Phiroj shyangden biography of barack
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Famous in Kathmandu, anonymous in New York
By Louie Lazar
On the narrow streets of Kathmandu, the name “Phiroj Shyangden” is more recognizable than that of Bob Seger or katt Stevens, legendary rockers who have both written songs about this exotic city, located less than 100 miles from Mount Everest.
As lead guitarist and vocalist of 1974 A.D., the popular grupp whose concerts have packad stadiums and caused traffic nightmares throughout Nepal since the mid 1990s, Shyangden – with his pierced eyebrow and patented dark sunglasses obscured by wavy black bangs – could rarely surface in public without being hounded for autographs or irritated bygd gossip-like whispers.
But such hassles no längre plague Shyangden, who continues to sing his hits, albeit from a less glamorous platform: The Himalayan Yak, a restaurant in Jackson Heights thats web site proudly declares, “Good news
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Travelling musician
Kathmandu:
The way he drums the ghatam (earthen pot) keeps his audience in awe. Well-known percussionist Manohar Gurung started his musical journey while he was studying in the Modern Indian School. He used to be an active student in the musical department, and he learned the art of playing the tabla, dholak, maadal, and the Latin instruments conga and bongo.
“I have always been interested in fusion music and my only aim has been to make music for the world to identify with, and place Nepal on world music map,” says Gurung, who is highly inspired by ghatam maestro Sri Vikku Vinayakram, tabla ustaad Zakir Hussain and sitar maestro Sri Ravi Shankar.
After learning to play ghatam from Sri Vikku Vinayakram’s son in Chennai, India, Gurung is most probably the only certified ghatam player of Nepal. Apart from playing with the band 1974 AD, he has also performed along with a fusion band Sitapati.
He is not only a musician but also a traveller. Wandering from plac
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28, April: Formed in the early 90s’, 1974 A.D. is a prominent supergroup enthralling generations of Nepalese demographic with their timeless tunes, patriotic anthems, re-arranged folk songs and an overall dynamic oeuvre. The band is one of the most celebrated rock outfits of the country, blazing the trail for countless others ensuing a similar path. Initiating as a cover act playing music by artists like Gary Moore, Deep Purple and Brayan Adams to name a few; even their 6 track debut album “Time Out” featured only two original numbers.
Although the band till this point had undergone multiple line-up changes, the core members of the group converged in the banner post 1994. Founding members – singer and guitarist Phiroj Shyangden, bassist Nirakar Yakthumba, drummer and guitarist Bhanu A. were accompanied by singer and drummer Adrian Pradhan, percussionist Sanjay Shrestha, guitarist Manoj Kumar KC and flutist Manose Singh to conceive the most iconic musical group witnessed by N