He is undoubtedly one of the best singers in Nepal but Rajesh Payal Rai, the man behind the hit album ‘Darshan Namaste’, says he is just doing what he loves and enjoys without caring about the outcome. Yes, accolades and awards do matter but they don’t dictate his life as a singer.

As a playback singer, Rai has over a thousand movies under his belt. He has also sung Japanese and Bhojpuri songs. The Week’s Ashma Chettri caught up with the versatile singer to know more about his musical journey so far and also delve a little into his personal life.  

How did you get into the field of music?
I was born and brought up in Khotang district that was considered to be one of the remotest areas of Nepal. Unlike today, there was no electricity and electrical gadgets back in those days.

But there were some elder members of my family who used to carry a radio wherever they went. I used to be fascinated by the radio. I would imagine tiny people crawling into those black boxes and making sounds for us to hear. I guess you could say that’s how I wanted to make music too. I wanted to hear myself on the radio. As I grew up and understood the workings of the radio, I became even more fascinated by it. 

What makes you choose a song to sing?
Since I’m not songwriter or composer, I don’t really need to search for ideas and concepts for my songs. But most of my songs reflect the story of young couples. I also like singing patriotic songs and have actually sang quite a number of those.

But I guess more than the words what matters is that people enjoy the songs I sing. Hearing it should be soothing, that’s important to me. 

Do you wish to play a musical instrument too or are you content with singing?
I have always been appreciated for my vocals. You could say that was my strength. When I started my journey in the music industry, I was encouraged to focus and improve on my strength rather than being diverted by other things.

I didn’t want to be a jack-of-all-trades, master of none which is why I’ve never picked up an instrument till date. I just want to hone my singing skills.

Your most memorable moment? 
I was in South Korea for a concert during the initial days of my career. After my performance, a lady came to me with small notebook. Back then there was no trend of autographs or photographs. I was also not so familiar with social networking sites.

When the lady asked for my autograph I didn’t know what to do. She turned the notebook to an empty page and asked me to write my name. I did as I was asked to and then gave it back to her. After few days of that particular incident, I realized that autograph actually meant just a signature. I will never forget how I felt both at the moment and when I realized what I had done. 
Name one personal trail that you would like to change.

I’m a very soft-hearted person and I tend to blindly trust people, even if I’ve just met them. That’s probably the reason why I’m often a victim of thugs and cheats. There are many things that have gone wrong in my life because of this one habit. While I don’t want to be skeptical, I think I could learn to be a little weary of things and people. It would do me good. 

How do you deal with the stresses of everyday life? 
I’m someone who likes to live in the moment and I don’t really enjoy making plans. I always listen to my heart rather than my mind. Thought it has brought with it a fair share of troubles, it is also what helps me enjoy every moment in life. When you are guided by your impulses then you are living life on your own terms and that is always a good thing. I don’t know how I deal with stress or handle tense situations, what I do know is that I don’t really fret too much about it in advance. 

 
• rajesh payal rai
 
• singer first
 
• darshan namaste
 
• life as a singer