Kathmandu:

If you love to listen to Nepali songs, you must not have missed “Bichhod ko peeda” a duet along with melody king Narayan Gopal at least once, by now. As Dashian comes close, the mellifluous music coupled with heartrending lyrics resonates with the festive atmosphere throughout the season. People, who are away from their home, can’t help but shed tears recalling family members, overwhelmed by the powerful music. However, many might still not know who the female singer is as she’s not so often heard of. She is none other than, Dilmaya Khati whose debut album ‘Dilmaya’has recently hit the music stores. Music Nepal also as a tribute to her chameleonic vocal assets, however had released a ‘Bachhai Rakha’, an album with recorded selected songs of Dilmaya only last year.

“Bichhod ko peeda” is one of her maiden songs, which she had recorded in Calcutta in 1964. But Nepali musical atmosphere had resounded with her vocals two years even before she actually recorded her songs. “We had to sing live in studio of Nepal Radio,” she recalls. Nepal Radio, which then had limited range transmission, has now transformed into a well-equipped studio with wide range of transmission over the year. Dilmaya is one of the pioneer musicologists who fostered Nepali music during its nascent stages. Shradda Digital Recording Studio, a private studio extended helpful hand to bring out album, ‘Dilmaya’.

Born and brought up in Ghum Pahad, Darjeeling, Dilmaya apparently is split between Nepal and Darjeeling. “Nepal is my maiti (maiden home). Whenever I come they spread their hands to embrace me and give all the love I need,” she says. But then, she never could leave the place of her birth. She has been working as a teacher in Bhanubhakta School, perhaps the place where she learnt to warble her first song.

The first time that she visited Nepal was in 1962, along with her friends, while her closest companion Krishna Kandangwa kept insisting her to sing. “As I was stubborn to my stand, Nati Kaji, Panna Kaji themselves had to come to take me to Nepal Radio finally,” recalls she. Having heard her singing Nati Kaji at once took her to Nepal Radio to sing, which also marked a turning point of her musical career. Meanwhile she had taken part in a singing competition held at Nepal Radio and even won a gold medal for her song ‘Kati pida kati rodan’, though there were other veterans Tara Devi and late Aruna Lama eyeing the medal.

It is hard to believe that she could record only about five dozens songs altogether in an entire half a century journey of her musical career. “As we had to sing live, we could not record a number of songs. Even those recorded songs were lost and spoilt in library,” she says. She has shared some memorable moments with musical doyens like Narayan Gopal, Gopal Yonjan, Karma Yonjan and Kumar Subba, but never made music her ultimate career. She completed her graduation and took up teaching, which she still is continuing.

Dilamaya has made an indelible impression on Nepali listeners. Nepali musical aficionados never get tired of exalting her unparalleled vocal qualities.

And even the veteran Bollywood actor Raj Kapoor was one of the admirers of her singing who invited her to Bombay for playback singing. “I believe, my vocal is still as fresh as it was long ago. If I get love from Nepali audience, I promise to give as good songs as always,” she says. As art critique Prakash Sayami once said, “We don’t want her divided Dil (heart) somewhere and Maya (love) in Nepal. We want her Dil and Maya both to be in Nepal.”