Kathmandu:

It was a sad time for the country with all the conflict and civil war, but despite that we enjoyed our stay here. I did a lot of trekking and travelled extensively throughout the country,” said French ambassador Michel Jolivet describing his stay here at a farewell party organised in his honour by Alliance Francaise on July 11.

It was an exciting evening with Kutumba giving an enthralling performance. Kutumba rendered popular numbers like Aasare maina ma to Resham phiriri. The band’s second album Folk Roots was launched by Jolivet. They had also performed on the national day of France, the first one Jolivet celebrated in Nepal.

“Kutumba helped us a lot in organising the Fete de la Musique, and so to thank them we requested them to play for the farewell too,” said Pravin Rana, Deputy Director of Alliance Francaise.

Jolivet is a huge fan of Nepali music and said, “I have been to a lot of Full Moon concerts at the Sangeetashram, and the Paleti sessions as well.”

Of Nepal he said, “It is the huge mountains and the extreme kindness of the Nepali people — people here are naturally kind — that is what I will miss the most.”

And we will miss him too at all our cultural events.