Kathmandu:

They are united in their mission — to showcase their talent for a noble. They are the Women in Concert (WIC) — ladies from different walks of life who have come together to sing and raise funds for the Sewa Kendra Leprosy Relief.

The event is organised by Initiative International and managed by Wiz International with The Himalayan Times as the official print media.

This fifth edition of WIC features some familiar voices and a number of brand new talents. And they are practicing really hard for the event on October 5 to be held at Hotel Yak and Yeti. At the same time they are also creating a strong bond amongst themselves.

Bandana Tamang

Bandana Tamang performs at Hotel de la Annapurna’s Juneli Bar six days a week and is also a student of Journalism at Ratna Rajya Campus. Though she has been performing continuously, this will be her first performance before a really big crowd.

Being a part of WIC

She had heard about the concert from a couple of friends and was eager to participate, but did not know who to contact. However, this year she was able to contact Sheri Thapa and is now a part of the musical bandwagon.

“I feel so lucky to be involved and to be chosen along so many other talented artistes. It feels great to be contributing to society through my talent. People usually think that women cannot do much, but through this concert we will prove those speculations wrong,” says Tamang.

Unique experience

She used to listen to other international female singers and hoped to able to perform like them.

“After meeting the other participants, I feel happy to see so many others having similar interests and ideas. It is fun to be with such a talented group and learn so much from them,” says Tamang. “Through this event, I will also have advantage of knowing many other people and build my contacts,” she adds.

(WIC tickets are available at Café Mitra and Dechenling Garden Restaurant, Thamel; and Roadhouse Café, Pulchowk)

Ayesha Giri

Currently doing her BBS at St Xavier’s college, Ayesha Giri has been seriously involved in music for almost two years. Having performed in more than 30 concerts, she still feels this might be a big break for her as WIC is big name.

While coordinating for Miss Nepal 2007, she got a chance to meet Rachana Gurung, who has been with WIC since its beginning. Gurung asked her to participate in the programme.

“This is the biggest platform and I think I will get good exposure through this and certainly make a difference in my career,” says Giri adding, “As this is also for charity, it feels good.”

Female bonding

When she first went for WIC practice, she was pleasantly surprised to see many other girls equally passionate about music, especially Western music.

“All are very friendly and at times we wonder why didn’t we meet before. And not only the participants, even the band of musicians helping in our gig are equally helpful and sweet,” she says.