Sonam Topden

Bunu Rai Manandhar is a Nepali singer known for her soulful voice, emotional depth, and unique journey into the music world. She was born on December 20 in Tokdah, Darjeeling, as the youngest daughter of D.S. Rai and Bindu Rai. Raised in a family of three sisters, Bunu describes herself as a disciplined yet short-tempered child who didn’t engage in school musical activities despite a deep-rooted love for music. She completed her schooling, higher secondary education, and Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Griffith Higher Secondary School. After graduation, she moved to Kathmandu to pursue a career in music. However, life had other plans, and she began working as a pre-primary teacher at Gyanodaya School. While juggling teaching and personal responsibilities, she frequently traveled between Nepal and Darjeeling to complete her remaining academic work. Though she never took formal music lessons, her passion led her to join a local band named “Aarti” as the lead vocalist. This marked the beginning of her stage performances at various local events. Self-taught and dedicated, Bunu practiced regularly at home and honed her craft on her own terms. Her first major breakthrough came when she participated in the prestigious Narayan Gopal Sandhya Sajh, where she secured a spot among the Top 10 performers. This encouraged her to record her first few songs: "Yo Hariyali" composed by Shila Bahadur Moktan "Juna Ko Chaya" featured in Rocky Thapa’s collection album After a long hiatus of 20 years, Bunu made a stunning comeback with her debut solo album “Imagination”, released in 2024. Since then, she has been actively promoting the album and reconnecting with audiences through music. Popular Songs by Bunu Rai Manandhar Korera Prem Patra (ft. Kamal Khatri) – An emotional duet that resonates with themes of love and longing. Jhilmil Sitara (feat. Rose) – A melodic song highlighting her vocal elegance. Yo Hariyali – A nostalgic tune composed by Shila Bdr. Moktan. Juna Ko Chaya – Featured in Rocky Thapa’s compilation album. Banma Fulyo – A contemporary folk-inspired release. Zha Zhal Ko – A rhythmic and expressive number. Bunu Rai Manandhar’s story is one of resilience and quiet determination — an artist who began her journey late, without formal training, yet carved a place in Nepali music through talent, hard work, and authenticity.

Seturam Pradhan holds the distinction of being the first Nepali singer. Born in 1891 in Kathmandu, Nepal, he was a pioneer in Nepali music and played a significant role in its early development. His contributions laid the foundation for modern Nepali music, and his legacy continues to inspire artists and musicians in Nepal.  

The band began its musical quest on January 2nd, 2003 playing live gigs in hotels and lounge bars. It was essentially an acoustic blues band before it kicked off as a rock outfit. Lead singer Abhaya Subba is the founder member and manager of the band, while Rinchen Palzar who now plays the lead guitar joined the band in early 2004. Nabin Lama on the guitar was discovered by Abhaya while she was judging a reality show, The Sprite band challenge and he joined the band in 2008. Birat Shrestha on the bass joined the band mid 2009 and so did Ajit Tamang as the drummer. Abhaya had always been featured in well known bands such as Parikrama, Red Skywalkers and Punchtatva but she was getting frustrated with the way most other bands underestimated her song writing skills. What she had been seeking for was a band that would let her express herself fully and have a similar vision. She formed the band in 2003 with younger musicians than her who seemed to be more accepting of her need to write songs and articulate her full potential as a musician. Their first self titled album, released in February 2005, surprised Nepal as they had never seen such a bold female singer ever. It went on to becoming a runaway success and the band managed to carve a niche amongst the youth of Nepal. With their groundbreaking second album, Nayan, hitting the Nepali charts in 2008 their songs managed to embrace a larger listenership that established the band as one of the best that Nepal has ever seen or heard. They have been nominated for several major music awards in Nepal and were awarded the honor of being the Number 1 band of Nepal by Radio Kantipur in 2009. They have performed extensively all over Nepal and are planning a US tour in the near future. They have been invited to major concerts in Hong Kong, Australia and India. Their best is yet to come. They are now in the process of recording their third album and are raring to push the benchmark and to make music a thinking, entertaining and steamy affair.

Sajjan Raj Vaidya is a Nepalese singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer, and producer based in New York City. He released his debut single, "Aaja Matra", in 2014 and rose to prominence after the release of his singles "Hawaijahaj" and "Chitthi Bhitra".