Taking some time out from his busy schedule, the young singer shared with Republica five lesser known things about himself.He recorded his first song at the age of seven
Rohit John Chettri was barely seven when he recorded his first song 'Baba Mero Bato Bhaye' – written and composed by his father. Classical music earned his fascination from a tender age as well. "The first song I performed on stage by Karna Das's super hit song 'Jindagiko K Bharosa' when I was seven years old, too. I performed it in Lovely Angels School, and even won a consolation prize for it," he proudly recalls.
He loves teaching
With both his parents being teachers, the love for teaching has found way into his heart as well. Rohit had already started working as a part time guitar instructor at St Xavier's School in Jawalakhel in 2007. He then joined Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC) as an admin staff in 2011 but he was never satisfied. "I then switched to taking guitar and vocal lessons at KJC itself, and that actually when I realized how fond I was of teaching," he shares.
His first earning was Rs 2,500
Rohit was only 17 when he started working as a part time guitar instructor at St Xavier's School. The first salary he received was Rs 2,500. "Receiving my first salary was a really special moment. I presented my mom a really nice shawl with my first salary and she was equally happy and proud," he shares.
The first guitar he ever used belonged to his father
"Unfortunately, the guitar is lost now, but I accredit the very guitar for building the foundations of my career in music," he says. He loved sporting his long, curly mane while playing the guitar, especially while playing metal music. "I used to play metal music earlier, and I still go to metal gigs," he shares. Rohit even had a band with friends who loved metal music as much he did.
'The Best of Arun Thapa' was the first album he bought
A great fan of classical music, Rohit grew up listening to songs of Narayan Gopal and Gopal Yonjan, along with his father. But it wasn't until the year singer Arun Thapa passed away that he decided to invest in an album. "I'm a great fan of Arun Thapa, and buying his album was kind of my tribute to the great artiste. I still have that album with me, and I treasure it," he shares.
Related story
5 things about Rohit John Chettri
