music is not just a source of entertainment but also a liberating voice.  “It is challenging, especially for women, to achieve success in any field including music. Nonetheless, I believe that if I continue to receive love from all of my audiences, I will be able to spread the light of far-western culture of Nepal worldwide,” she added.

Simran Pariyar, who is currently gaining popularity on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok has recorded a song. Singer Arjun Sapkota has extended an opportunity to Pariyar by presenting a female rendition of his highly successful track ‘Paani Pareko’. 

The song, initially released by Sapkota as a solo performance nine months ago, enjoyed significant acclaim. Sapkota’s version of the song was with the title ‘Ae Thuli’, garnering over 5.2m views.

The female version of the same song is launched anew on Monday, featuring both Sapkota and Pariyar in the music video. 

Directed by Kajish Shrestha, the lyrics of the song is written by Krishna Bashyal. 

As of Friday, the music video of ‘Paani Pareko’ on YouTube has accumulated over 900,000 views.

Yet another Nepali film is set to have its world premiere at the 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year.

'Gaun Aayeko Bato' (A Road to A Village), directed by Nabin Subba, will be screened in the prestigious international film festival to be held from September 7-17 in Canada.

Subba's movie portrays how conflict makes inroads into the relationship between a father and his son after a road track is opened in their village.

Set against the social backdrop of indigenous Rai community, the movie features artists such as Dayahang Rai, Pashupati Rai, Prasana Rai, Keshav Rai, Sumitra Rai, Raj Thapa and Prem Subba among others.

Mahesh Rai and director Subba have jointly written the script of the movie where international cinematographer Josh Heram, editor Kwan Pun Leung and musician Heidi Li have collaborated.

Along with 'Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa', it has become the second Nepali story selected for world premiere in the TIFF this year.

During a press meet organized recently to inform about the selection, director Subba said that this selection had not only increased the visibility of Nepali movies worldwide, it had also further enhanced its authentic international representation.

Subba, credited to direct internationally critically-acclaimed films such as 'Khangri' and 'Numafung' and the like, shared that 'Gaun Aayeko Bato' is a community-funded film with contributions from Nepali individuals at home and abroad, the makers said.

Preeti Kaur, 42, is a Nepali pop singer. In the 2000s, she was well-known for her vocals. She started her career in 2004 and has ever since been a part of the Nepali music industry. To date, she has released more than a dozen songs and albums.

Her interest in music started when she was a child and she came across the songs of Mariah Carey, an American singer and songwriter. “I had her poster, but I realized who she was only after hearing her songs on MTV, a music channel that was hugely popular back in the 90s and 2000s,” she says. Kaur listened to her songs on repeat and tried to imitate the singer’s vocals whenever she could. 

Listening to Mariah Carey made her want to learn Western classical music, but there were no courses offered at the time. So she eventually turned to Eastern classical music. Her professional career began after winning the Shikhar Beat Contest. That, she says, was the starting point of her career. 

She was approached for numerous projects and had the opportunity to perform on stage with a variety of bands, including Nepsiders, Nirnaya, 1974 AD, and Prasna. ‘Dherai Palta’ was the first song she released. It was recorded in one take. She says this song established her position in the Nepali music industry. 

Despite the love and attention she was receiving, she claims she was unsatisfied. Even though she was an established artist at the time, she wanted new experiences. In 2010, she moved to Mumbai in India in search of more opportunities. In three years, she did land up as a background vocalist for the movie ‘Besharam’. But she found it quite challenging to build her reputation from scratch so she decided to return. 

Upon her return to Nepal, she decided to take some time off. Nevertheless, she continued teaching music classes while continuing her musical studies. In response to a request from a friend, in 2015 she uploaded her song ‘Bellydancer’ on YouTube, a month before the devastating Nepal earthquakes. She then released ‘Timrai Lagi’ in 2017 and its studio version in 2021. Since then, she has been working nonstop to bring out new tunes.

Kaur doesn’t focus on a specific genre.  Instead, she experiments a lot. “Everything happens randomly,” she says. She and her band composed songs and melodies for the Shikhar Beat Contest audition in just around 15 minutes. Likewise, influenced by Etta James, an American singer,  ‘Timrai Lagi’ is one of her personal favorites. She views music as an original creation without rigid limitations. “There are no rules. You can take a lot of creative liberties,” says Kaur.

A few months back, she released a new song that differs significantly from her previous releases. It’s a Teej song called ‘Dhalki Dhalki’. She likes her new work and says that working on it was both tough and thrilling. She claims her husband, Kamal Raj Bhatta, inspired her to come up with the song. Kaur credits him for the unwavering motivation he provides at every step of her life. He is a constant cheerleader, she says. 

“Things were a lot easier when I started. Now, an artist’s popularity is influenced by digital trends and it’s just hard to keep up,” she says. She also took a 10-year break from social media, which, in hindsight, she can see has negatively impacted her career. “It’s a bit difficult to catch up with the trends,” says Kaur. Nevertheless, she considers the challenge her opportunity for resurrection in the music world. She is adamant to do what it takes to make a comeback of sorts and become a household name. 

She is currently working on recreating her old song ‘Parewa ko Jodi’, combining it with her own Punjabi folk song. Realizing her tunes must keep up with the changing times, she is trying to weave elements the audience loves into her music.

But what she really wants to do is create music that captures the cultural diversity of Nepal. For now, she’s focused on relaunching herself with the band ‘Pretty & The Boyz’.