A little chit-chat around town
PechaKucha or chit-chat in Japanese (ぺちゃくちゃ) is kind of a thinking person’s speed dating. And like speed dating, you never know what you are going to get! To elaborate, PechaKucha is a storytelling platform where different presenters show 20 slides for 20 seconds each. Presenters then provide the commentary as the slides automatically run alongside. Hence the format is also known as 20x20. Created in Tokyo in 2003, the original intention was to provide a fun, relaxed set-up to enable young designers and architects to meet, show their work and exchange creativity. This idea took off and the following year many European cities started hosting PechaKucha Nights. Today, 1,135 cities around the world are involved.
In March 2011 Kathmandu held its first PechaKucha (PKN) in what many of us call “the old” Attic Bar. Established by Sujan Chitrakar, head of the Center for Art and Design at Kathmandu University, and Chris Haughton, London based illustrator, today Chitrakar is joined by Bhushan Shilpakar as co-organizer. But how did PechaKucha Night come about in Kathmandu? “The original idea of focus on art and design initially caught my interest. But here in Kathmandu we don’t just focus on the arts but also have presenters from many genres. PechaKucha has gone global but when we held the first PechaKucha, Kathmandu was the 375th participating city,” explains Chitrakar.
Held every two or three months from 2011 to July 2015, when the organizers took a break, PKN returned with a bang to Kathmandu this March. Now preparing for Volume 17, I asked Chitrakar what were the most memorable presentations for him so far. “With so many great presenters it would be biased of me to name just one or two. But the one that really stands out was during the very first PechaKucha in 2011. Ex-Kumari Rashmila Shakya gave a presentation about her life and the then newly published book based on her experiences called Immortal to Mortal,” says Chitrakar. “At that time we had approached different venues; the owners of the Attic were the only ones who were as excited as us. That first event, with great cooperation from the Attic, a huge audience, and a line-up headed by an ex-Kumari—it was more than memorable!”
ntrance was minimal but now the door price is Rs 300. “Although everyone involved in PechaKucha is a volunteer and venues never charge for their premises we now need to send $1 per audience head to HQ in Tokyo. And we also need to hire the audio equipment etc,” explains Chitrakar. But despite the increased ticket price, the two events held this year have each attracted around 300 people. I noticed many artists, performers, activities, and students among the audience. “In South Asia PechaKucha has not really taken off, but in Kathmandu it is vibrant and active. Probably because we have a good audience and presenter flow; expats coming and going etc.” On the 20x20 theme I noticed that in other countries PechaKucha Nights start after 8pm. 2020hrs to be exact. I’m told, “8.20 pm would be rather late to start a program in Kathmandu, wouldn’t it?” Yes, indeed!
Future plans? “It would be possible for other cities in Nepal organize a PechaKucha Night. Pokhara would work well,” stated Chitrakar. “We could help them organize until they got onto their feet. As an organizer it can be daunting. I always have a panic attack—speakers who cancel last minute—that kind of thing!”
PechaKucha Kathmandu, Volume 17 will take place (so I am told) at the beginning of September. Venue not confirmed yet. But gather up your friends and go along for a fun evening of presentations, food and drinks. You might learn something also.
For further information see the PechaKucha Night Kathmandu FaceBook page
Channeling the energy of real life
In their live shows, ASM take us back to the 70s, skip the 80s and back to the 90s. Their head-banging performance is inspired by the classic rock of the 70s infused with the heavy grunge of the 90s. The resulting sound is raw, unmodulated and groovy. The band members label their genre “groove-rock” and if the singles they have released so far are anything to go by, they definitely have that grooviness—combined with a whole lot of rock.
The band is comprised of Abhishek Shankar Mishra on vocals/guitars, Simon Upreti on backing vocals/drums, Saiyed Shakya on guitars, and Nikesh Manandhar on drums. The name of the band, contrary to what its fans think, is not based on the lead singer’s initials, the band members inform. “Many think ASM still stands for Abhishek Shankar Mishra,” Mishra says. “That used to be true but not anymore. ASM could stand for anything. Right now it is ‘A Strange Monster.’ There will be full disclosure of the real name over time.”
