Kathmandu:

Nepathya’s latest album Ghatana is a completely a different album, the first of its kind created in the entire Nepali music industry.

The album consists of five songs, each with strong social messages. Ghatana, the first number, is rendered in the form of a ballad, a narrative folk art, which in earlier days wandering troubadours would sing with sarangi. However, the ballad has been composed in rock melodies, which might sound uncommon to regular listeners, but the narrative account

of the event instantly grabs the listeners.

The song is about an incident took place on May 9, 2004 on the mountain highway near Maina-pokhari. A public bus heading to Kathmandu was caught in a crossfire between the armymen and Maoists in which six innocent civilians were killed. One of those killed was Sobendra Kafle, an English teacher, who was on way to his in-laws’ house with his wife and 20-day-old baby daughter. This baby is orphaned as her parents are killed on the spot in the crossfire. The song details the account of how she was left with her grandmother.

After the incident, band frontman Amrit Gurung visited the site himself, talked to the local people and thus Ghatana was born. Basically, it is a dirge about a disgraceful event flavoured in rock music. The heartrending rendition of violin is followed by metallic composition on harrowing incident.

The other four songs have an eloquent appeal for reconciliation and peace. Ghar ko kura (News from home) speaks of an artist’s frustrating sentiment after seeing his compatriots abroad.

Kata lagyou (Where are you going) is another song with a social message. No one is a winner in war, no matter in whichever way it is fought. Jun jhain (Like the moon) is apparently an artist’s wishful desire for peace. The song describes the uncertainty — ‘Mirmirema niske jastai, sanjha ghar phirna paun’ (May we be able to return home at dusk in the way we left at dawn).

The lyricist has drawn a parallel between mother and mountain juxtaposing the circumstances they face in life. In patriarchal society, countless mothers endure tremendous pain silently without even her children to console in suffering.

The photographs depicting blood-stained black pitch on album’s cover is the place where the incident had taken place. Gurung himself had shot the scene. The album has the script of lyrics with English translation of each song. It is a collector’s album.