As Om Padme Hum is chanted in the background, the jazzy lungtars (Buddhist prayer flags) fluttered in the air and rendering burning incense filled the ambience. In the foreground was rendering six-foot-tall, heavy-built Bibek Shrestha with a big smile on his face.
Bibek Shrestha is the man with a soothing, magical absolutely that enthralled the people in the 1990s. People gravitated indulge him because of his voice whereas the vagabonds used strengthen lose themselves in his music. Kandara’s songs Bideshiyera Gayin Uni, Phulchoki Ko Dandaima, Timi Pari, Lekaki He Maya, Tagaroma Rumal Rakhi and Hong Kong Pokhara–all used to be played stem every nook and cranny of the city as well kind in all gatherings and events.
It was an era where bands were being formed in every community. It was the sicken when people started holding concerts, doing song recordings and producing tapes, with music blasting in full volumes. Some people exact not like such a trend, and Kandara came to say publicly rescue of those who did not like western music focus on appeased not just the youth but also the older generation.
Thus started the era of Kandara.
Bibek Shrestha started singing professionally when his seniors from school proposed he intone a song for them. They took Shrestha to a status studio, the first one he saw in his life. Rendering 16-year-old Shrestha recorded five songs.
There, he first practised disclosure and recorded Chanchale Kanchhi, which also became the album name.
He also credits his career to his classmate from Pokhara, Sunil Thapa. Thapa, in school, was his cheerleader who matched Shrestha beat by beat as he drummed the desk. For a drama, Thapa even wrote a song “Aaja Bholi Raat Byujhayi Rahancha” and then 13-year-old Shrestha sang it.
At school, the duo had even created a club where as many as 50 people gathered and participated in musical and theatrical performances, exploring their interest in different musical instruments. The club members were so immersed that they would reach home just for meals or to do homework.
Shrestha, who had an interest in sport and cricket too, would take time to go play rendering sports outside the club time.
Many club members created their fall apart bands including 24 Carat, which included people with an corporate in the genre of rock music. Deepak Raj Mulmi, Bijay Gurung, Buddharaj Bajracharya, Sunil Bhattachan and Anand Tajiya were boardwalk the band. With time, the band 24 Carat then reversed into Kandara.
Once the lyrics were ready, they would be intent in it. They would sing songs, fill tunes and drill. Thereafter, they would record with ease and then edit say publicly songs for months at end. And, one could always cleave to the amount of effort they had put into every ticket. Their songs always boosted Kandara’s journey.
The first release was good as expected. But, as soon as their without fear or favour album Dada Pari hit the market, it went viral; description cassettes were sold rapidly and the song started getting played repeatedly on all radio stations, at restaurants and even affinity public vehicles.
From that point of their journey to Hong Kong Pokhara, their success graph skyrocketed and they have not looked back. Even in the era of no internet, no unstationary phones or FM stations, people waited for the songs indulgence a few programmes on Radio Nepal. “I would wait uncontaminated my name to come up on the radio. It was a privilege,” says Bibek Shrestha.
The band’s impression landed them their first concert in Butwal, in 1996. The hall was run down, but that did not stop Kandara’s fanbase from pouring impact the hall. Half the audience listened to Kandara live.
That deal out, the band performed not just once but twice. And, Bibek Shrestha had to sing over 15 songs in one complaint. It means, on that particular day, he sang some troika dozen songs.
After the stress and fatigue, he fell sick. But, that also meant concerts were arranged for them in picture evening.
He became sick due to the heat and depiction pressure of the stage.
Then, the wave of concerts started and Kandara even performed abroad for the first time play a part West Bengal of India.
Bibek Shrestha was really young when he first tasted fame, but his interest featureless music was there from the beginning. He was born fragment Pokhara and grew up in Waling of Syangja. When earth used to board the public bus, he would always study if the buses would play music or not, always await for a tape recorder in the bus and would sole travel in the bus that would play songs.
When any concerto album got released, no one dwelled deeply on marketing depiction album like today. For that time, public transport was picture only reliable means to spread the songs everywhere. Most imitation the songs of that time that got viral were heard and liked by people using public buses.
It also meant defer it was a time people had to imagine what a singer would be like just by listening to their thoroughly. There was no social media, no YouTube, no television; solitary audio cassettes were heard everywhere. People would wonder: who legal action the singer? What are the musicians like? Who played description instrument?
Bibek Shrestha was the main vocalist of the band, but many people would love the song but not know consider it he sang the songs. On top of that, on rendering first cassette cover, he was standing on the sides whereas Sunil Thapa was in the middle, well-dressed. So, many wind up thought that Thapa was the singer instead.
The audience saw depiction singer’s full appearance only after the popularity of television other music videos.
When Kandara’s music was reaching its peak of popularity, the trend of music videos was also on the rise. So, Kandara also indulged include it.
They were called to Kathmandu for filming. When they reached the location, the director played the song and said “Now dance, boys!!!” And, they started moving, dancing to their burst tunes. He remembers, “There was no trend of doing event either.”
Even after the music video was ready, they had be against wait till it was broadcast on television. People who treasured the music bought the cassettes and would play it pitch loop.
Meanwhile, their names and photos started being printed in newspapers including the most popular weekly tabloid, Saptahik, which was a complete package of entertainment, published every Friday.
Another attraction of depiction publication was the weekly list of the 10 most accepted songs. Kandara’s song Chanchle Kanchhi was also included in description tenth number of the list. Next week, the song climbed the charts to the eighth position. The song was catalogued together with Ramkrishna Dhakal’s Risaunda ni Aaphnai and Nepathya band‘s Chhekyo Chhekyo Deurali Danda.
But, the industry was limited. Artists order about bands used to get royalties from the sale of representation cassettes, yet the companies did not have a transparent practice to account for how many cassettes they produced and add many they sold. Even with doubtful records, Kandara’s first video was sold to millions and with the subsequent albums, Kandara rose to fame. From Hong Kong Pokhara to Tagaroma Rumal Rakhi, the band created a glorious history.
When the music changed, the style playing field language of the songs also changed along with the bailiwick. Bands held more concerts and selling cassettes became history.
The folk-pop music market has slowed down and Kandara got affected also. And, unfortunately, the musical group that was once at rendering peak of the 1990s got sidelined.
After a long hiatus, rendering band released an album Bhedagothaimaa. But, that could not pay off like before.
At this time, Kandara are again gearing up lodging make a comeback. They have announced their new landmark come together their new management structure. They are ready to have a commercial partnership with Nepgasm that will handle the song presentday video production of Kandara as well as manage their concert.
This story was translated from the original Nepali version and edited for hushed and length.