Rukman Limbu’s debut album ‘Sandhi 2068 – A Musical Treaty’ was launched in April last year. He sums up the last seven months, “It’s not been very great but I would say it’s satisfying.” This comes from the singer who says that one shouldn’t be very ambitious because disappointment leaves a bitter taste. “This would also be my suggestion to new artists,” he adds.
Sonam Pakhrin was a well known TV presenter before he jumped on the bandwagon of struggling artists. He worked for more than seven years hosting music shows at NTV2 Metro. He’s recently launched his second album ‘One More Time’ which comes after a hiatus of three years and his first album ‘2 Years.’ Though he has two albums to his credit, he started off with the intention of recording just one song.[break]
According to both singers, promoting their works is a more challenging task than producing it. And no sooner is one out of the Valley than the promotion work begins anew. Rukman says, “There are different TV channels, FM stations in almost every district. People there seem to only listen to and watch their local channels. So if we want our songs to be played there, the whole process of doing the rounds for promotion begins.”
A music CD of a Nepali artist is too expensive at Rs 250 for many listeners. Instead, they will download it off the Internet or share it from Bluetooth. Retail CD shop owners only seem to want to stock bankable or popular artists. Rukman says, “A shop owner didn’t want to stock two CDs of mine.”
On a lighter note, Sonam jokes, “Our promos are actually targeted at the shop owners so that they can see our songs and decide to stock our CDS.”
As artists struggle to sell their CDs and get a firmer hold on the music industry, they have devised a way to get some of their investment back. Sonam says, “People abroad are more willing to buy our albums. So I ask my friends and relatives to sell a few copies there.” Rukman, too, has sold his albums in Korea and Hong Kong.
It’s not only the older generation that have musical treats for music listeners, argues Sonam. Contemporary artists are talented too, he says. “People are just too busy listening to English, Hindi and even Korean songs, for that matter. Also, there’s no proper respect given to artists here. This is actually the cause of the artists not being able to carry themselves well.” He cites incidences where certain celebrities and artists have acted outside the expectations of their stature in society.
“Artists are given more respect outside the Valley,” confirms Rukman.
Even then, despite the lack of good financial results, sale of their CDs and their continuous struggles, artists continue to record new albums. “It’s like an addiction. Music can’t be denied,” they sa
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