They have given us tunes that brighten up our day, rhythms that we can jump and dance to, or melodies that soothe our frayed souls. They are personalities from the music world who have made a name for themselves, but their laurels don’t end here. They have contributed to soothing our frayed souls in more ways than one. From opening up libraries to donating millions for a social cause.

Pigtail hero:

To experience the ecstasy of climbing a mountain, you have to climb it. Just looking at a picture does not even come close enough to it. It’s the same feeling,” says Amrit Gurung, Nepathya’s frontman, comparing his experience while performing for underprivileged children.

“It can’t be explained in words. It’s a wonderful feeling,” he says.

Nepathya’s contribution in spreading the message of acceptance and tolerance is immeasurable. They’ve taken their music through the entire length and breadth of Nepal and literally touched lives of thousands, many who would otherwise not have got a chance to see such a concert... “and the happiness they feel is very satisfying,” says Gurung.

He remembers the heart wrenching incident that started them on their ‘Education for Peace’.

“Some young guys were crying as their SLC forms had been burnt. This troubled us as these children’s futures would be badly effected. And we realised that 10 years down the line things could get even worse,” says Gurung.

They have been organising this tour every two years and have performed in various parts of Nepal.

“These tours have become a festival in itself. In some where villages we’ve performed, they’ve never seen a concert and the whole village turns up. In Dang there were almost 60,000 people,” says Arpan Sharma, PR director of Nepalaya.

With money generated from their performances, they have donated a large amount of almost Rs 5 million, especially to educational institutes. It has mainly been used for purposes like constructing libraries, laboratories, toilets, walls of classrooms, even buildings for schools in villages, or providing books, giving the children new hope and aspiration, and a secure future.

Their other tour is the ‘Sundar Shanta Nepal — the Travelling Peace Concert’, which was done in collaboration with other artistes. They have performed at Khagendra Navajeevan Kendra, Maiti Nepal’s Child Protection and Rehabilitation Center, Bal Mandir, organised concerts for visually- and hearing-impaired, those with mental disabilities, street children, and touched the lives of these disadvantaged groups giving them moments to cherish forever.

Gurung believes that this is just the spark that they have lit.

When people come up to him — like a young boy in Hetauda did, when he visited a school two years after his concert and held Gurung’s hand and said, “Thank you so much. I am studying because of you” or the aged woman in Dang who said, “You are doing a good job, but the time is not safe, so be careful. My aashirwad (blessing) is with you,” Gurung feels that all that they have done has been worthwhile. — Eva Manandhar

Nun of substance:

She is, of course, the famed ‘Singing Nun’, but for hundreds she is more — much more — than that. Ani Choying Dolma is one of the most active philanthropists in the Nepali music industry. Though she had been bestowing her bounty on others for a long time, she delved into it more publicly and actively since 1996, zeroing in on health and education.

Explains the mellifluous nun, “This value to help others was instilled in me right from my childhood by my spiritual guru. Since 1996, when I was able to garner adequate financial resources through singing, I got enough confidence to pursue this mission more effectively, actively, continuously and progressively. It infuses more meaning into my existence, it gives me an inner satisfaction.”

At the Arya Tara School founded by her, there are 53 nuns enrolled at present. The school imparts modern education and vocational and other useful skills to nuns from the most backward villages and impoverished families in Nepal, India and Tibet. It also teaches them a healthy spiritual living.

“I want to see the neglected girls get quality education and skills so that they can go back to their villages and work for the uplift of womenfolk there,” she says.

She is also supporting Samata Sikshya Niketan, a school that educates children from very poor families at subsidised rates.

“Almost 10,000 students are currently studying in the school’s three branches across the Valley, run by Uttam Sanjal. The students have to pay just Rs 100 a month during their entire academic years — from Nursery to Class X,” she says happily.

And her love for fellow living being flow over to our four-legged friends too. She is lending her assistance to Kathmandu Animal Treatment (KAT) Centre, which sterilises and vaccinates street dogs, along with treating very sick ones.

“My mother lost her life due to kidney failure, so I know the pain and difficulty kidney patients face,” Ani Choying, who has been been doing her bit to reduce the cost of dialysis and establishing a transplantation service at the National Kidney Centre.

But how does she strike a balance between her own needs and philanthropy?

“If you fulfil other’s wishes, your wishes automatically get fulfiled. Sometimes, people who appreciate my singing fulfil my wishes. I give what is collected from my concerts for the benefit of others. Since we all want to be happy, we should not forget to treat others accordingly,” says the singer. — Manu Bhandari

Music of integration:

The members of 1974 AD believe they are not a couple college boys who have formed a band, but that they have to act as responsible citizens. And moreover “we always felt the need to do something for Nepal and Nepalis. For what they have given us, this is the least we can do,” says bandmember Nirakar Yakthumba.

Their foray into philanthropy started in 1995 when they got involved in a fund raising concert at eight different schools for the Khagendra Nava Jivan organisation. And since then there has been no looking back: a donation of Rs 2,75,000 for 2002 flood victims in association with UN and Red Cross International, Rs 1,00,000 for the earthquake victims in Pakistan, or that of Rs 50,000 for the Labourers’ Fund at Doha.

“The condition of Nepali labourers in Doha was really bad. After seeing their state, we felt the need to donate that amount,” says Manoj KC.

They have raised funds for Jaso Tara Art Foundation and also contributed for HIV positive people at Prerana Samuha, Maoist widows and Maiti Nepal. Not only aid in cash, they have also helped in kind. They have provided musical equipment for the inmates of Central Jail, helped in opening a library in a public school at Bungamati, and are involved in the Bagmati conservation drive.

After their German tour, they raised funds for the Kali Devi School, Ghati. “We came in touch with some teenagers who came to Nepal annually and had started a school here to

provide quality education. While being foreigners, and that also at this very young age, they were doing something for our children. We felt we should do something to help them,” says Yakthumba.

They prefer providing material rather than giving cash as they fear the aid will not reach the target people, according to KC. Before taking up requests for fundraisers, they usually do a screening to make sure the problem and organisation is genuine.

“What if they take money from us and party,” quips Yakthumba.

He adds, “We feel the needy do not need to listen to music, but do need the help they get from us. We play in urban areas to raise funds for the rural.”

As such they want their music to be known for their social cause too.

“Our music focuses on national integrity and patriotism. We want to focus on the vision and message our music gives as we believe it helps in making an impact in one way or another,” says Yakthumba. — Abhilasha Subba