Udesh Shrestha's Rahasya

Udesh Shrestha had released his second solo album 'Rahasya' about five months and now he is already working on the third tentatively titled 'Rahasya Vol II'. He mentions that he will be releasing it within three months time, for which he has already started working on the details. He says, "So far, I have recorded five songs! They are called "Pagal Banayou Malai", "Timi Bina Garo", "Jiundo Manche", "Ma Ta Haarharu" and "Nachocha Timi". This album will be in the market under the label of Reeyaz Music Company. My last album was also released from the same company. After the recording is over, we will start working on a music video as well as on the promotion of this album," further adding, "As soon as we are done with the promotional activities of 'Rahasya Vol II', we intend to go back to 'Rahasya' and make a new video from it. Then on, we will promote both the albums together." That is quite a strategy!

Besides all this, he has also been contributing for a collection album titled 'Speed' by DJ Yuva. I have sung a number called "Timilai Chahera" and "Naam Leyera". Both the songs have been visualized. The former one is already released and the latter one is going through some editing." According to information provided by him, he has also sung in an album -- 'Rap Game' -- by Aago Jwala who resides in the UK but is in the country at the moment. "'Rewind II' is scheduled to hit the stands shortly and I might sing in this album as well. Talks are going on!"

Pramod Kharel…New Kid On The Block

Aspiring and talented new artist Pramod Kharel is all geared up to release his second solo album very soon. His first album 'Prapti' released some two years back did receive lukewarm response with the song "Lagcha Timi Sagar Sari" doing the rounds frequently at various countdowns.

He informs us that this second album will be in the music stands under the label of Dhaulagiri Cassette Centre. "I had made up my mind to name this album 'Realize' but an astrologer suggested that I name the album with the initial 'S'. Hence, I have still not been able to figure out the name!" Any suggestions?

Because he had an infection to his throat, he relates that he was not able to release this album much earlier. "I took my own time to prepare this album and during all this while I didn’t do any stage shows as such. In fact, I won't be signing at any shows till 2063 BS is over!" confirms Pramod.

On his previous album, he had just incorporated adhunik songs with a touch of classical flavor. However, this time round, he has worked on "total melodious numbers". "I have eight songs on it and each one of them is different from the other. The songs are of high pitch and have a base of classical but are presented in a ‘westernized format’. (Whatever that means) Most probably, this album will be released by the first week of Falgun and together with it, a music video will also be premiered. The song is called "Bacheko Thiye" and will be directed by Alok Nembang. The shooting of this video is scheduled to happen very shortly!"

Ash-Abhishek's wedding plans

A classical singer from Varanasi is currently on an extended practice session these days in preparation for the most talked about marriage of Bollywood couple Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.

Channulal Mishra said that he has been invited by Amitabh Bachchan to perform at Abhishek's wedding.

"Amithabh Bachchan said that he wanted to organise a programme on the occasion of the wedding of Abhishek and Aishwarya. He said the date for the wedding was not fixed, but I have come to know that it will be sometime in March," Mishra said.

Families of Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai on Monday said that both had got engaged at a private ceremony. Abhishek reportedly placed a diamond ring on Aishwarya's finger.

Speculation of a formal link gained ground after both families visited several temples to pray for them, as their stars were reportedly not in harmony.

Reports of an impending marriage were earlier fuelled after Ajitabh Bachchan, the younger brother of Amitabh, who met a Bangalore based astrologer Chandrashekhar Swami, to see if the couple's horoscopes matched.

The planets also seem to be blessing the couple. They were declared to be perfect by matched by the astrologer.

Abhishek was earlier engaged to Bollywood star Karisma Kapoor in 2002, but the marriage was called off for unexplained reasons. Abhishek (30) and Aishwarya (33) have starred together in Hindi films like Dhai Akshar Prem Ke, Kuch Na Kaho, Umrao Jaan and Dhoom II as also Mani Ratnam's "Guru". Aishwarya, who has acted in over 40 films, was crowned Miss World in 1994. Abhishek too has acted in about 40 films.

