When the event kicked for the first time at places like 19O5 and Organic Bistro Restaurant and Bar, many were uncertain of blues music and they took this genre of music by surprise, says the festival director Samik.
“Yes, it was uncertain in the beginning to understand how people were going to take our initiative. But because blues is the root of any popular music, we wanted to give it a try, and thankfully it’s going great so far,” he added.
In 2008, the Himalayan Blues Festival got more recognition and fame. Venues like Patan Museum, Garden of Dreams, and 19O5 got filled with true music aficionados who wanted the flavor of some true electrifying sounds of guitar, harmonica and even trumpet and trombone with a slight touch of saxophone. In no time, many picked up the blues music with even our own Nepali artistes trying their hands in creating some unique sounds of blues. In the last two years, musicians from the USA, Mexico, Spain, Denmark, Finland, Belgium, and Australia enthralled people with their rhythms and blues.
The time has come once again to listen to more blues and to understand better this genre of music. The organizers, Blues Music Private Limited, are all set to kick-start the 3rd Himalayan Blues Festival that begins on October 7 and will go through October 11.
The festival will offer five days of concerts, clinics, and conferences during which International Blues musicians along with Nepali artistes in the genre will play seamless music. The Himalayan Blues Festival 2009 will feature instrumentalists from the USA, Australia, Norway, India, New Zealand, the UK, and Nepal.
“The objective of the festival is to make every year bigger and better, incorporating more elements to the program, projecting it as an international-level event by its concept, magnitude and dynamics,” highlighted Samik and added, “We look forward to promoting Blues developed in the United States and to integrate it with the roots and the folklore of our country, as well as to offer a different alternative from those that are generally presented on festivals and artistic-cultural activities in Nepal.”
With various Nepali artistes performing this time too, sadly, one of the promising blues musicians of Nepal, Ashes Nekhvam, is not to be part of this year’s fiesta. The main attraction of the event is expected to be a special tribute at the Garden of Dreams to journalist Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal correspondent based in Karachi who was killed in 2003 by Al-Qaeda Jihadists. This performance is jointly hosted by Himalayan Blues Festival and American Embassy in Nepal.
The Travelling Bluesmen
KNUT REIERSRUD – NORWAY: Knut Reiersrud (1961) is a guitarist known better as King of Norwegian Blues. He has been into this music for the last two decades. He has played in over 5,000 concerts, made more than 100 records, of which he has considered only five to be worthy of releasing under his own name. He travels around with eight guitars because they are tuned differently.
MIKE GARNER BAND – NEW ZEALAND: Mike Garner lives in New Zealand, and has been involved in the New Zealand blues scene since 1987. Mike works solo, in duo, trio, or full band, and gigs extensively throughout New Zealand. He released his 4th record called “Cad’s Alley” in January 2007.
KNIKI AND BAND – AUSTRALIA: Kniki got into music from a very young age. She was into jazz, rock, blues, hard rock, soul and metal too.
BLUES BUSINESS – UK: Paul Burris (guitar and vocals) plays a mean slide guitar. Roger Fuller (harmonica and lead vocal) has been playing harmonica since he was a teenager. And Mark Roberts plays drums in the band.
AUSTIN WALKIN’ CANE – USA: Austin “Walkin’ Cane” Charanghat is a Blues singer, songwriter and slide guitarist who performs acoustic solo, in duo and electric music. Walkin’ Cane has traveled all over the country from New Orleans in Louisiana to Juneau in Alaska and has acquired various blues/instrumentalist awards over the years.
PARACHUTE XVI – INDIA: With Parachute XVI, you never know what’s coming next. Soaring ballads, crunchy rock ’n’ roll riffs, adventures in time signatures, ‘progadelia’, or just flat out improvisation; Parachute XVI seamlessly mould themselves into a musical organism lending cadence to the theory of the greater whole – each of their musical sensibilities and their influences are channeled into pieces of art that can truly be called their own.
JIMI HOCKING – AUSTRALIA: Jimi Hocking is a songwriter, singer and guitarist of the highest caliber. He always loved listening to T-Bone Walker, BB King and Jimi Hendrix. He enthralls the audience with his band, playing his ‘showy’ guitar style while pulling all the classic stunts. His combination of banter and storytelling, wailing guitar and mandolin with superb songwriting and performance makes Jimi one of the must-see acts in Blues today.
FEATURED NEPALI ARTISTES
MUKTI AND REVIVAL: The band needs no elaborated introduction for Mukti is known as one of the most promising guitarists in Nepal, and the band is popular for pioneering Blues in Nepal.
LOOZA: Lochan Rijal heads the band Looza and is more popular for acoustic music.
HARI MAHARJAN PROJECT: Hari Maharjan used to be one of the guitarists of Nepathya band. After he left, he started doing his solo musical projects and is popular for his guitar tricks.
NIGHT: This is an ensemble of young aspiring musicians from different musical backgrounds who will be performing fusion music at the extravaganza. They won’t be playing Blues.
GIGI AND THE GIGABYTES: With Deep Rana, Iman Shah, Garima Shah, and Nikhil of Nepathya representing Gigi and the Gigabytes, they are geared up to playing some unique rock sounds and songs.
JOCOSE: This is a young blues band that has been playing music for the festival ever since its inception.
SCHEDULE
First Day (Wednesday, October 7th 2009)@ Blues around Town
1. Fusion Bar (Dwarikas Hotel)- 4479488- Blues Business
2. Attic Bar ( Uttar Dhoka) - 9841-614762 -Mike Garner Band
3. Bourbon Room (Lal Durbar)- 4441703- Jimi Hocking
4. Madz ( Gairi Dhara) - 9841-208670- Kniki and Band
5. Cafereena ( Durbar Marg)- 9841-939667- Parachute XVI
6. De La Soul (Thamel)- 9808-074476-Austin Walkin Cane
7. Vintage Bar (Durbarmarg)- Mukti and Revival
Second Day (Thursday, October 8th 2009)
1. Patan Museum Sessions@ Patan Museum –Rs 500 (6 pm Onwards)
2. Blues @ Corner Bar (Radisson)
Third Day (Friday, October 9th 2009)
1. Blues Garden @ Garden of Dreams (In Memory of Daniel Pearl)- Rs 1500 (Dinner by Kaiser Cafe)
Fourth Day (Saturday, October 10th 2009)
1. Blues Big Bang @ 1905 (Kantipath) - 4225272 - All Stars Session- Rs 400
2. Blues @ Rox (Hyatt) - 4491234- Kniki And Band
3. Blues @ Moods(Bluebird Mall) - 4215750 - Mike Garner Band
Fifth Day (Sunday, October 11th, 2009)
1. Workshop for students at Nepal Music Center, Sinamangal (1 pm Onwards)-4465463
2. Last Jam Sessions @ North Palace- 4700413
3. Blues @ Tamas – Blues Business
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