There are as many different styles of Nepali music and dance as there are ethnic groups. These traditional arts are rarely performed outside Nepal, which means that you'll be in a position to appreciate some wonderfully rare sounds and sights as you travel around the country. Meanwhile, a new wave of non-traditional Nepali music is beginning to break into the world-music charts, and as a traveller in Nepal you'll be able to sample the full range and pick up the latest releases.
Gopal Yonjan, Carol Tingey and David Reed
Gopal Yonjan, the main author of these essays, was one of Nepal's most beloved musicians. Like Narayan Gopal, with whom he is often compared, Yonjan wrote and performed songs that touched Nepalis deeply, though they were unknown to non-Nepali-speakers. He was also a source of great pride and inspiration for members of his Tamang ethnic group, who suffer considerable racial discrimination in Nepal. He died in 1997.
Classical and religious
Little attempt has been made to chart the history of Nepali music. However, one of the earliest influences surely must have been
Indian classical music
, which goes back to a time when there was no distinction between India and Nepal, and to a...
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Folk
For Nepalis who live where electricity and videos haven't yet reached,
folk music
and dancing is still just about the only form of entertainment available. On holidays and festival days, the men of a village or neighbourhood will typically...
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Weddings and festivals
No wedding would be complete without the
paanchai baajaa
(five instruments), a traditional Nepali ensemble of
sahanai
(shawm),
damaha
(large kettledrum),
narsinga
(C-shaped horn),
jhyaali
...
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Modern music
Pre-1951, Nepal had no radio and no recording industry, and those few artists who travelled to Calcutta to record their songs on 78rpm were known only to a handful of aristocrats with record-players. The dawn of modern Nepali music came in 1952, the year...
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Discography
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