Welcome Back Deepak Thapa

After the overwhelming success of the yesteryear hit "Bidesh Janey mayalu Timilai" (Included in the Collection album 'Avisekh' and released way back in 1995), Deepak Thapa seemed to have got rid of his microphone. The song became an instant hit and a regular chart topper. People waited anxiously for more music from him. However, he wished not to make anymore music and was even considered ‘a one hit wonder’!

We decided to talk to him and he shares that he is a "busy man" these days. He admits, "I have been tied up in doing guitar works and music arrangements. On an average I do about 22 guitar takes everyday. The entire day I am busy with it and in the evenings, I am engrossed in doing music arrangements especially for new artists." He also cares to share that he is planning to release his solo album very shortly. "This album will feature songs from my previous album 'Avisekh' along with some other songs. The songs that I have chosen from 'Avisekh' are "Bidesh Janey Mayalu Timilai", "Tesaile Mayalu", "Mera Nayanka Sagar" and "Timi Mero Maya Bani". Since I have a hectic schedule, I can't say right now when this album will be released. One thing which is definite is that I will release it some day soon since my family and my friends are keen to see me do it. I too want to go ahead as soon as I can take the time out to do so." states Deepak.

The Shadows Still In A Limbo

Everyone is aware of the fact that the band 'The Shadows' have been changing their members constantly! However, it was just a few months back that they had settled down with new members and this time round everyone of us were pretty sure that they would stick with the lineup. After the changes, they had even toured some parts of Nepal.

It seems that 'The Shadows' have the habit of confusing all of us or is this some kind of a publicity stunt? Information now has it that the previous band members (Amit and Prakash Rasaily. Prakash on lead guitar was first replaced by Regan Tuladhar and then by Sunny Manandhar and Amit on the bass was replaced by Aman Tamrakar) who left the band and went to Australia for further studies have in fact not left the band but is still very much making music together. Prakash who is now is Sydney says, "Though we are abroad, we are still making music and working for the benefit of 'The Shadows'. In fact, Amit (who is now in Melbourne) and I have been composing music for 'The Shadows' upcoming third album”. Amit and I meet occasionally and we have been practicing together for this upcoming album."

For a better insight into the matter, we tried to contact the band manager of 'The Shadows' -- Rupesh Sen. His mobile was switched off and when we tried to contact Swopnil (vocalist), he was not reachable. We shall keep trying though and will definitely update you on further developments.

MUTU POLCHA....

Mutu Polcha (New Version)
(World Premiere)
Playby Feat. Amir Deula
Video: Uday Sijapati
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Anil Singh Makes A 2007 Headstart

Lately, Anil Singh has been keeping a low profile and he reasons that he chose to do so because of his involvement in his own personal affairs and work related to his fourth album. He says, "In 2006, I really was very inactive concerning my music. However, now I am back in business and very shortly I shall resume my work…my music!"

True to what he is saying, he will be leaving for India sometime during the second week of January for a concert in Shillong and Gauhati. Altogether, he has three solo programs fixed for which the dates have already been finalized. The first event is going to kick-start on January 28 followed by another one on January 29. The date for the last program has not been worked on as yet, as per information provided by Anil himself.

Besides this, he has also completed the recording of his fourth album. He informs, "There are altogether 10 songs on it, each of it varies from the other, and I did so as an experiment. The beats range from fast to slow, sentimental to funky and techno to hip-hop. As of now, talks regarding its release is going on with Music.com but nothing has been decided yet on paper. Anything can happen in the last moment and I may or may not release this album under the label of Music.com!" just to let you know his previous album 'Priyatama' was released under the banner of Samjhana Audio Video (SAV).

Butwal Gets Its Share Of Music

After entertaining the fans at the Industrial Trade Fare, Butwal, together with other well known artists, Hemanta Sharma is now in Rajapur, Bardia. Today, he shall be performing at a solo event organized by Lucky Dance Centre scheduled at Rajapur. Local artists from Bardia will also be sharing the limelight with him. "This is the first time that an event of this magnitude has been organized here," states Hemanta. He will be coming back to the capital on January 7.