Formed in January 2018, ASM is a relatively new band in Nepal’s live music scene. But the combined experience of band members who had been playing with different other acts and the chemistry they brought together for ASM have gotten the band limelight within a short time.
Before ASM, Mishra (32) fronted the blues-based band Spirit X and also performed solo, Upreti (26) was and still continues to be the vocalist and bass player for Mellow Malady, while Shakya (30) and Manandhar (26) together were members of Electric Air, which has now disbanded.
The band members, all active in the scene, were recruited by frontman Mishra for ASM. “I auditioned for the band members and also scouted them from local concerts,” he says. The band members in turn do not boast of their virtuosity. They are musicians skillful enough to create the sounds that define ASM while modestly maintaining the balance in the band. “I believe a good band doesn’t necessarily have great players,” Mishra says. “The chemistry among its members is something difficult to describe, yet easy to feel.”
This chemistry can be felt in the band’s live performances as well as its songs like “Bhram,” “Anubhav” and “Monster He Becomes” where each musician puts forward their perspective on music for a sonic combination that no other band can replicate. Their songs are mostly about different human emotions and the aggressive energy of the musicians which needs an outlet to get it out of their system.
With a few singles already released and some more in the pipeline, ASM is preparing for its debut album that is scheduled for release in March/April 2020. The bilingual album will have around 12-13 songs. Even as the band prepares for it, its members rue the lack of a music sharing platform in the country. International sites like iTunes, Spotify and Soundcloud are not fully accessible to Nepali musicians and listeners.
The bands thus have to make music videos for YouTube, which ASM feels is counter-productive. Provided with a local music selling platform through which they could spread and share their music easily, the band would rather focus their energy and resources on producing more music than music videos.
ASM is a band liked and respected by contemporary musicians as well as industry seniors. “If the musicians like us, we are sure the audience will as well,” says Mishra. Their only request to the audience is to at least listen to them. “Please listen to our music first,” Mishra says. “Then you can dislike us.”.
Russian culture center in Nepal
Who hasn’t heard the names of Chekhov, Mendeleev or Pushkin? They are the treasures of not just Russia but the entire world. Here in Nepal, their names still adorn textbooks and their works are discussed among academic circles and literary enthusiasts. Yet keeping the Russian culture alive in Nepal is no small task. The Russian Center of Science and Culture located at Kamalpokhari, Kathmandu, which is run with the help of the Russian Embassy, is nonetheless making a good fist of it. It has been conducting various events to preserve and promote Russian culture.
Recently I visited the center. As I entered its gate, I could see a life-size representation of the Periodic Table next to a statue of Mendeleev. A little farther I could see another statue, this one of Pushkin, adjacent to the main building. Then as I entered the building, I came across a sprawling hallway with a few displays: the famous Russian Matryoshka dolls, and intricately designed tea cups and saucers. The walls were decorated with old black and white pictures of famous Russian personalities. The central balcony hoisted the old Russian flag. I felt a rush as I had only read about them or seen them in movies.
I met Sushil Sigdel who has been working at the center as the head of Russian language courses. Sigdel told me how the center has been active since 1979 in cementing ties between Russian and Nepali cultures. The center is an information hub for people to learn about Russian science, history and culture. Pointing towards the Periodic Table at the gate, Sigdel said that it was installed to commemorate the UN’s Year of the Periodic Table. “In addition, every month we bring in school students to demonstrate chemical experiments.”
It also conducts various events on the birthdays of famous Russian authors, scientists and notable figures with programs such as poem recitations, musical shows and theater productions. On July 20 this year, it marked the 110th birth anniversary of Andrei Gromyko by hosting a photo exhibition titled “Outstanding Diplomat and Public Figure”. Moreover, one of its partners, Shailee Theater, stages plays and programs every few months. Recently, they organized a show at Bal Mandir and provided gifts to the children.
One of the center’s most popular facilities is its language classes for people eager to learn Russian. According to Sigdel, the center offers language courses at three levels: Elementary, Basic and Advanced. All three courses are 60 credit hours each and run for around two months. The costs are Rs 5,650, Rs 6,150 and Rs 6,500 respectively. All students get a certificate after sitting through an examination.
Sigdel informed me that almost 40 percent of the students taking this course are planning to pursue higher education in Russia. Another 40 percent of the students are prospective tour guides and tourism operators. The rest are enthusiasts who are learning the language simply as a hobby.
