KATHMANDU, AUGUST 26
The Royal Gurkha Rifles who are renowned for their prowess on the battlefield have demonstrated their exceptional musical talents in front of The Princess Royal of the United Kingdom. The Pipes and Drums of The Royal Gurkha Rifles are part of the Massed Pipes and Drums performing at the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland.
The Princess Royal, Patron of the Tattoo, took the salute on the opening night of the world-famous show, staged on the magnificent Edinburgh Castle Esplanade. Every night from August 2nd to 24th, The Pipes and Drums of the Royal Gurkha Rifles join over 200 military and civilian musicians to display their incredible musicianship and pageantry, according to the press release issued by the British Army.
Corporal Raju Tamang, 31, is the Drum Major leading the Royal Gurkha Rifles Pipes and Drums on parade. He also serves as the Drum Major for the 1st Battalion, responsible for training the Corps of Drums. Raju, who grew up in Kathmandu, earned the All-Arms Class 3 Drummer qualification at the Army School of Bagpipe Music and Highland Drumming, which offers courses in piping and drumming at all levels. The six-month course teaches the music theory and correct drumming technique needed to play, the release further states.
He continued to progress and went on to gain an All-Arms Class 1 Drummer and Drum Major qualification. He was awarded the title of Top Student on his course and became the first Gurkha Drumming Instructor at the school.
"Every drummer plays the bugle as well as the drums," said Raju, who also teaches the bugle. "There are no valves on the bugle, you use your lips to play the notes. You have to find the correct lip position which can take a while to learn."
He added, "I feel enormously proud when we play and the sound of the drums and bagpipes playing together is amazing. One of my favourite tunes is the Lord Alexander Kennedy tune. It's a march tune."
Raju is one of 23 musicians from the Royal Gurkha Regiment playing at the Tattoo. All are soldiers first and are an integral part of The Royal Gurkha Regiment, serving with their Battalion on exercise and operations all over the world.
Rifleman Daniel Rai, another drummer with the 1st Battalion, was named overall top student on his All-Arms Class 3 Drumming course and was awarded the title of both Best Drummer and Best Bugler.
He grew up in Nakhipot, Lalitpur and has always been interested in music. As a teenager he would play the drums at Christian Fellowship. When he isn't playing the drums, he likes to sing and play guitar and enjoys playing basketball and football. His father served in the Nepal Army and his cousin brother serve in the British Army. Daniel has been in the Army four years and has already been to Kosovo, Cyprus, New Zealand, and Singapore with the Corps of Drums, according to the release.
"The nerves build before you go on stage, but once you start playing, they just disappear. I feel proud to have this opportunity to play music in front of large crowds," Daniel said.
Fellow Rifleman Manish Rai plays the bagpipes and serves with the 2nd Battalion, based in Folkestone, Kent. Originally from Dharan, Manish started playing a year ago. "My grandfather was an Army Pipe Major who served in 1965. I am immensely proud to follow in his footsteps. He inspired me to join the Army. My aim is to become the Pipe Major in my Battalion," he shared.
The first Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo took place in 1950. Since then, over 50 countries from across six continents have been represented at the Tattoo. An incredible 800 dancers and musicians are taking part this year. It includes musical performances and acts from around the world including the United States of America, Australia, Canada, India, and Switzerland, the British Army said.