Giving us more details of his earlier program held at Butwal he says, "Around 40,000 people attended the show on the day of the programs. The other artists who performed at this event with me were Suresh Adhikari, Badri Pangeni, Bhagwan Bhandari and Purushottam Neupane." He further informs, "Sugam Pokharel and Kamal Man Singh will be the highlights of the shows today and tomorrow at the Industrial Trade Fair. Sources from Butwal say that organizers are planning more events of this nature in the near future because of the tremendous response that they have received so far.

Maya Meri Maya, once again....

According to yesteryear pop star Sanjay Shrestha, veteran filmmaker Deepak Rayamajhi is all set to make a movie titled 'Maya Meri Maya'. Shedding more light on the matter, he states that the title of this movie has been taken from his song "Maya Meri Maya", which was a very popular song during its time. He says, "This flick is going to be directed and produced by Deepak Rayamajhi. One of the songs in this movie is going to be the same track i.e. "Maya Meri Maya" and the rest of the numbers will be composed by me." "Maya Meri Maya is a song included in the first album of Sanjaya Shrestha -- 'Mode'.

Recently, Sanjay has completed the composition for Raju Shah's movie 'Sapana Ko Naulo Sansar' and for Sovit Basnet's new movie. He mentions that his sixth album 'Timi Bina' under the name of 'Crossroads' will be released sometime during April this year; being released after a gap of five years. His last album was 'Jau Timi Jau'. "I am hopeful that today's youth are going to love the songs on 'Timi Bina' since I have incorporated music that they go for! The delay in the release of 'Timi Bina' is because I was busy with my personal work." shares Sanjay.

Since 1992, Sanjay has been releasing albums with the name of his one time band 'Crossroads'. A decade has already passed by since 'Crossroads' disbanded but Sanjay still prefers to use the name 'Crossroads'. When we asked him the reason for tagging the name Crossroads with his new music, he mentions, "The band members of 'Crossroads' as well as the band introduced me to the Music industry of Nepal. Now, though the band does not exist, I still have the sentiments and the emotional attachment to it. People do recognize me as an individual but I want the 'Crossroads' to be remembered for a long time. There was a time when I had thought of adding new members to the band and hit the road but so far nothing has been worked out!"

Babu Bogati Hits The Small Screen…Once Again

There was a time when singer Babu Bogati made frequent appearances on various tele-serials. However, a couple of years back he decided to quit acting in soaps and concentrated only in his music.

According to the man himself, these days he is again busy with the shoots since December 24…no, not for a music video but for a serial to be broadcast on Kantipur Television. Yes! He is doing a serial called 'Sanskar' directed by Resh Raj Acharya. He says, "I decided to get into it since the storyline is good and it revolves around the life of an artist. It is a family drama and my character in it is that of a singer."

'Sanskar' is scheduled to be broadcast sometime during the first week of Magh and will last for 52 episodes. The actors also showcasing their talents opposite to him are Shaujanya Subba and Nisha Adhikari.

Ash-Abhishek to marry on Feb 19?

Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai are set to tie knot on February 19. Thats's the big news doing round in Bollywood these days.

According to sources, Bachchans' family astrologer has given the nod for ceremony soon after the release of their new film Guru. According to him Feb 19 is the ideal time for the couple to wed, as Rai's celestial planetary position will become compatible.

The wedding reception will be held in Mumbai at the Santacruz Hyatt and the who’s who of bollywood will attend the event. Neeta Lulla and Anna Singh will design the wedding dress for Ash and Abhishek respectively.

Sources claim that Ash and Abhi recently made an announcement at a friend’s party that they would be tying the knot, however the media will not be allowed to get an inside peak at one of the most happening events of bollywood.

In the meanwhile Ash will accompany Abhishek Bachchan and family for Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Nepathya Tour

Nepal's leading folk rock band 'Nepathya' is all set to make their traditional tour of the Nation again. This time they will be touring to 15 places during a span of 40 straight days. "It feels great to be reaching to our fans and well wishers around the country again. Nepal beyond Kathmandu has always been dear to me," says Amrit Gurung, front man / lead vocalist of the Band.

