Kathmandu:

Whether it was in the mystical ambience of Patan Durbar Square or the dusty casual Khula Manch, a sizeable crowd of people had gathered at each venue on June 21 to enjoy music played by 200 musicians on the occasion of the International Music Day. The concerts at both venues started at 2:00 pm and was scheduled to go in till 8:00 pm.

The age old temples of Patan came alive with the enchanting classical music played by artistes belonging to different age groups. Audience from all walks of life were present to enjoy the soulful sound of music. Along with the locals present, the concert at

Patan was successful in attracting foreigners too. One foreigner was so engrossed with the music that he danced to a beat all his own as if in a trance.

Artistes like Sarita Mis-hra, Maila Dangol, Rupa Neupane, Aaranbha Group, Suraj Shrestha, Rabin Das Shrestha, Sushil Bishwakarma, Santosh Bhakta Shrestha, Jeevan Ale and Dr Dhurbesh Regmi won hearts of those present.

Youngsters enjoyed the loud and thrashing sound of rock at Khula Manch. Though a favourite venue for many concerts recently, today the choice seemed to be a mistake as the crowd that had turned up was not as big as last year’s. Perhaps the venue was not as appealing as the Basantapur Durbar Square. The sound system was great and so was the stage.

The cool breeze and dense cloud of the early evening was a relief to the audience. Popular bands like Looza, HMG Ministry of Rock, Anuprastha, Strings, Cobweb, Inner Groove, Electrix, Strophicus, Aghor and Limestone wowed the crowd with their performances. The bands mostly played cover versions and were successful in making the crowd jump and ask for more. The students from French School and Shuvatara were also successful in rocking the crowd with their numbers.

It drizzled slightly in the evening, which added to excitement of many, but also made many leave.

The concerts were organised by Alliance Francaise.