If you find yourself in a basement cafe in Kathmandu, Nepal, there’s a good chance you will be listening to Upendra and Friends. As is tradition, the band kicked off the Gypsy Avalon stage this year, bringing two special guests, Sunil Dev & Tilasmi.

Fuji Rock’s commitment to the band continues some 4 years after a devastating earthquake rocked Nepal. The nation continues to struggle in its rebuild, and any extra attention that can be afforded to their causes is much appreciated. Those visiting the Palace of Wonder tonight will know that the late night haunt Posh Tomato is dedicated to Nepal relief efforts, donating proceeds each year.

But at this moment, the focus is on 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 don’t just represent Nepal, but play fusion music which is inspired by Nepali percussion.

Today’s weather could not be better, with any perched in the shade of trees as the hot sun shined.
The band stormed on stage and played for a sizable crowd who bobbed and weaved and danced amongst the sunflowers at the front of the stage. It was a rollicking good time, and ended altogether too soon.

After thirty minutes Upendra turned over the stage to Sunil and Talasmi, a flute and percussion duo which played traditional Nepalese music. You could hear the insects chirp and scurry about, and slight breeze filled the mountain, briefly revealing a moment which could have transported one to the kingdom of Nepal.

Upendra and friends is now an important tradition for me here at Fuji Rock and I already await their performance next year. The band are scheduled to make a few more performances this year before they return home.