Women to rock Kathmandu for social cause

October 22, 2005
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Women in Concert Committee is organizing a third concert Women In Concert (WIC) Part III on Sunday at Hotel Shangri-La at 7:30 p.m. with the aim of supporting Sewa Kendra Leprosy Relief (SKLR), a non-government organization that works for the care and treatment of leprosy victims.

Arpana Rayamajhi
A press statement issued by the committee said, ‘It is our common hope that our collective experiences in these troubled times will in some way be a catalyst for a better future,” adding, “we can only express this in the way we know best: through the voices of women, united in song and celebration.”

Annie Gardner Vaidya
“The idea of Women in Concert (WIC) has always been two-fold. Besides being a platform for young aspiring female Nepali musicians to sing and perform publicly, perhaps even making a career, our aspiration was to make this annual event a concerted effort to raise funds for a deserving social cause,“ the statement added.

WIC Part I was first held on 7 September 2003 at the Dechenling Garden in Thamel. Five artists had performed in the concert.

Rachana Gurung Sharma
Inspired from the first concert, the WIC Committee organized WIC Part II, at the Dechenling Garden on 31 October 2005. Seven performers exhibited their talent during the time. The amount collected from the concert was contributed to Nepal Child Welfare Foundation, an organization that rescues children from circuses and rehabilitates them.

Ten singers are performing this time. The singers performing in the concert are:

Akansha Lama
Akansha Lama: a 14-year-old and a Grade 10 student at British School. She started playing piano at the age of 4. She now makes regular appearances on television and is working on an album of original Nepali and English songs.

Annie Gardner Vaidya: She has been in Nepal since 1986. She worked at several places in the private and funded sector, before going into business in 1998.

Sheri Thapa
Arpana Rayamajhi: a 17-year-old girl and a senior in high school. She has been singing for several years and, with a couple of gigs in Thamel and Moksh under her belt, she aspires to make it big. She hopes to pursue singing in the future.

Pooja Gurung: She works with Image channel as a senior producer and presenter. She has made several videos, and one of them won an Award for the Best Video of the Year 2004. She is currently working on a documentary for Norvic. Besides television production, she is interested in theatre and is acting in a theatre production directed by Sajak Rana, premiering in October.

Preeti Kaur
Preeti Kaur: a student of Indian classical vocals has been singing at Rox for 4 years. She sings in English, Nepali and Hindi and has received awards from Kalika FM 95.2, Chitwan and the Image Channel award.

Rachana Gurung Sharma: she has been the coordinator, trainer, and choreographer of the Miss Nepal beauty pageant for Hidden Treasure since 1994.

Sapna Thapa
Sheri Thapa: she has been teaching for many years. She is currently teaching English at the British Council, Malpi School, and she also does freelance editing.

Sapna Thapa: she created and runs the well-known MotherCare Preschool. She has many years of singing experience and was also involved with Hits FM 91.2.

Vidhea Shrestha
Vidhea Shrestha: she runs Passage Project for International Education, a non-profit organisation that creates opportunities for foreign students to live and learn in South Asia. She also works with photo and copy-editing, and as art director with artist friends’ ­ especially if the projects are unusual.

Yankey
Yankey: she started singing when she was in Grade 10, and has performed with several bands in Sikkim. In 2002, she joined her musician brother in Kathmandu. Originally known as Teesta, the band metamorphosed into Cloud Walkers and they play at Rox Bar, Hotel Hyatt. Yankey has also done back up singing with the band, Full Circle.