Yasmin Taj

Kathmandu:

For those with an ear for music, the genre played by HFT, an abbreviation of High (expletive deleted) Time, would be a treat to look out for. This trio that got together just about a year-and-a-half ago, share a great bond and deliver some of the most timeless pieces of music collectively. Having performed in Nepal three times already (Yak and Yeti, Northfield Café and Moksha), the band is more than excited to be here once again and gift Nepal with the most amazing gig of its kind. Here is a talk with Lew Hilt, Arjun Sen and Bhuvan Sachdeva.

Tell us something about yourselves.

Lew Hilt (bass guitarist): I got into music professionally way back in 1966 and since then, I have played with quite a number of musicians and also founded a band called High which was the first to play original music rather than just playing cover versions. I later joined Louis Banks in his band Louis Banks Brotherhood that was kind of a transition for me in terms of music and got more into jazz. I later joined a band called Shiva and we played together for 17 years. It was along this way, that I met up with Arjun we thought that it would be good if we got together.

Arjun Sen (lead guitarist): I started playing music in 1979 with a band called Great Society from Shillong. I later shifted back to Delhi and actually did not play for a period of about 7-8 years. At that point playing music became very important for me. That was when I met Lew in Shillong.

Bhuvan Sachdeva (percussionist): I joined HFT in September 2004 and coincidently my first gig with them happened in Nepal. Before HFT, I was playing with a band called Trademark in Delhi. During one of the World Music Festivals, we had traveled to Leh in Ladakh and that was where I met Lew and Arjun. We did a few gigs together in Delhi and post-that I joined the band as a member.

How did you finally come together as a band?

It was in March 2004 that we finally came together and established HFT. Since then, we have performed in various parts of India including the Northeast and have done various concerts in Delhi.

What kind of music does HFT usually play?

We have no bias against any musical form and play anything that excites us. It’s fusion at the end of the day, of jazz, rock, folk, Indian classical and blues. There is a certain format that we have developed and have left it up to the listener to decide to like or not. We are also working on taking out an album of our own.

How did coming to Nepal come about?

We had a friend in Nepal who heard us play and decided to get us here the first time. And then we met some wonderful people like Nirakar, Susan and Sanjay, and kudos to them for calling us here once again.

What was the response like to your earlier concerts in Nepal?

Nepal is a place good for music. The people here are exposed to all genres of music. We received an overwhelming response to our earlier performances.

How have you planned your concert for Friday?

Basically, we just play and then take it from there. But we do have a basic set list that we follow. We will play our own music in the first half of the concert and the second half would be a jam session with Nirakar and Sanjay from 1974 AD, Vikku from Rusty Nails and Binod from Full Circle. Coincidently this will be the last gig that Bhuvan will be doing with us, his first and last performances having been staged in Nepal.

To hear this trio at their best, take time out and chill at Hotel Shangrila today. ‘HFT Live in Concert from Delhi’ starts at 7 pm and is priced at Rs 1,299 including snacks and dinner. The Himalayan Times is the official media for the event, made possible by support from Cosmic Air, Zenith Experiences Travel Services (Zets Holidays), Perodua and Shangri-La. For tickets contact Shangri-La Hotel at 441-2999.