Beijing sings together with Amber

KATHMANDU, June 13: The first chancellor of Drama and Music Academy of Nepal, legendary singer and composer Amber Gurung, who is in Beijing to share the taste of Nepali music with his distant audience, entertained hundreds of music lovers at the China National Orchestra Concert Hall on Friday.

The audience mostly included Chinese nationals and Beijing based representative of the foreign diplomatic missions.[break]

Maestro Amber Gurung went nostalgic as he started performing songs from his 50 year old collection of Nepali modern music. Indeed it was one of the rare musical concerts in China where Nepal’s forever-hits were played back-to-back.

Needless to say, Gurung’s compositions are the masterpieces of Nepali modern music. The audiences at the extravaganza were expecting Gurung to begin the musical saga with his popular number “Ma Ambar Hu Timi Dharti.” Everyone looked mesmerized when Gurung belted out the number.

Everyone inside the China National Orchestra Concert Hall immediately got carried away with the voice of Gurung as he started to sing other sadabahars like “Naulakha Tara Udaye”, “Purwa Jane Panchi Ho” and “Tipa Yo Jivan.”

What came as a pleasant surprise were the instrumental pieces of Gurung’s compositions like “Batasle Jhareka Phool Haru Sangali” and “Pokhiyera Gham Ko Jhulka.”

The concert that lasted for almost two hours also saw singer and Paleti coordinator Aavaas and Angela give voice to other evergreen numbers of Gurung such as “Samhalera Rakha”, “Pohor Saal Khusi Phatyo” and “Piyundai Napiyune Manche.”

“I was in Beijing almost 20 years ago. The development and progress that we see here today is the result of unity among the Chinese people. We need to learn a lot from people here and we also should take a note that they have taken music as one of the most important mediums to spread peace globally”, shared Gurung.

During the Amber-Paleti, which was organized by the Nepali Embassy in Beijing, the prime essence of all songs that were performed were interpreted into both Chinese and English so as to make it comfortable for all foreign audiences to understand.

“Amber Gurung is the man who pillared the foundation for modern Nepali music that took shape after 1960. Gurung was responsible for lifting Nepali music to its current status today through the fusion of folk music, classical and western music”, shared Kiran Krishna Shrestha, co-ordinator of Beijing-Paleti and a team-leader of nepa~laya.

In the meantime, Nepali Ambassador to China Tanka Karki said, “The name Amber Gurung is synonymous to modern Nepali music. It is an honor to hear this living legend perform so powerfully even during his ascending 70s.”

Representing himself as the first chancellor of Drama and Music Academy of Nepal, Gurung urged the officials of China National Orchestra Concert to assist him to initiate Musical Orchestra in Nepal.

Gurung and his Paleti team will perform at the Kings Garden Villa on June 15, Tuesday, before leaving for Nepal.