Kathmandu:

It was a delightful evening at nepalaya’s r-shala on February 29. Shantanu Kumar Limbu from Manipur, India, performed in Nepal for the first time, and it certainly was a performance that will be cherished by all those who were present for this month’s Paleti.

Limbu’s strong voice resounded as he started the show with his song Jaaga Jaaga Nepali, which was really appreciated by the audience. The other thing that prominently stood

out in Limbu’s performance was his smiling face and charming facial expressions that added life to his voice. Adorning a Nepali topi and Naga shawl, which he considers a part of his identity and his pride, he sat tall and confident.

Aavas then elaborated on his search for this talent, his journey towards the north-east India to find well-known talents from there so that people in Nepal could also get a chance to hear their melodious voices. “When I asked about Shantanu, a close acquaintance of his told me, once Shantanu asked me ‘Didi, should I sing about the flowers on the tree or the ones that have fallen on the ground’. When I heard that, I knew we had found a true artist,” said Aavas.

And the effort they put in to find this artiste was worthwhile as Limbu from Kanglatumbi charmed the audience with melodious songs one after another. With songs like Jhyal ma Basera and Manshir ko Jhulke with their appealing tunes or the Assamese number, Biu To Liloy Ahilla by Bhupen Hajarika, which was a treat for all. Unaware of it themselves, the audience also had soft smiles on their faces as they watched the artiste perform, while some had their eyes closed and were totally immersed in Limbu’s voice.

Besides these songs, it was the folk song Triveni Mela that had everyone clapping along and enjoying themselves wholeheartedly. The applause could be heard loud and clear after

Limbu sang a hit Manipuri song Nokhidara with Meena Niraula.

Altogether, Limbu sang around 16 songs, each one of them equally beautiful. Most of the songs were written by his friends Padam Bahadur Rai, lyricist and Dikendra Bardewa, lyricist and composer. After the demise of these close friends Limbu had stopped singing and it was in their memory Limbu sang at Paleti.

However, the surprise element for the evening was Limbu singing Bachhu Kailash’s Birseko bhae biteko kura and Narayan Gopal’s Aankha chhopi narou, whom Limbu considers his inspirations. Expressing his joy at performing in Nepal, Limbu said, “It is like sitting in my mother’s lap and performing.”