KATHMANDU, March 8: Radio Nagarik 96.5, a sister company of Nepal Republic Media Limited that publishes Nagarik Daily, Republica Daily amongst others hosted a special Colorella ~ Holi Carnival 2023 at Hotel De l'Annapurna in the capital on Monday to commemorate the festival of colors.

The mega event saw over 3200 people, primarily aged between 18 and 30, joining in the celebrations from 12 pm to 7 pm. The organizers stated that the occasion was planned as a part of their vision to engage and interact with the youth. 

Radio Nagarik 96.5, which has made a separate niche in the radio industry of Nepal focusing primarily on people aged between 15 to 35  is known to be the most fun and interactive station in the country. The Colorella—Holi Carnival 2023 is an addition to another iconic event, Brand Nepal, which promotes local products from across the country.

"Our vision of Radio Nagarik 96.5 is to promote Nepali music, Nepali artists, and Nepali products involving Nepal's youth. As over 40 percent of Nepal's population belongs to the 16 to 40 age group, we at Radio Nagarik 96.5 have been consistently working to help realize the immense potential of today's youth in our country," said Director of Radio Nagarik 96.5 Suyash Gyawali, who conceptualized the event to engage young people.

Director Gyawali stated that Radio Nagarik 96.5 aims to cater specifically to Nepal's youth population with its programming. "If you examine Radio Nagarik's programs, you'll notice that all of our content is tailored towards youth and their ways of expression. Our recent Colorella event, which brought together renowned young artists and audiences to celebrate the festival of colors, was intended to continue our ever growing commitment to be the platform of expression for the youth . 

Nepal Republic Media Limited is one of the largest media conglomerates in Nepal, publishing Nagarik Daily and Republica Daily, as well as maintaining a separate digital outlet known as Nagarik Network. "As a media company, we realized that our traditional outlets were not adequately meeting the needs and preferences of Nepal's young population. This realization motivated us to establish Radio Nagarik," stated Executive Director Sambridhi Gyawali.

Executive Director Gyawali explained that they have been striving to bridge the gap between what their readers have been receiving and what today's youths expect from media companies like theirs through platforms such as Radio Nagarik. “Media landscape is changing and this change demands us to be innovative in order to reach out to our audiences. Hence we have been experimental in ways to be more inclusive catering to all,” she further said.

Tickets for the event were sold online, and according to IME Pay, the number of online ticket sales was the highest for this type of event. “We have sold the highest number of tickets online to this event organized on the occasion of Holi festival,” Chief Executive Officer of IME Pay Prabin Regmi told Republica.

Unlike the previous years, there were no technical issues for online ticketing. “The use of IME Pay increased significantly this time. We found that users were able to use online pay easily,” Regmi further said.

VEK, Wangden Sherpa, and DJ QNA were among the performers at the event, with Sudit Shrestha acting as the host. Holi enthusiasts enjoyed live music from a popular band and a solo performer, electrifying beats from three popular DJs, and delicious food from various food stalls.

Wangden Sherpa is a 25-year-old singer-songwriter who discovered his passion for music at the age of 13 when he picked up his first guitar. He began by sharing covers of his favorite artists and recently made his debut in the Nepali music industry with his first studio album, Tangled in You.

VEK, also known as Bibek Waiba Lama, is a well-known singer in Nepal, renowned for his hits like "Eklai Jiuna Sikney" and "Mayalu." He was also a semi-finalist of the first season of "The Voice of Nepal."

The Elements is a popular Nepali artist or band, widely recognized for their songs, including "Cha Kata." Ishan R Onta, Dipesh Gurung, and Raunaq Adhikari are members of the Nepali indie band known as The Elements.

Executive Director Gyawali expressed her delight at the success of the event, describing it as inspiring, and eye-opening. "Nepali music was facing some sort of lul in the past couple of years, it is safe to say the young generation of Nepali musicians and artists have taken the baton and promised a brighter future for Nepali music in the world arena,” she further said. 

Talent Managers such as Garage Entertainment Nepal run by Manish Adhikari have helped tremendously in creating this space for talents to showcase Nepali music all over the world while competing with global artists equally. “We are an artist management company started with a vision to make music more sustainable and to make the lives of artists easier. As a team, we always like collaborating with younger minds like us,” said Adhikari. “Colorella was a wonderful experience. I felt like it revived one of the best event venues in Kathmandu that had been dormant for a while.”

 
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