Although the sudden shower from the heavens, albeit briefly, threatened to spoil the evening at Patan Museum, the sounds of blues quickly made the audience forget the rainy “blues”.[break]
Mukti And Revival, Izzy and Chris, Bert Deivert and Monkey Temple all played their best music before a crowd that got nothing less than what the organizers promised them.
Monkey Temple sure did reveal the agenda of the night with their cover of Gary Moore’s “Sill Got The Blues.” Their tribute to Moore got the crowd swaying to the beats, among them was singer Lochan Rijal, who believes the multicultural aspect of such festival helps unite people through music.
“I performed here last year and it was an amazing experience. I had played Sarangi and got to meet a lot of international acts which was a great learning curve,” shared Rijal.
A regular since the inception of Himalayan Blues he sees a surge in interest among locals in this particular genre, something shared by the Monkey Temple.
“We are not necessarily a blues band but this is a festival we so wanted to take part in. It’s an honor to be sharing the stage with some of the best acts from around the globe,” said the vocalist of the band Sareen Deoja.
Following the local act were the duo Izzy and Chris from the US. It was straight up and straightforward blues with Izzy on the harmonica and Chris on acoustic guitar and vocals.
Hailing from West Virginia, Chris’s southern drawl, especially when he inquired the gathered crowd– “Havin’ a good time, y’all? ” was enough to add charm and authenticity to their music.
“To have music of such caliber and bring musicians of such stature in Nepal is no small feat. I’m always up for events that open up doors of opportunities for the local talent,” remarked Garima Gurung Shah, singer and a former radio presenter, who thinks the genre is yet to go mainstream in Nepal.
“Blues is an integral part of Jazz or R&B, and it has trickled to every kind of genre so it’s not that hard to relish,” said Shah adding, “I’m sure once you experience it, you’ll be hooked.”
A notion proved right by the jam session between Bert Deivert from Sweden and Jimi Honcking from Australia, who churned out the quintessential American music, skillfully, accompanied by the sound of guitar and mandolin.
An effortless charmer, Hocking’s no effects, no distortion, no pedals just good old finger-picking guitar was every audiophiles dream-come-true.
Perhaps the highlight of the night, besides world-class acts and their flawless musicianship was the effect their music had on the audience and how it united everyone in the vicinity.
Providing the perfect escape from the mundane routine of life, the festival as such is gaining momentum amongst the locals. “This year we saw a lot of local faces, the interest in this genre is starting to rise all thanks to our local acts like Mukti and Revival.
Our aim is not just to create an exclusive event for niche crowd but to take music to people from different walks of life,” shared the festival director Samik Kharel.
On cue, the local act lead by Mukti Shakya did manage to get the crowd on their feet. The ever so charismatic Shakya made sure that the drop in mercury was compensated by his energetic rendition of folk infused songs drenched in blues sensibilities.
Infectious is the word to describe the act as they performed some of their hits, mingled with covers from blues greats.
The crowd was in complete sync with the music that night, which ended on a high note with a grand finale which saw the big jam between various artistes.
Thanking everybody present, the organizers revealed that the next installment of Himalayan Blues Festival will be held November next year.
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