Silently it realized how many must have been stuck in traffic jams, and even if they did not, it was sure that they would make the same excuse to explain why they were late to one of the biggest annual musical extravaganzas of Nepal.
When the sibling sensations Satya Raj Acharya and Swaroop Raj Acharya walked in, it immediately recalled the lines of their recent numbers of Basanta Chaudhary’s album
“Reflections of Love.” The Acharya siblings made their entry to the main hall and immediately singer Hemanta Sharma, Ciney Gurung and music composer Nhyoo Bajracharya took their turns to walk down the celebrated carpet.
Inside the auditorium hall, the empty seats looked bizarre and tired of waiting for the guests to grace them while the colorful stage lights and the props longed for many to compliment its décor. Finally at around 4:30 in the early evening, the maroon curtain got raised and thus began the 11th Annual Tuborg Image Award. No words were there to announce the formal opening of the ceremony and for better, the promising instrumental band of Nepal Kutumba took up the responsibility to inaugurate the event with their soulful instrumental performance. Kutmba played the rhythms of their celebrated theme – Freedom. Needless to say, their fusion with flute, tabla, dholak and sarangi were breathtaking.
While the award function went live on Image Channel and Image FM 97.9 MHz, VJ Mahima Pandi Bhattarai started declaring the categories that had many in the nominations for the respective titles. Playback singer Dipak Limbu became the first fortunate one at the ceremony as he bagged the award for “Yaha Deshko Chinta Chha” in the Best Song with National Feeling category.
Upcoming singer Shreya Sotang must have felt bad to miss the coveted award ceremony for she was announced the Best New Artist of the Year. Sotang went abroad a month back for her higher studies. Basanta Sapkota did not look excited though he took home the Best Movie Soundtrack title for the song “Sagar Sari”.
By now a musical break was a must, especially when the fiesta had such mellifluous singers and composers seated to celebrate their hard work and consistency towards Nepali music.
Though some technical problems obstructed the first song of the event, the promising Rajesh Payal Rai knew it well how to make the audiences keep intact with the show. And in no time, he went on singing “Darshan Namaste”, the title track of his latest album. It is always good to see Rai singing live onstage for he is high with energy and performance alongside having a beautiful voice.
Rai knew this somewhere deep within him that he would take at least one award from the one he was nominated in. No wonder he did not have to go home disappointed as he bagged the trophy of Best Folk Song of the Year. Indeed, Rai says that he felt honored to receive the award in folk category as he believes he has established himself as a folksinger too.
It was nothing unexpected to see dohori singer Raju Pariyar take away the award for the Best Dohori Song title because his popular dohori number “Lalupate Niuriyo Maitira” is doing great at the music box office for already one year.
Music editor Krishna Maharjan was so excited in receiving the felicitation for “Laajko Lali” in the Best Song Recording of the Year category that he actually fell off the steps while going back to his seat, creating some tensions at the program. Laajko Lali received one more felicitation in the category of Best Music Arrangement of the Year with Maharaj Thapa taking away the award.
Next, Kunti Moktan came to the stage offering her “Herideu Farkera” and mesmerized the crowd with her unique way of interacting with her audience through her performance.
Prakash Tuladhar won the Best Music Video Editor for “Mero Pyaro Manchhe Timi” of the album “Reflections of Love”. Purusottam Pradhan became the Best Music Video Camera Person of the Year for the remix work of “Gurans Phulda Banai Ramailo”, and as predicted by many in the audience, Alok Shree’s Laajko Lali became the Best Music Video of the Year award winner.
The show’s stealer was indeed the groundbreaking performance of Anil Shahi and his group. Shahi’s intimacy with the notes of guitar came alive spiritually and he succeeded grabbing the attention of each individual present at the occasion. His guitar sessions accompanied by the high and sharp notes of flute, conga and a bonus flamingo dance by one artiste created a magical mood.
Following its trend of honoring one personality who has given a large share to the Nepali society in one or the other ways, Appa Sherpa became the Image National Personality of the Year for the numerous records he has made climbing Mount Everest. Likewise Gurudev Kamath, Chandra Kumar Moktan, and Ram Krishna Duwal were noted for promoting Maithili, Tamang and Nepal bhasa (languages) respectively.
The Vibes band took the Best Vocal Performance Group for their song “Thakisake” and Adrian Pradhan got Best Vocal Performance Rock for “Akashaiko”. Ciney Gurung must have been extremely sad because despite her repeated appeal to let her speak a few words after winning the Best Vocal Performance Pop Female award, the emcees left her appeal unheard.
Sanoop Poudel earned the Best Vocal Performance Pop Male award, and as expected, Nhyoo Bajracharya became the Best Music Composer for “Mero Pyaro Manchhe” and Basanta Chaudhary won the Best Lyricist title, and Sugam Pokharel’s “School Pathshala” was declared the Best Song of the Year. It was obvious for Anju Panta to win the Best Vocal Performance Female award for the popularity her song “Na Birse Timilai” in recent months. And, Shiva Pariyar became the major attraction with winning the Best Vocal Performance Male category for “Dherai Choti”. Basanta Chaudhary’s “Reflection’s of Love” became the Best Album of the Year.
For this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Image Award felicitated veteran lyricists Ratna Shumsher Thapa and prominent folk singer Kumar Basnet.
Not to miss were the comeback of Cobweb band with their electrifying performance in “Maryo Ni Maryo” and “Halla Chalechha” by Raju Lama.
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