Kathmandu:

Jazzmandu 2005 has indeed taken Kathmanduites by storm and it doesn’t seem to abate. And it’s getting better in each new guise. No wonder Jazz at Patan was several notches above the earlier gigs.

It was a fecund evening filled with a rich and soulful atmosphere shooting off the Jazz festival with even more excitement. With international bands blending their ideas with Nepali classical musicians, the music they created was marvellous.

While the concert kicked off with performances by David and Carmen, it was Soulmate’s Tripti’s agonising tenor that really kept the audience spellbound. And guess what, our own Arpana Rayamajhi, who’s already been a topic of discussion for quite sometime now since her performance at ‘Women in Concert’ did her bit with no less éclat.

However, the most arresting was the final performance ‘Take Five’, originally composed by Paul Desmond, that makes use of Quintuple time to add final touches to the splendid evening. With Solid!’s Daniel Formo on guitar, Rabin Lal Shrestha on tabla, Suresh on sarod, Binod on flute, Navin Chettri on drums, and Gurudev with his astounding ragas, the stellar ensemble lifted the melodious spirit to crescendo over and over again.

Students zapped

KATHMANDU: Another sequel to follow the ongoing Jazzmandu festival set off with a different note. Jazz for school students on November 10 at the Budhanilkantha School was led by the Canadian band David and Carmen followed by Soul mate, Solid! and Cadenza. The show that began with ‘The Ticket to Ride’ made students ride high throughout the show. Though, Carmen was as exquisite as ever, drifting amazingly between scales, it was Arpana whose music appealed to most students.

This event was a free show held for the students on special invitation by the Society of Ex- Budhanilkantha students. The show, besides being entertaining and interactive, aimed at exposing the joys of Jazz to the younger generation. — HNS

Jazz on November 11

Supper Club — The Best of Jazzmandu (A classy evening combining great Jazz and fine dining)

Time: 7:30pm onwards

Venue: Hotel Shangri-La

Ticket: Rs 1,499 (includes dinner and a complimentary drink) 

Featuring:

David and Carmen (Canada)

Soul Mate (Shillong)

Cadenza (Kathmandu)

Solid! (Norway)

Dimple (Nepal)