In addition to this, the Russian Culture Center also helps students study in Russia by providing information about universities and offering scholarships. Sigdel says that it still sends students to Russia on full scholarships every year. All in all, the center is making many efforts to keep Russian culture alive in Nepal.
Giving new life to Nepali music (and musicians)
Imagine listening to the late music maestro Narayan Gopal’s recordings on high quality stereo vinyl. The sound of the yesteryears captured and reproduced in the most primitive of the formats where the whole ‘analogness’ of the music is preserved. Now imagine not having to scrounge through other people’s collections or antic shops to buy them. Instead, you could have them with the click of a button or find them at a convenient spot near you. That’s exactly the intent of the Wild Yak Records—an initiative of three friends who connected with each other through their common love for vinyl and music. Sushil Koirala, Kiran Byanjankar and Neeraj Prasad Gorkhaly are the men behind the Wild Yak Records, its inception made possible by their common love. They are spread across the globe—Koirala is a public health professional based in Bangkok, Byanjankar is a restaurateur in Chicago, and Gorkhaly is a scientific policy advisor in Washington DC. What also brings these men, all in their early 40s, together is their common root as the rebellious “thrash metal” generation of Kathmandu in the early 90s.
Kiran Byanjankar
The seeds of the WYR were planted when Koirala found an entry of a Narayan Gopal record in an online vinyl marketplace a few years ago. He sent an email to the owner asking if he wanted to sell the record. “You will probably have to dig it from my grave because I am going take it with me,” was the reply he got. So he thought, “What if I could produce it myself?” That is why he first made contact with Gorkhaly.
Koirala then took up the task of digging through information in Kathmandu for the analog media and the rights for Narayan Gopal’s music. Finally, he got in touch with Music Nepal, which owned the rights, sourced the tape, and signed a license agreement.
During the search, Koirala and Gorkhaly were both surprised with the neglect of the original analog source of Nepali timeless classics. They then decided to take it a bit further and continue looking for the media and preserve it. Now all that they needed was a “co-conspirator” for their company. “The funny thing was, we needed to find an investor for a project that is likely to lose money,” Koirala says. Gorkhaly then mentioned his Chicago-based friend, with a tagline that “there is someone I know who would do anything for Nepali music”, and that’s how they found Kiran. After many hours of Facetime and after discovering their mutual passion for Nepali music, the trio eventually established the WYR in Chicago in 2018. The company is now legally registered in Nepal.
While the WYR was started to find, remaster and preserve classic Nepali music in analogue format and fund future projects via sale of vinyl records, the team discovered a gut-wrenching truth about the state of Nepali music. “With the growth of internet, musicians get a lot for exposure and an inexpensive platform to share music. But we also learned that it is impossible to monetize [earn profits] from platforms like YouTube, streaming services and sale of music for the vast majority of them,” Koirala says. “The online systems are designed in a way so as to favor big companies and big artists.”
The WYR then thought of a platform to support the sale of their music, in what would be a “fair-share” approach for the Nepali market. Yakspin.com will make it easier for music fans to support the musicians by directly buying their music. It will also allow musicians to make money so that they can focus on creating more quality music and continue to entertain us all. The WYR is currently working with local partners to create online payment gateways so that Nepalis can pay from their phones and purchase music right from their homes. The fully digital online marketplace will most likely be launched by September-end.
Sushil Koirala
The WYR’s goal is to be self-sustaining after some initial investments by the owners. Again, the priority is not making money but helping Nepali musicians and saving our classic music.
Apart from making vinyl records and creating a platform for Nepali musicians to sell their music, the WYR is also producing music for new and upcoming artists. As co-owners of the company, their preferred choice is to produce what their ears like—namely metal, rock, punk, jazz and funk albums. Not that they will not produce other kinds of music; it’s just that they want to maintain the right balance and see no point of working on albums they do not enjoy themselves. They also have a soft spot for original Nepali folk music.
(The first batch of a limited 300-copy records of Narayan Gopal will be ready for shipment on December 5, the Narayan Gopal Remembrance Day. It will be available for pre-sale and will be shipped globally through the US postal system) .
