Ensemble NIGHT

• World Music

The landscape of Nepal stretches from tropical plains to the icy, sublime peaks of the Himalayas. Its music possesses a similarly exciting diversity. The Ensemble NIGHT brings out these hidden treasures located between rural folklore, Indian echoes and spiritual colouring.
The quintet was formed in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu in 2006 by singer and multi-instrumentalist Jason Kunwar. After an initial phase as a metal band, the musicians decided to explore and preserve the cultural cosmos of the country’s more than 100 ethnic groups and languages. Accompanied by intensive field research trips to remote villages, they have developed a repertoire in which old songs and almost lost instruments come back into play. These include the paluwa flute made from fresh leaves, the three-stringed sarangi covered with sheepskin, and the Tamang stringed instrument known as the tungna.

The ensemble also writes new songs based on its deep understanding of traditional music. This »new school folk« tells of spirituality as well as depicting the hardships of life in the countryside. The ensemble also documents its work on film – giving Nepal an opportunity to pass on its exciting heritage to future generations and to the world at large.

PERFORMERS

Ensemble NIGHT ensemble

Jason Kunwar sarangi, bamboo flutes, piwancha, vocals

Niraj Shakya tungna, murchunga

Sudhir Acharya madal, dhime, nagara, tyamko, chatkauli

Shiva Kumar Khatri paluwa flute, vocals

Sugama Gautam vocals

PROGRAM

»Musical Journey Through the Himalayas«