Nepal is an ancient country with a fascinating, long history, and a culture that impacted the entire world in very profound, yet often hidden ways.
The birthplace of Buddha, Nepal was a kingdom for many years up until the year 2008. Society was under the official caste system until the year 1962. Nepal is one of only 8 countries in the world never ruled by outside colonization.
Nepalese people are known for their friendly, open, and welcoming hearts. Living in the rugged terrain of the Himalayas formed a society where people look to each other for support and survival.
Nepal is home to a group of music makers called the Gandharvas. The word Gandharva appears in the ancient text the Mahabharata, as singers and entertainers. The work of the Gandharva is to make songs, to sing stories of the lives of the people, to entertain, provide social commentary, give news, and heal the people. They were inspired by heavenly female creatures known as Apsaras.
The Gandharvas historically are known as the link between the heavens and earth, bringing messages from the heavens to the people on earth.
Up until very recently, the Gandharvas earned their living, traveling from village to village around the difficult mountainous terrain, to bring news to the people in the ages before radio, television, and the internet. They are commonly known as “Walking Newspapers.”
Shyam’s Grandfather, Magar Gaine, was a Gandharva appointed to write songs and stories by the King of Nepal. Recordings of Magar Gaine are archived in the Louvre Museum in Paris, and The Archives of Traditional Music at Indiana University. Shyam learned the art of being a Gandharva at his grandfather’s knee, the same way Magar learned it from his grandfather, and the same way Magar’s grandfather learned from his grandfather. How far back in time this tradition goes, no one knows, but it is a tradition that is in danger of dying out today as the traditional society which made the Gandharva villages “24/7 music camps” change, as people flee for better economic opportunities.
in the 1950s the borders of Nepal were opened to foreigners, and Shyam’s father practiced his art during this new transformative time in Nepalese society. Ram Sharan Nepali was the first to put metal strings on the sarangi, changing the sound to a more virtuosic, modern sound, influenced by the people he encountered in Nepal, and during his travels around the world as a performer. Ram enjoyed a working relationship with many organizations outside Nepal including University of Oslo which preserved much of his work.
Both Magar and Ram Nepali wrote many beloved songs that form the pantheon of Nepali folk and popular music today.
Shyam continues his work as a modern day Gandharva, creating songs that link the palpable ancient wisdom of the past with the modern consciousness of the future.
