Traditional music and dance
With more than fifty ethnic groups on its territory, Nepalese traditional music is above all that of its different communities. Although its origin is impossible to date, the Maithili music is undoubtedly one of the oldest in Nepal (or even South Asia). Originally from the Mithila region - now divided between India and Nepal - it has become much more modern and deals with very common themes of life. For the Tamang community, the music consecrates the damphu, a traditional percussion close to the tambourine. It is the latter as well as the tungna - a small plucked string instrument - that accompany the Tamang Selo, the community's very lively music. The genre is carried by two stars, Hira Devi Waiba (194-2011), the pioneer, and her daughter Nanveet Aditya Waiba, who continues to keep the family heritage alive. Nepal is also home to Newa music, the all-percussion and wind instrument tradition of the Newar community, whose roots can be traced back to classical Hindu and Buddhist music. A great voice of the genre was Narayan Gopal (1939-1990), one of Nepal's most influential musicians. The Gai Jatra celebrations, held every year in August, are a good opportunity to hear Newa music and dances. Among the Gurungs, a Himalayan ethnic group, resists the old tradition of the rodhi, a sort of singles club where young people meet by singing and dancing to folk songs. It is also here that we find dances such as the centuries-old ghantu, performed by young virgin girls in the hope of good harvests. Also from the Himalayas, the Limbu (also called Yakthung) also practice a variety of dances such as the dhan naach ("paddy dance") or the dhol nach ("drum dance") accompanied by the chyabrung, a typical percussion instrument. The region is also famous for the Sakela, its biggest festival, where a ritual dance of the same name is performed by large groups and relates the relationship between man and nature. The folklore of the Magars is also worth mentioning, with singular music and dances such as the salaijo or the famous Maruni dance, which is ritual, highly codified and accompanied by instruments such as the madal, a typical percussion instrument, and the macheta
, brass cymbals. In the country, a few addresses program shows - especially for tourists - offering beautiful panoramas of Nepalese music and dances. Among them, the "discovery evenings" at the Thamel House Restaurant in Kathmandu are distinguished by their consistent quality.Popular music
A Nepalese genre par excellence, dohori generally sees a man and woman duet singing in the form of questions and answers (the term dohori
actually means "coming and going") and offers a great deal of improvisation (which means that the pieces can sometimes stretch out a lot). Although it originated in rural Nepal, it can now be heard throughout the country and in the Nepalese diaspora. Meaning 'modern song', theadhunik geet is, as its name suggests, a more recent genre, which took shape in the 1950s. A mixture of folk music, ghazals (oriental poetry) and western influences,adhunik geet has been widely broadcast on state radio since the 1960s as it was instrumentalized by the state in its policy of promoting Nepali as the national language. The genre was immortalized by Aruna Lama, nicknamed the "Nightingale of the Hills", who is still considered one of the best singers in Nepalese music.
