Nepathya performs historic concert in Gangtok
Nepali folk-rock band Nepathya played Paljor Stadium in Gangtok on Sunday night, November 1, a day later than planned because of Cyclone Arnab.
The Nepali folk-rock band Nepathya played to a large crowd at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok, Sikkim, on Sunday night, November 1, in a concert that Gangtok residents called historic. Nepali Times put the attendance at 5,000. According to Onlinekhabar and Setopati, Uttam Lepcha of Gangtok wrote on Facebook that Sikkim had never seen a gathering this large.
Onlinekhabar and Setopati reported that the concert had been set for Saturday, October 31, but was moved to Sunday after Cyclone Arnab, which had formed in the Bay of Bengal, raised the risk of rain.
A crowd from across the region
Many in the audience came from well beyond Sikkim. Onlinekhabar and Setopati reported a group of friends who travelled from Mizoram, and a 26-year-old fan who made a 14-hour road journey from Chirang in Bhutan. While the show was under way, more people were trying to get through the gates outside, and a large number of security personnel were deployed to control the crowd, the outlets said. Setopati added that vehicle movement in the area had been closed off.
The local organizers, Positive Vibes, said the concert was the result of nine months of work. Vikesh Kayastha, speaking for them, thanked the Sikkim government and its agencies for their support.
During the performance, lead singer Amrit Gurung said the band remembered how Sikkim had sent relief out of affection when floods struck Rasuwa recently, and he hoped the bond between the two sides would last. Between songs he also voiced concern that fewer young people in Sikkim read and write Nepali, saying that giving the language priority would keep the fellowship between them alive for generations. The crowd answered with loud applause. Gurung added that he was moved by the response and had not expected the band's songs to be so popular across all age groups.
The show
Prajwal Parajuli, a Sikkimese writer, said a big night had been clear for some time: for several weeks, he said, Nepathya had been the topic of conversation all over Gangtok. The show began on time, with new and older songs. Amrit Gurung was joined by Dhruva Lama on drums, Subin Shakya on bass, Niraj Gurung on guitar, Shanti Rayamajhi on madal and Dineshraj Regmi on keyboards.
What comes next
According to Onlinekhabar, Setopati and Nepal Khabar, the band was scheduled to play Itahari on Wednesday, November 4 (Kartik 18) and Charali in Jhapa on Kartik 21 (November 7), after which the team would return to Kathmandu. After the Tihar festival, the schedule lists shows in Sauraha, Chitwan; Putalibazar, Syangja; Beni, Myagdi; and Belchautara, Tanahun, followed by a tour of Australia.