BAND PROFILE
Nepathya is one name in Nepali Music - which has gained consistent popularity and social recognition. During the past 25 years of its existence, Nepathya has been the trendsetter. They have been the pioneers in blending folk melodies into youth-friendly pop and rock format. Folk melodies have remained the life force of Nepathya. Apart from folk, Nepathya's songs also portray contemporary Nepal - its pain at times of war and distress, and yet the ray of hope an artist sees and imagines.
Critics address Nepathya as the Most Earthy Nepali Band.
BAND - BACKGROUND INFO
Formed in 1990 by Deepak Rana (now a Chopper pilot), Bhim Poon (now settled in Hong Kong), and Amrit Gurung, Nepathya has, in these last several decades, providing a platform to many musicians. It has seen 21 new faces come and go, but the name Nepathya and its popularity still consistently exist. Nepathya has been a platform for talented musicians. As music is yet to become a sustainable profession in Nepal, long-term commitments from musicians remain rare.
Amrit Gurung has remained the guardian, leader, and currently the lead vocalist of Nepathya. With over 10 albums to its credit, Nepathya from its Chhekyo Chhekyo (छेक्यो छेक्यो) days (released in the early 90s) to Jomsome Bazaarma (जोमसोमे बजारमा, released mid-90s) to Resham (रेशम, released 2001) to Bhedako Oon Jasto (भेडाको ऊनजस्तो, released 2003) has maintained its consistency in the market. Nepathya's 7th album was called Ghatana …incidents of Nepal. Ghatana (घटना) was a musical expression of Nepal as Nepali people lived through the 2003-2005 conflict struck Nepal.
8th album Mero Desh (मेरो देश, released 2010) is a compilation of songs based on Nepathya's musical expression of current Nepal. Few songs are fresh and newly recorded, few are from it's back-catalogue which Nepathya still thinks is relevant and few have come in re-arranged and re-recorded forms.
Nepathya's 9th album Aina Jhyal (ऐना झ्याल, released 2010), is a continuity of Nepthya's folk-rock genre. An outcome of Amrit's travel to the villages and the positive and peaceful direction the nation is heading after conflict and political transition.
After the ninth album, Nepathya has released several singles with numbers like Shirphoola Siraima (शिरफूल शिरैमा), Nanina Taala (नैन ताल), Sainli Morilai (साइँली मोरीलाई). Ten such singles have been compiled as the tenth album - Album X. The 11th album commenced with the single Bhatbhate (भटभटे, released 2022).
ARTISTS
Amrit Gurung
Amrit is the founding member of Nepathya. He is currently the Band Leader and Composer / Lead Vocalist of the band.
Since 1990 when the band was formed, Amrit has been part of Nepathya in all the shows in Nepal and abroad which includes USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Holland, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, UAE, Qatar, Israel and India.
His social and peace initiative in Nepal during times of conflict has been highly regarded by all sectors of the society.
Apart from Nepathya, Amrit heads the music wing under Nepa~laya and is also involved in doing research of folk music in Nepal for which he travels extensively through the country.
Dhurba Lama
Dhruba has been a drummer with Nepathya since 2001. Dhruba has performed in various shows with the band in Nepal and abroad which includes USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, UAE, Qatar, Israel and India.
Subin Shakya
Subin Joined Nepathya in 2004 as a Bass Guitarist. Subin has performed various shows with the Band in Nepal and abroad which includes USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Holland, Finland, Germany, Denmark, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, UAE, Qatar, Israel and India.
In addition to Nepathya – Subin by family tradition is a Handicraft artesian. He specializes in traditional silver craft.
Niraj Gurung
Niraj joined the band in 2008 after the former guitarist Hari Maharjan left the band. Niraj had been learning guitar and had been performing with Paleti Series, a micro event series organized by Nepa~laya during the last Friday of each month.
Since 2008 - Niraj has performed with Nepathya nationally and internationally. His international tour includes USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, UAE, Qatar, Israel and India.
Dinesh Raj Regmi
Dinesh has been active in the Nepali Music Industry since 2006. Since 2008 he has been part of Nep-laya's musical series Paleti, videos of which are posted on Paleti's YouTube. He has also been part of the multiple TV reality shows aired in Nepali National TVs including Nepal TV and Kantipur TV, as the music coordinator and keyboardist. His milestone international show includes his performance at the Royal Albert Hall in UK in 2015, an event organized with multiple Nepali artists to raise funds for the earthquake victims for Gorkha, Nepal. He joined Nepathya as a keyboardist since November, 2023 as the former keyboardist Suraj Thapa left the band to pursue his solo singing career. He has already performed with Nepathya in Ilam and Birtamode (Nepal) in early 2024.
Shanti Bahadur Rayamajhi
Shanti Bahadur Rayamajhi was a percussionist with Nepathya in 2001-2002. He then left the band to concentrate in his teaching career as well as session playing. He is back with the band since 2010. His international tour with the band includes USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, UAE, Qatar, Israel and India. Shanti specialises in percussion instruments especially: madal – a traditional Nepali folk percussion.
MANAGEMENT
Kiran Krishna Shrestha
Kiran is the Team Leader / Chairperson of Nepa~laya, the management company of Nepathya. Kiran played a vital role in reviving and putting together Nepathya since 2001.
