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From top left: Irina, Tenzing, Rina, Yankee, Ashra

Music has always been a means to raise one’s voice and express dis­satisfaction. Women, once confined to their homes, are also starting to break social chains. Now they rock. Here are the thoughts and experiences of five women of different ages and backgrounds who have done so and made a name for them­selves as professional live musicians.

Rina Giri, 22, performs with the band Melody.

Tenzing H/yolmo, 26, is pas­sionately active in the field of music.

Irina Giri, 23, goes by the stage name Flekke and plays electronic music.

Ashra Kunwar, 23, is the front-woman of the all-girls band JOTs, and is also the win­ner of “Miss Heritage Interna­tional Nepal.”

Yankey Ongmu Lepcha,29, whose band April Rush won the Hits FM Awards for its debut single Tyo Hawa in the ‘new artist’ category, has 15 years of experience in music.

The beginning

Rina: I used to perform in school and college events, and one thing lead to another. I met a band member of Mel­ody while I was in grade 12 and from there I began my live-singing career.

Tenzing: I never thought of being a singer and I have never received official training in music. But I used to record songs as a chorus singer. I consider myself lucky that I started singing with the pop­ular band ‘The Electrix’. The opportunity presented itself and I grabbed it.

Irina: I started with the help of my friend Pranav Manand­har. I was casually asked to play at an event my sister organized. I used to perform in school and even during my stay at Norway. When I was in Vancouver, I attended a live music show, which opened up new avenues for me.

Ashra: It began with the school choir, eventually leading to a performance in the ‘Women in Concert’ in 2014. I was the only art­ist without a record­ing whose audition was selected. The experience encour­aged me, and it kicked off a series of concerts. In 2017 I joined the JOTs band.

Y a n k e y : Coming from a Christian family, I had a strong church and choir background. I also went to a Scottish missionary school where music and singing were an important part of the cur­riculum. I was in grade 10 when I performed in my first stage show.

Inspiration

Rina: Ram and Laxman Dangol, whom I consider my brothers. They encouraged me to perform on stage.

Tenzing: I really don’t know. As I said, I never thought of being a singer and I haven’t thought of what inspired me.

Irina: My family, especially my brother and sisters. They were interested in music, and when I was young they used to buy cassettes and play music, which I also listened to. And movies. I watch a lot of them, and the soundtracks inspire me.

Ashra: From my childhood, I used to listen to the gothic band ‘Evanescence’, whose singer Amy Lee I really liked.

Yankey: All my fellow musicians. I don’t follow or idolize anyone. Every­body is different good in their own ways.

Besides music

Rina: I’m pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the Lalit Kala Campus.

Tenzing: It’s mostly music for me.

Irina: I am a freelancer. I like writing, making music and creating videos.

Ashra: I am pursuing a mas­ter’s degree in Environmental Science. I’m also a founder and project director at an organization that works on women empowerment.

Yankey: I work at a travel and trekking company.

Acceptance

Rina: It’s obviously difficult for a girl to work late nights and expect her family to support her. The first day I remember I came home at 10 pm, my mom got scared and told me to never go out again. I argued with her, and my band members convinced her that they’ll be responsible for my safety.

Tenzing: It was difficult in the beginning—late nights and Thamel. But my parents knew about my passion for music, and when my relatives visited Thamel and heard me sing live, they proudly shared it with my parents.

Irina: My mother will always be worried when I’m not home by a certain time. But I’m also lucky that my family is liberal and under­standing.

Ashra: The difficulty fades away with time. It was a dif­ferent story when I was in school, but now that I’m doing my master’s, my family under­stands and supports me. Usu­ally, my father picks me up after my gigs.

Yankey: It has never been difficult for me to convince my family as they all appreci­ate music and everyone sings and plays an instrument. Plus I started performing and touring from an early age; I didn’t leave them with too many options. Now I’m not only a performer and musi­cian but also the mother of a five-year-old daughter, so I have to consider her mood as well.

Future plans

Rina: I want to focus on non-commercial songs and organize and perform in char­ity shows. I also want to start an all-girls band.

