Akanshya Shah

Kathmandu

Rock culture” is here to stay and the sooner we accept and give up all our prejudices against it the better for all. With a view to provide quality entertainment and to encourage Rock & Roll music, the veteran rock band, Mukti & Revival, with the help from BMI, a recording and event management company, is back in the Valley.

Starting today at Jatra pub, Thamel, they plan to perform a series of concerts at various venues in the Valley and outside. The final attraction will come at the end of the month with a mega finale called the "Roxing", when they will join hands with another prominent band, Robin & Looza, to jam together.

“I am here to make music, enjoy and to promote rock,” says Mukti Shakya, lead singer and guitarist of Mukti & Revival, who has flown from Spain especially for this show. Last year when his band performed in front of more than 10,000 audience at Rangashala, it gave them a moral boost to perform better. Mukti, who is considered a pioneer in the field of Rock music, started his career in the eighties when he sang for the ‘Elegance’ and then the ‘Redium’. Though his personal life compelled him to leave Kathmandu, he came back in the early nineties with a zeal to revive his fervour and the result was formation of Mukti & Revival, which today besides him, has Roshan Kansakar in the bass, Robin Shrestha on drums and Upendra Man Singh on the keyboard. The band has produced two hit albums — ‘Kalanki ko Jam’ in 2000 and ‘Bujhaie’ Deu’ released in 2003.

Starting with the Basantpur Utsav concert in 1993, Mukti staged in Kastamandap Jatra and Shiv Ratri music festival in 1997 followed by Durbar Marg Fest in 1998. He earned for himself a name in the international arena and was successful in establishing credibility for Nepali rock musicians as he has been playing incessantly before a live audience in Spain, Germany and the other countries.

“We want to play up-to-date music,” Mukti proudly acclaims. Perhaps, what sets them apart from those thousands other rock bands in Nepal, is precisely their passion to use music as the right channel to reach out to people. However, they lament, on their part, people should “learn to appreciate, enjoy and respect the musicians” instead of projecting rowdy attitude during concerts. All obstacles apart, here is wishing Mukti & Revival and their eagerly awaiting fans a happy Roxing 2004!