He is one of the coolest dudes. Known for being frank and sometimes too outspoken, it is always a pleasure to catch up with him. When this scribe tried to pump him for information on what he was currently involved with, he replied, “Nothing. I’m good for nothing.”

Anyone else might be embarrassed by his reply but behind the hard talk lies a talented artiste. Yogeshwor has released two albums ‘Karai Karley’ and ‘Ahiley Chahi Dabra Ko Aashma’. When the conversation settles on these albums, he says after a moment’s hesitation, “Both albums were huge flops. Can you imagine that we only made Rs 9-10,000 from ‘Kari Karley’. Then The Sky band came up with the song “Dadaima Mela Lagecha” and I think they made around Rs 30- 40,000. Now imagine how good I am.”

“I like singing,” he says, “but I am not a professional singer, I am a street singer. I do nothing, yet I have no time to write songs. I try to write simple poems and I like singing songs that are down-to-earth. The simpler the words the easier it is to express. I believe in simplicity and like singing songs by veterans like Bachhu Kailasha and Gopal Yonjan.” He confesses that though he has many songs lined-up, he really hates going to the studio to work on recordings. “Once I enter the studio I feel suffocated. Besides, the final outcome is so bad that I don’t want to take out any album.”

He says in the last 10 years he got only 24 songs. “I’m not selective, I’m lazy,” he admits. “In my childhood I used to record my own voice and when I replayed it later, I used to hate my voice. I still don’t like my voice. I love singing for myself and I have been doing that. So when I do get compliments sometimes for my voi-ce and songs it feels good.” — Dipti Sherchan