As in the past, this time too 'Nepathya' is associating themselves with a social cause. "Giving continuity to Nepathya's past association, this time too, 'Nepathya' will be speaking for the children of the Nation." adds Kiran Krishna Shrestha, team leader of nepa~laya, the organisers of the tour and managers of 'Nepathya'. As in the past years, 2002 and 2004, the tour will be called – Nepathya "Education for Peace" Tour 2063 as well.

"As peace has prevailed, we thought of advocating another theme – but having recently travelled to places in the nation and visited many community schools all over, I felt - children in schools and the education sector still need an encouraging voice. Children are still vulnerable to political and other exploitations. Thus, we decided to continue with our slogan – Education for Peace." justifies Amrit. "Children in schools should not be used for any objectives by any groups. They are like tender buds – let them blossom freely and they shall be creating a better and peaceful New Nepal." he adds.

The entourage is set to leave Kathmandu on December 21and will be back for the final show in Kathmandu scheduled for January 31.

The tour will take them through Narayanghat, Damak, Dhankuta, Lahan, Hetauda, Butwal, Dhangadi, Surkhet, Sandhikharka, Tamghas, Pokhara, Besi Sahar, Trisuli Bazaar, Jiri, and then finally wind up in the Capital.

"In addition to regular ticket bearing audience, we have also made arrangements to reach audiences who have been deprived of such access to entertainment due to social, physical or financial reasons." explains Kiran Shrestha.

"Our shows which include Shantiko lagi Sikchya Tour in 2002 and 2004 and Sundar Shanta Nepal during 2003 and 2005, have always been well appreciated by people all over. We expect similar cooperation and support from all to make this National event a success." requests Kiran.

After two rounds of visit to all these places, nepa~laya had decided on the local organisers, which mainly include community educational institutes, and local social organisations. This time too, major proceedings from the ticket sales will be contributed to local welfare purposes through local organisers.

'Nepathya' has been working strongly with various social sectors during the past. It is also known as the most earthy and social Nepali band of recent times.

"During the past year, we have performed in many events both here and abroad, but reaching out to our own people is always a moment I crave for. I really look forward to the tour." says the humble front man of the band, Amrit.

Avinash Ghising Doing It His Style

Avinash Ghising has been pretty busy lately traveling around various villages and compiling folk songs. He intends to incorporate them in his upcoming album 'Hill Area' after reworking on them. On December 15, he came back from his trip to Solukhumbhu and seems to be happy with his efforts so far.

He had made a similar trip to Solukhumbhu with the same objective sometime back as well and since those numbers have already been recorded, he decided to go there again to get some more tunes. "I want to give something new to my listeners and wish to do something different. Not only that, I want to give continuity to the trend of traveling around and getting different tunes and that is why I went to Solukhumbhu," informs Avinash.

These days, we have been hearing many rap songs from him and he cares to mention that this time round he will be singing melody songs as well. "I have always liked singing rap songs and besides that I have also preferred going for melody numbers. So better late than never… I have decided to go for it too!" states Avinash further adding, "I was in Solukhumbhu for a week and the melodies that I have collected shall be incorporated in an R & B flavor."

'Hill Area' will hit the market under the label of Music.Com. Giving us more details on the project he says, "We do want the best to happen to 'Hill Area' and we have invested quite a lot on this venture. For a song, I have worked with three different arrangers and the one that satisfies me the most shall be the final on to hit the stands." Great Going Avinash!

Sudip Giri…Taking It All In His Stride

Everything untoward that happens in the life of a celebrity has to happen to Sudip Giri! Whether this is a coincidence or whether his fate, is a thing that he has been pondering upon for quite a while now. It is not that other artists have not faced any hardships in their day-to-day lives. The only difference is that Sudip shares them with us and we are more than happy to listen to him and his grievances. What a relation!

