Nisha Deshar

Ananda Karki who started a trend with Ghazals in Nepal. Three words come in mind while listening to the extraordinary voice of Ananda Karki probably the most famous of his kind in Nepal. The words are range where he can do a variety of genres going from the classical to pop with everything in between. The second word is fusion where he brings all kinds of music into what he composes and when he sing you have snatches of western music, Hindi music and whole lot of his own Nepali music. The third word is recognition where you ask anyone who Ananda Karki is they will say “the most famous singer in Nepal." Born in Solukhumbu in 20th Jan and trained in the Gharanas or traditional song houses of Lucknow in India like Bhat Khande Maha Vidhalaya. He also received his education in the same country where his father was in the Army. His range extends from sentimental songs to romantic songs, to classical songs of the Mughal courts, sometimes combining’s all three. His irresistible heartwarming voice has lent itself to over a thousand songs including bhanjans or religious songs, songs of love but he is known for ghazals or the beautiful Indian almost Mughal tradition of rhyming songs of love and loss or the memories of love. It is appropriate that Ananda Karki who started a trend with Ghazals in Nepal and is the best love ghazal singer should sing of love that seems to come straight from the heart. like singer in the west before him he began singing in small venues then turned to 5 star hotels playing to packed audiences, inspired by the legendry Indian singer Kishore Kumar he has paid musical tribute to his inspiration and has been awarded medals for his act of acknowledging the source of his singing. He has sung Kishore Kumar's songs in popular programmes worldwide as well as his very typical Ananda Karki ghazals. Kishore Kumar's was known for his love songs, popular songs and sheer finger clicking dance songs. Ananda mastered them all with amazing ability. He has sung in over 600 Hindi and Nepali films as a playback singer and acted in Hindi and Nepali serials and was a playback singer in them. He has sing everywhere from the famed Albert Hall in London which every singer's dream to play in: Denmark, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, China, Pakistan, Moscow and all over India. In fact his singing conquests worldwide make him a traveler as well as singer. In this Ananda Karki like his peers follows the old troubadour tradition that had singers going from place to place singing and that has become common today. Ananda Karki is the first Nepali to do so. His voice, his songs, his music has won him national and international honors from the late King Queen of Nepal to the prestigious Birendra Aishwarya Padak, Gorkha Dakshin, Zee TV Closeup Sa Re Ga Pa 1998 for best singer, Chhinnalata award for vocal, Kollywood award for best singer in the film Bharia'1997 and Parai ghar' 1999, KTV award for the best playback singer Ma Timi Bina and several other honors and decorations.

Jhalakman Gandharva (झलकमान गन्धर्व) was a pioneering Nepali folk singer who popularized Gaine Geet, giving voice to Nepal’s marginalized Gandharbha community. Born on July 29, 1935, in Batulochaur, Pokhara, Jhalakman began singing at age nine, traveling village to village with his sarangi. He became the first Gaine artist to record songs, transforming oral traditions into mass media. His haunting ballads, especially “Aamale Sodhlin Ni”, mourned the death of Nepali soldiers abroad and resonated deeply across generations. Active from 1965 until his death in 2003, he recorded over 100 songs, blending folk and classical styles. His music preserved indigenous narratives and challenged caste-based exclusion, earning him national reverence. Jhalakman’s legacy lives on as a cultural bridge—his voice remains a symbol of dignity, sorrow, and resilience.

Red cap, white hand bands, white scarf, a locket having picture of eagle and leopard, loose clothes and long pants. Guess who’s he? Off course, he’s Nirnaya Shrestha AKA Nirnaya da NSK. He is the naughty soul kid of Nepali music without whom hip-hop or Rap music can’t even be imagined. While other musicians appeared and then disappeared, none were able to match Nirnaya’s standards. Nirnaya was born on 15th Feb. in Birgunj . His father Dr. Shantinath Shrestha went to America to complete his PHD and Nirnaya too moved with him in 1988. Nirnaya joined school in America but carried on guitar classes. He had X-factor in music from very beginning. He participated on most of his school shows. His singing career started from his very Mt. Loghl schooling in 1990. During those times, rap music was in its growth stage. Since, one could express all his life in a single song easily and could connect with the listeners; he was strongly influenced by it so he learned it. He also bagged president of frequency award in eighth standard. As soon as his father completed his PhD, Nirnaya came back to his land and joined St. Xavier School. He had to take tuitions for basic Nepali alphabet. With a view to introduce rap songs among Nepali listeners, he joined image fm in 1999 and started hosting a program name “Bring the house down”. Later after 5 months, he started recording an album for the same name with his group, “Nirnaya and Da’ all stars”. His group mates were Samir, Pranav Joshi, Shakeel and others. The failure of his group was his group mates’ different musical interests. Then after, Nirnaya joined Samrat. They jointly recorded a song Jhilili….. This song strengthened their relationship. In the mean time Rinchin also joined the team. The motive behind naming their group as “The Rappers’ Union” was just an idea of uniting the rappers. “The rappers’ union” released their first album, “For u all” in 2000. It also included English songs like “For u all” and “The game must go on”. More than 1000 CDs were sold by the Rappers’ Union themselves.

Karma Yonjan is a respected figure in Nepali Adhunik (modern) music, known for his lyrical depth and evocative compositions. Originally from Darjeeling, he gained recognition through his performances in the Paleti music series, where his collaborations with artists like Kumar Subba and Daisy Baraili stood out for their emotional resonance and poetic storytelling. Some of his most beloved works include: “Kati Bujhaaun” — a poignant reflection on emotional endurance, written and composed by Yonjan himself. “Samjhera Bujhera” — a duet with Dil Maya Khati that showcases his melodic sensitivity. “Mechiko Wari Basera” — a nostalgic piece performed with Kumar Subba.