The 2010 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to be held in New Delhi, India, from October 3 to 14. The games will be the largest multi-sport event conducted to date in India. Prince Charles, who will represent Queen Elizabeth II at the opening ceremony, will formally announce the Commonwealth Games in Delhi to be open, jointly with the President of India, Pratibha Patil.
With a mission to preserve, present and promote traditional music, Kutumba wishes to spread Nepali folk music throughout the world. “It is such an honor to be able to represent the country. We couldn’t have asked for a better platform than this to take our music to a global audience,” said the man on percussion Pavit Maharjan. “It was a pleasant surprise when we got the call from the Indian Embassy. Initially, they had asked us to perform for16 days, but that would have been way too taxing. So we settled for two days,” he added.
In the last six years the band has released four albums, “Forever Nepali Folk Instrumental”, “Folk Roots”, “Naulo Bihani” and “Mithila”, each one distinct from the other. And before they fly to India, Kutumba are all set to release their fifth album, “Utsarga”. The pre-Dashain release has been set for October 8, at Patan Museum.
Experimentation is definitely in the cards, the nine songs that jewel the album will portray Kutumba in a whole new light, hinted Maharjan. “The album as a whole has a happy, romantic feel to it; and with festivities almost upon us, it should blend well with the celebratory feel,” said the percussionist.
Between practice sessions, the musicians managed to share their hopes on the release of their album that took three years to complete. “Lot of research work has gone into this one since variety is what we want to cater to our listeners; so expect something new. Composition-wise, style-wise you will find drastic changes, yet the Kutumba feel is still intact,” echoed the group.
Creating music and a vibe that can only be described as intense, unrelenting, Kutumba’s music is beautiful and its beauty lies in their forte of blending diverse forms of instruments and a wide range of ethnic music styles. Popularizing indigenous Nepali music among local youth as well as folk aficionados worldwide, Kutumba truly deserve the epithet of one of the best country has to offer.
Arun Manandhar on tungna and arbajo, Kiran Nepali on sarangi,
Pavit Maharjan and Raju Maharjan on percussion, Rubin Kumar Shrestha on flute, and Siddhartha Maharjan on effects, the ensemble of six individuals from different backgrounds blend so well, it’s virtually impossible to pinpoint any one act that stands out.
Their sonic palettes and musical acuity just melds to form a homogenous symphonic sound that further reinforces the meaning of the word “Kutumba”, which stands for a unique bond amongst community members.
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