The 1974 AD concerts in East Nepal were held in Damak and Dharan on November 28 and December 1 respectively, both in connection with World AIDS Day 2009. Organized by UNHCR and CARITAS, the concert in Damak was mainly targeted at spreading information about HIV/AIDS to the residents of the Bhutanese Refugee Camps.
“After getting the chance to lend our music to the cause of spreading information about HIV/AIDS to our fellow Nepali friends, we now look forward to the Southasian Bands Festival in Delhi where we get to represent Nepal to our neighbors,” shared Nirakar Yakthumba, the bassist of 1974 AD.
The Southasian Bands Festival was first organized in December 2007. The three-day festival has been showcasing bands from the eight member nations of SAARC region ever since then. Musically, it presents genres that range from ethnic to fusion to rock. The festival has become a set benchmark in the arena of rock band festivals in India and the Southasian region.
In addition to 1974 AD representing Nepal in this SAARC band festival, the other bands are Affaltus (Shillong), Kabul Dreams (Afghanistan), Nagarbaul & James (Bangladesh), Raghu Dixit Project (Bangalore), Strings (Pakistan), Half Step Down (New Delhi), Fa’thu & the Early Birds (Maldives), Paranoid Earthling (Sri Lanka), Faridkot (New Delhi), Pentagram (Mumbai), Emperor (Myanmar), Who’s Your Daddy (Bhutan), Avial (Trivandrum), and Shankar-Eshaan-Loy (Mumbai).
The Festival started from December 10 and it was only yesterday when 1974 AD showed up onstage with their covers and originals. The event has been stated to be one of the biggest events in the Indian capital city.
1974 AD is currently being managed by Musicology, a music promotion company established with the idea of promoting the influence of music to bring about positive changes in social environment.
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