Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 21:

In a bid to preserve Sarangi (a musical instrument) and make it popular among Nepalis, the Traditional Music Fashionable Programme initiated by Kathmandu 2020 honoured three players of the traditional musical instrument. President of the Folk Musical Instrument Museum Ram Prasad Kandel honoured Shyam Sharan Nepali, Ranu Tamang and Shushil Gautam with tokens of love amidst a programme organised today at the Nepal Heritage Society, Bhadrakali.

The three players enchanted the audience with their melodious music. Their theme was peace which they portrayed with the help of another traditional musical instrument, Murchunga.

The programme Sarangi Sarangi Nai Ho (Sarangi is Sarangi) was organised to demonstrate how Sarangis can be combined with other musical instruments to produce better melodies. "We want our youth to play Sarangi whenever and wherever they like," said Sudhan Subedi, coordinator of the programme, which was organised to mark the Day against Racial Discrimination.

"The programme will be able to portray that Sarangis can be combined with modern music," he said. "It is still believed that Sarangis are only for Gandharvas and we want to change this attitude." Sarangi player Nepali said, "Sarangi can be played with classical, western and even Hiphop music. "Our aim is to make Sarangi as popular as guitar throughout the world."