Kathmandu:

Ruby Joshi is the name that the entire Nepali music industry will venerate along with not so many music maestros of Nepal. He is the one who preferred singing a few momentous songs to numerous irrelevant numbers in his time. Despite the fact, that he opted for a more lucrative profession to earn his livelihood, the industry always felt his powerful presence during his intermittent emergence. Joshi has recently come up with a new album ‘Pari Jasti Timi’, that revitalises the reminiscences of the golden years of Nepali contemporary music.

The album comprises of eight momentous songs, out of which two are duets. Title song Pari Jasti Timi, duet with Devika Bandan is perhaps the best song in the album that proves Joshi’s prowess and ingenuity of creating a melodious magic. As you hear the song, you ascertain that the singer is so immersed in the words that the meaning of the words just becomes pleasingly palpable. Pop flavoured number ‘chhalkai masti basanta hansla’ is however, not at par with other songs of the album. Composer Narayan Oli is at a loss to justify the logistics in the lyrics. Although Joshi has rendered the tune with ease, the sound bites fails to create the splendid magic as those of the other songs in the album. Some audience might even find the pop number disappointing.

Another number, ‘timilai jitauna hari dina sakchhu’ penned by Kiran Kharel speaks of commitment in love. Love is defined as a sacrifice of one’s self to see one’s lover win. ‘tadha bata aayo euta khabar’, ‘timi bhitra chau bhane’, ‘kati bato kati sake kati sath chodi sake’, ‘baljhi rahane betha banyo timi sangako preet’ are efficiently rendered as the words are woven in melancholic pitch while Dobato ‘ma bheta bhayo ke bhanera bolau’, a duet with Sapana Shree is a sentimental song about the plight of a lover, who loses his words at the sight of his beloved.

Pratima Shrestha, Chudamani Devkota, Bhoj Raj and Bimal Koirala are but few lyricists gifted with the ingenuity of weaving words into the most eloquent of expressions. Kiran Kharel, Navaraj Lamsal and Ratna Shamser Thapa, as always deserve plaudits. Today’s most sought after music arrangers Phanidra Rai and Norbu Sherpa have tuned perfectly to the composition of Narayan Oli. After all, it is the vocal that scores the best as Joshi’s honeyed voice still retains the charm of the all time hit ‘kanchhi matangtang’, which he sang almost 45 years ago. Nepali audience indeed will always want more of his songs.