Scenes of the concert in Birtamode, Jhapa district, Saturday, Oct 15 05. Photo courtesy: nepa~laya
The ‘Sundar Shanta Nepal’ Traveling Peace Concert 2005 kicked off very successfully in Birtamode of Jhapa District Saturday, drawing thousands of people of different ages and from different parts of the district.
According to the event manager nepa~laya, more than 10,000 people including a large population of men, women and children turned up for the musical peace initiative. A separate section especially for children and women ensured that they watched the event without any hindrance and danced at will to the tunes of their favourite singers and songs.
“It was good that there was separate arrangement for girls and women, and unlike the programmes held in the past this (arrangement) has helped the event pass through peacefully”, said 45-year-old Tara Thapa of Birtamode.
The variety in the singers—Meera Rana, Om Bikram Bista, Sapanashree, Kunti Moktan, Satya Raj/Swaroop Raj Acharya, Jyoti Ghimire along with Amrit Gurung-led Nepathya Band and their different genre of songs helped keep the entire audience to their feet right from the beginning to the end.
During the two and half hours long programme, the singers sang 22 songs between them including their hit numbers and songs that carried social messages. The show began with Jyoti Ghimire singing his hits— Nasalu and Maski Maski followed by the popular Om Bikram Bista taking the stage with Ko ho Tyo, Ma Maunta Ma and Sun Chandi Bhanda, a duet with Sapanashree. Sapanashree continued with her evergreen hit Hereko Timilai and Sagar Baru.
The Acharya brothers, Satya and Swaroop sang three songs between them including Jabo Pran, Maun Timro and Jahan Chan Buddhaka Ankha, a very popular song by their singer father Bhajansamrat Bhakta Raj Acharya.
Meera Rana with Makhmali Cholo, Ke Kholi and Baduli Lagyoni and Kunti Moktan’s Lali Gurans Ajambari, Humla Jumla and Choli Ramro Palpali Dhakako had the audience singing and dancing.
It was then left to Nepathya and Amrit Gurung who continued keeping the audience lively with fast numbers like Bheda Ko Oon, Talko Pani and also passed on social messages through Rato Ra Chandra, Kata Lagyo and Gaun Gaun Bata Utha. The show finally came to an end with the theme song ‘Sundar Shanta Nepal’ that had the audience returning home repeating the lines and carrying the message of peace.
The local partners for the event were Devi Lower Secondary School that provided the ground for the event, Mechi Badminton Club, Kakarvitta, Dhulabari Campus and Federation of Nepalese Journalists, Jhapa Branch. All proceeds from the ticket sales will be used to support the initiatives taken by these organisations.
‘Sundar Shanta Nepal’ is a traveling peace concert that aims at bringing together singing artists of different genre onto a single platform with the objective of entertaining the masses while also spreading the message of peace and amity. It is organised by Himal Association and managed by event nepa~laya.