Kathmandu: Despite the pandemic and the lockdown, Nepal’s music video scene doesn’t seem to slow down. Each week, we are treated with videos with novel concepts that attempt to mirror Nepal in all its multitudes. Times when music videos were limited to featuring couples dancing seem to be behind us. Nowadays, music videos attempt to tell a story, and oftentimes, very good ones.
One can argue that Nepali music videos, more so than Nepali films, are the proverbial mirrors of society. The five music videos curated for this piece expose Nepal for what it is. They tell the stories of the brutal caste-based discrimination rife in the country, while also bringing to light the subtle and not-so-subtle discriminations that make one wonder if the country really belongs to them. Two videos transport one to Himalayan highlands. Check them out.
Jaat – 2 | Jatkai Karanley
Caste-based discrimination is a reality that the country’s over 400,000 Dalits live with every day in Nepal, whether it be in the rural or urban settings. Lately, there have been attempts to portray this reality in pop culture, in shows such as Jaat ko Prashna and Aina. The music video of Jaat-2 | Jatkai Karanley, directed by Laxman Sunar and sung by Dharmendra Sunar, is an addition to the growing canon.
As the name indicates, the music video tells the story of a young Dalit man who is murdered for having an affair with a girl from a so-called higher caste. One might think this is not exactly a very novel storyline but, unfortunately, similar stories keep on playing out in real life, like that in the Nawaraj BK case. The lyrics to the song are very moving and work well in sync with the video shot by Mukesh Humagain. The narrative is realistic, carried through by an able cast of actors Sushila Basnet, GB Chiran, Kritisha KC and Subash Bajgain.
Mero pani haina ra yo desh
Prakash Saput consistently comes up with very new and innovative ideas for his music videos. They are poignant and relatable. True to form, the music video for his song ‘Mero pani haina ra yo desh’ (Does this country also belong to me?) is something that every Nepali would relate to.
The setting of the video is a musical reality show where Prakash Saput along with his group introduce themselves as anagrik (non-citizens). Those non-citizens belong to various groups and communities and they express their grievances through their collective performance.
The music video features various artists, including actors Bholaraj Sapkota
Ram Bhajan Kamat, Kuldeep Adhikari and Rabin Tamang.
Urgen ko Ghoda
Urgen ko Ghoda is a rap song by Urgen Moktan. The music video is filmed in Manang, the remote hilly district in central Nepal. The music video, which features the rapper himself, transports one to the exotic landscapes of the Manang highlands. The video, of course, features the eponymous Urgen riding his horse, coupled with his ambitious versemaking.
The music video premiered on June 18 is directed by Rooster and produced by BoiOnKit.
Relko bato
The music video of Relko bato tells about a reality that many people from remote and the Himalayas live with. It shows the hardships of people from the areas which still lack the basic facility of road and transportation.
This music video comes at a time when the government has announced plans to build a railway track in different parts of the country, but there are also people who are dying and compelled to risk their life due to lack of proper roads and transportation facilities.
It is recommended that our policymakers and leaders watch this music video and be aware of the sufferings of people who are denied even the very basic facilities.
The music video is directed by Laxman Sunar and it stars GB Chiran (Chiranjibi Sapkota), Saraswati Khatri and Laxman Devkota. Sung by Suraj Pandit.
Suchana! Suchana!! Suchana!!!
Suchana! Suchana!! Suchana!!! is a song by the rock band Albatross. Its music video portrays a story of a lad who roams around different places for a photowalk. There he observes the agony of different working-class people and the inhumanity that exists in our society. He gets anxious seeing them and starts to help all those sufferers he encounters during his walk.
The music video, directed by Gaurav Ayer, features Prajwol Aryal, Guddu, Rohan Karki, Binod Karki, Sunil Gautam, Subhadra Aryal, Alina Shrestha, and Prasanna Aryal.
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