Upendra and friends plus Mr. Sunil and Sabin
High mountain music
If you ever find yourself in a small club listening to music in Kathmandu, Nepal, there’s a good chance the band you will be listening to is Upendra and Friends. The band kicked off the Gypsy Avalon stage this year, as is tradition, bringing two special guests, Sunil Dev & Sabin.
The band has nobly represented Nepal at many Fuji Rock festivals, taking on more significance after the devastating earthquake 3 years ago. The band has also inspired the late night haunt Posh Tomato behind the shipping containers in the Palace of Wonder to donate all proceeds from sake sales to relief efforts. It says a lot about the band’s commitment to activism and their fellow citizens.
But back to the music, the band is comprised of Upendra Lal Singh on keyboard, Roshan Kansakar on bass, Nikhil Tuladhar on djembe, Babu Raja Maharjan on Nepali percussion and Raman Maharjan on flute.The band definitely represent Nepal, but prefer to describe themselves as fusion music which is based on the Nepali percussion.
Minutes before their set began , there was nary a spectator in the audience as the band patiently waited offstage. Perhaps it was the cool overcast weather which was keeping the audience in their tents today, whatever reason, it led to some early apprehension.
Thankfully, when the band hit the stage and played its first we notes, a sizable crowd showed up. Regaling in the delightful flute music by Raman Maharjan and thumping bass sounds. For their second song a dedication was made to a Japanese friends who recently passed away though it wasn’t mournful, more of a rollicking flight among the mountain tops.
After about thirty minutes Upendra and band exited the stage to bring on Sunil and Sabin, a flute and percussion duo which played traditional Nepalese music by their own definition. It was a great relaxing moment when the sun finally cam out and a slight breeze filled the mountain. I scrambled for shade cover by nearby trees rode out the wondrous ride reminiscent of the mountain kingdom of Nepal.
Upendra and friends is turning out to be a tradition here at Fuji Rock and their set at the Gypsy Avalon stage in early afternoon is something that I am going to look forward to next year as well. In fact, you could posit tht Gypsy Avalon area is built for this band, a mixture of mellow vibes, reflection, activism, world issues and peace