A few weeks back, Sudip along with Nalina Chitrakar, Pramod Nirwan, Ram Chandra Kafle and Poozana Pradhan were touring Dhangadi, Mahendranagar and Tikapur for a concert. Now, although the tour is over Sudip still can't stop talking about this trip. He states, "This is the worst event that I have ever been associated with. Sorry to say but the management was pathetic and very indecent. Let me also reveal the organizer's name! He is called Topendra Kunwar. When the event ended, he did not pay us the amount that we had initially agreed upon. You know what he did! During the entire journey, he was the one who was driving which was fine with us but he was driving so recklessly that he nearly killed us. I am not exaggerating…believe me…he nearly killed us! Thank God! Nothing happened! The only good thing that happened during that entire tour was that the concert was a huge success and I am happy about it." Further adding he shares, "I don't know but I was not able to connect with the people there. This has never happened to me before! "

In another related story, he has changed his mobile number. Why? (No prizes for guessing it right) It is because of the disturbing calls that he has been getting from some crazy fans telling him that they would commit suicide or inflict some sort of injury to themselves. We are short of words of advise for Sudip…the only thing that we can say is…you have a peaceful life…This may be the price that one has to pay for being one of the most sought after musicians in the country today.

Rajesh Payal Rai's Khas Ta

Khas ta
(World Premiere)
Rajesh Payal Rai
Video: Deep
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Abhaya and the Steam Injuns

Recently 'Abhaya and the Steam Injuns' came back after their ten day tour of Gangtok, Darjeeling and Namchi. Sharing the limelight with them was none other than Sabin Rai. They say that the tour was "simply good".

It was nearly two years back that 'Abhaya and the Steam Injuns' had released their debut album. They say that they have already completed the compilation of songs for their second venture for which the recoding will begin very soon. They promise that they shall not take much time in the recording process. "On February, we have a Hong Kong tour and as soon as we are back, we plan to release the new album," mentions Abhaya.

"It is not at all going to be the same! The specialty of our new album is that we have four songs written by poet Viplob Prateek. We love those songs to the core and we are very much excited to reveal those numbers to our listeners. We also believe that to get his creations is a plus point for us and our album!" Later she adds, "Our first album did incorporate rock, hip-hop and rap numbers among other flavors of music. However, the rock songs became more popular since we had visualized those numbers. Sad to say but the impact that those songs had in people was that we are a rock band. Here, I need to declare that we are not only good in singing rock numbers but we are equally good in singing other genre of music. Dot not typecast as a rock band! We want to be known as musicians who deliver quality music and we are here to make a difference in the Music industry of Nepal." Well…that was loud and clear. We got your message and hope everyone does it as well!

Sallu bullied by Don's name!

Salman Khan is in trouble again. This time he is charged with threatening people by using underworld gangster Chhota Shakeel's name. As a result he has been asked to reopot at Mumbai Police Crime Branch cell.

The actor will also be interrogated today by Unit 1 of Crime Branch in the Bharat Shah case.

While Sallu was away, his father Salim Khan told a leading daily that he is not aware of Salman being summoned and have received no intimation so far.

"I have nothing to do with this case so am not aware of its details,” he adds.

Salman has cancelled his visit to South Africa, for which he was supposed to leave tomorrow.

New Nepali Music Video

Darjeeling Sahar
Thupten Bhutia

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Euta Chitthi - The Axe (World Primiere)

Euta Chitthi
The Axe
(World Primiere)

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Ash-Hrithik kiss was obscene?

A court here today extended the date to January four in a case filed against Bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai and actor Hrithik Roshan for allegedly performing an obscene scene in the film Dhoom-2.

The case was filed in the court of judicial magistrate first class (JMFC) R K Batham by the advocate Shailendra Dwivedi under section 292 (vulgarity) and 509 (derogatory to women) of the IPC.

The court today extended the date in the case to January four for recording statement of the complainant.

The complainant advocate has alleged that women felt offended with the obscene scene and it has promoted vulgarity in the society, especilly among the youths.