Tenzing: I don’t have any specific plans as such. I will go with the flow and grab any opportunity that comes my way. But music will always be there in my life.

Irina: I don’t have any spe­cific plans either. I will keep pursuing my interests like writing, making music and creating videos.

Ashra: Our band is plan­ning to release an original soon. I’ll be working part-time at ICIMOD. I want to combine my passion for my studies and music to organize a ‘Climate Reality Concert’ every year.

Yankey: Who knows what the future holds? I’ll continue singing as long as my vocal chords support me

Kathmandu: A candlelight vigil was observed at Maitighar Mandala on the evening of March 13 in mem­ory of those killed in the recent US-Bangla plane crash at Tribhuvan International Airport. The event organizer, Sakshyam Foundation Nepal, an organization of health practitioners, expressed condolenc­es for the bereaved family members, and wished eternal peace to the departed souls. Doctors, nurses and health workers attended the vigil.

Foundation Chairman Dr CK Singh said the deaths of many students returning home after completing their medical studies in Bangla­desh was an irreparable loss to the country. The foundation demanded that the government provide proper treatment to the injured.

Fifty-one persons died in the crash, while 21 others are receiving treatment at differ­ent hospitals in Kathmandu. Similarly, students from Nepal Law Campus organized their own candlelight vigil on the same day. RSS

APEX BUREAU: Last week saw a unique three-in-one event at Siddhartha Art Gallery, Babar Mahal Revisited. The focus was on Dolpo and one family in particular. Dorje Dolma talked about her book “Yak Girl” which is her memoir as a young girl growing up in Dolpo. Also on display at the gallery were drawings by herself and her sister, Sumchog Kersbergen.

Following her talk and a demonstration of Dolpo dance there was a showing of a Dutch documentary “The Only Son” which follows her brother Pema’s journey back to their village in Dolpa where his parents wish him to marry. It is interesting to note that all three siblings live overseas—Dorje in America and Sumchog and Pema in The Netherlands.

Meantime, one of family members who does remain in Nepal, is Uncle Tenzin Norbu, a renowned artist whose work appears in many publications, including National Geographic Magazine, and the film Himalaya. Known for his fusion of the traditional and the contemporary, Norbu has exhibited around the world including in the US, France, Switzerland and Japan. While working to preserve the culture and traditions of Dolpo, Norbu supports Shree Siddhartha Kula Mountain Primary School which he founded in his native valley.

Speaking later, Norbu talked about his recent works which incorpo­rate Dolpo and Buddhist dharma into the New York skyline. Anoth­er acknowledges the plight of the planet; informally called Melting Ice Cream, this is about climate change. These works appeal to both his traditional and modern sides and arouse much interest among art critics and students.

It’s only been a month and half since 60-year-old Manmaya Aangbo, a resident of Papundin in the east­ern hill district of Panchthar, started learning to write ka, kha, ga.

“I could already recite the alphabets, now I’m able to write them,” she says. “Can age stop you from learning?”

Aangbo can now write her name and her place of residence. “Only now has my desire to read and write been fulfilled,” she says.

Aangbo intends to be fully liter­ate in the Nepali alphabets. “In the beginning, it was tough even to hold a pen. Writing felt more exhaust­ing than working the land. Now my hands don’t tire while writing. I’m happy that I can write a bit,” she says.

As many as 18 women like Aangbo, all of them above 50, have recently started learning to read and write in a classroom of Papundin Adharb­hoot School. Their goal is to be able to read texts in Nepali and to write them.

“It’s fun,” says 59-year-old Gori­maya Aangbo. “But studying is harder than doing household chores. It’s amazing that children study at all. It was a mistake to beat them up when they struggled at school.”

She’s promised herself that she won’t beat her children anymore when they fail to do well in exams.

Bimanata Aangbo, a local resident who has taken on the responsibility of teaching the old women, cor­roborates their stories. “Yes, they are now used to holding a pen,” she shares.

By BHIM KUMAR BASKOTA, PHIDIM