WHEN Nabin K Bhattarai enrolled for his intermediate in science post-SLC, little did he know that he would end up becoming such a hit phenomenon in the Nepali music industry. Back then, music was purely a hobby, and he never thought of taking it up as a career.Nevertheless, in 1996, he came out with his first album, and conquered the country. Songs such as Saanjha Pakha, Timilai Ma Dobatoma, Yeh Jhari established Bhattarai as the King of Nepali Pop. Eighteen years down the line, the singer is back with yet another album, Kathmandu, with the song Fikka Fikka already topping charts all over the media. The Post’s Rajita Dhungana caught up with this singing sensation to talk about his latest album and interests. Excerpts:
You’ve recently released your 11th album. Can you tell us something about it? I’ve released this album, Kathmandu, after a six year gap and it’s a compilation of songs that sound very different. The song Yedi Maile Guitar Nasamayeko Bhaye, for one, is based on my own musical journey. I’ve also made an attempt to sing an English song this time. It’s called Million Faces.I hope the audience will enjoy this album as much as my earlier ones. You’ve been around for a long time. What differences can you see in the music scene? Well…I was quite surprised to see how there are barely any CD stores around the city these days. I had to sell my album at various outlets of Bhatbhateni supermarket. There have also been major technological advancements that music production very different from how it used to be. The quality of videos had also improved a lot. Sadly though, the audience seems to have stopped loving Nepali music. What do you usually do when you are not making music? Mostly, I love reading books. Earlier, I used to play football as well. But I hardly do that nowadays. I follow the game on TV instead. What about films then? I like watching films as well but I always avoid the sad kind. I don’t want to be sad at the end of any film; I prefer a thriller or comedy. The last film I watched was an action thriller called Safe House.
Your concerts take you to places far and wide. Do you like the idea of travelling? Yes, I certainly do. Actually, I like being outside the Valley more. Every place, I believe, has a distinct flair as well as a smell of its own. So it always feels great to go to new places and perform on a new stage. Do you recall any memory related to travel? We once had this concert tour in around 24 states in the US. We started our journey from Baltimore in a van and it was winter. We all became so engrossed in our musical event that we even lost track of time and season. Only when we got back to our starting point did we realise that it was already spring. What about your taste when it comes to food? Do you help out in the kitchen? I’m really fond of trying out different kinds of food items. I love dal bhat, fish, paneer and all sorts of vegetables. I used to help out in the kitchen earlier. I used to make a very good momos, in fact. But, nowadays, I feel kind of lazy to cook. You became a father not so long ago. How has life changed after that? Life has changed immensely after having a baby and all for the better, of course. I’ve become more responsible and have also realised the importance of parents’ love and care. But I hardly get to sleep these days. My son, Shlok, is only a year old but can wreak havoc around the house. Add to that what my two dogs—Mogambo and Mark—do and my house can certainly be considered a lively place. Your caps are quite popular, you must have a lot of them.
Do you like to collect other things as well? At one time, I used to have around 1,700 caps. Actually, everyone used to give me caps as gifts. But I’ve given away most of them. I may only have around 100 left. Apart from caps, I like to collect various kinds of gems as well. If not a singer, what would you have become today? An engineer, for sure. I still love to read about quantum mechanics. Sometimes, I even feel like if I had continued engineering, I would have become a great mathematician (laughs). It depends on stars and destiny, after all. What are your upcoming plans? These days, I’m mostly busy working on the promotion of my album. Apart from that, I have a lot of live shows lined up. There is one on New Year’s Eve in Pokhara and other one in May in the UK. I also plan to take out another album soon. It all depends on whether I find a producer who understands the true essence of art. Finally, how dœs it feel to look back at all those glorious years you’ve spent in the music industry? I used to be this small boy on stage, and everyone used to call me bhai back then. But the times have changed and there are other smaller boys around now. I consider myself lucky that I got the opportunity to work with singers and musicians from three generations. And it always feels good to get love and appreciation from your well-wishers. At one time, I used to have around 1,700 caps. But I’ve given away most of them.
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