Kiran has been the official promoter/manager of the band since 2002.
He has travelled with the band since then during all performances in Nepal and abroad which includes USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Holland, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Qatar, Israel and India.
In addition to Music / event management, Nepa~laya is involved with filmmaking and publications.
Arpan Sharma
Arpan Sharma is the co-founding Director – Executive Director of Nepa~laya. He and Kiran has been co-managing Nepa~laya and Nepathya since 2002. Arpan has extensively travelled with the band within Nepal and beyond. He has been travelling around the world to promote the band and Nepali music. His recent role in Band's tours has been to travel venues before the Band travels and check on technical, logistics and other arrangement in advance and also coordinate and deal with the local organizing bodies. Arpan has travelled intensively to the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Hongkong, UAE, Qatar, India and several other EU nations to promote the band and Nepalaya activities. His prime job during the concert tours is to coordinate management affairs along with PR affairs for the Band.
Alka Shrestha (Maskey)
Alka is the Administation and Finance manager of nepa~laya - the management company of Nepathya. Alka has been coordinating and managing various affairs including logistic management of the band's tours since 2003. She has travelled with the band extensively in Nepal and also accompanied the band during their tour in Holland, Belgium and Israel.
Saijan Maskey
Saijan is the Chief executive of production, promotion and publication wing of Nepalaya, she deals with promotion and production of nepa~laya related music and events. Saijan has worked and travelled entensively with Nepathya during its tour in Nepal since 2004, and also works as the event producer for Nepathya events.
Pradip Khanal
Pradip is the accounts officer of Nepalaya and hence Nepathya. He has managed accounts for Nepathya since 2003 and has also extended his expertise as an event production coordinator.
TECHNICAL
Padam Bahadur Bajracharya
Padam Bajracharya is a video editor by profession. He has been associated with Nepalaya and Nepathya since 2003. He has edited numerous Nepathya related and other documentaries of Nepalaya including Bheda ko oon jasto… In search of a song, Sa Karnali Through Dolpa and Nepathya tour films. Padam now is incharge of the audio visual wing of Nepalaya and Nepathya.
His work can be viewed on our YouTube channels, NepathyaOfficial, paleti, nepalayabooks. He has been an integral part of the Nepathya entourage to Canada, Australia, Japan, Hongkong, India and Nepal.
Sudip Bista
Sudip has been part of the technical team of Nepalaya since 2006. He is a vital technical member of the band – Nepathya and is responsible for managing all technical coordination required for events. Since 2006, he has travelled extensively to the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Denmark, Japan, South Korea, Hongkong, UAE, Qatar and India with the Band. His job during concert tours is to coordinate the band's technical requirements with the locally hired technical team.
Kumar Maharjan
Kumar has been a part of technical team of Nepathya since 2010 but started as a light technician as early as 2007. He is responsible for coordinating stage lights required for the band’s live performance as per the theme of the song. Since joining the band, Kumar has widely travelled with the band within Nepal. He started to accompany the band in their international tour since 2018 and has travelled to Canada, Australia, Japan, The United Arab Emirates and India. His area of work will include coordinating lights for the band with the local light operator.
Satya Narayan Shrestha
Satya Narayan Shrestha is a professional videograper specializing in live video filming and streaming. He has been following Nepathya’s live video production since 2014. He follows Nepathya’s live shows in Nepal and also nepalaya’s another musical show series – Paleti.
With changing show production format for Nepathya, audio visual production and live projection has become an important and an integral part of the show. Hence, Nepathya has now added the audio video team as part of their entorurage. An in-house team of visual production helps in synchronising the timing of songs and visuals to be projected during particular songs, hence audio-visual team having understanding of the language and the songs make the production smooth.
Satya will assist Padam Bajracharya, Chief of Audio Visuals in setting camera and producing a live stream of the shows. Besides touring with Nepathya within Nepal, he has travelled with the band to Canada, Australia, Japan and UAE.
Shibir Ratna Shakya
Shibir Ratna Shakya is a Sound Engineer. He earned his diploma in Audio Engineering from SAE Institute London (2005-2007). Upon return to Nepal, he has been associated with Nepathya as their authorized Audio Engineer. He comes from a family which runs Nepal's largest Technical production house- International Sound Service (ISS) and is the Director/Technical leader of the company. He has worked with all Nepal shows of Nepathya since 2008. Shibir has started to join the international concert tour of the band and has travelled with the band to the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, South Korea, UAE and India. His role during Nepathya entourage will be to work as a technical production coordinator while focusing on audio engineering.
Dipit Raj Neupane
Dipit Raj Neupane also called and known as Dipit Raz is a professional photographer and videographer based in Kathmandu. He is also a musician associated with a Metal Band – Underside and has toured at multiple European festivals. During Nepathya's 2022 Nepal tour, Dipit travelled with the band documenting and archiving the tour in photos and videos. His work was included as the official photographs for the Band's press releases and his video was posted on the bands' social media pages as official show highlights. He has now joined the band as an official photographer and videographer and has been touring with the band starting April 2023. His job is to document, archive, and produce visual materials for regular social media updates to be used in the Band's official pages.
Besides Nepal, Dipit has travelled with the band to Canada and Japan in 2023.
Contacts
Email:
[email protected]© Copyright Nepa~laya. All rights reserved.