KATHMANDU: “Maybe we are not outdated but simply less heard in a time that moves too quickly.”
Singer and composer Deep Shrestha voiced this concern to the media after releasing his album Shrinkhala in 2002.
Much has changed since then. Complaining about songs not airing on radio or television no longer holds meaning. At least broadcasters once made editorial choices. Today, algorithms rule. This is the age of 10- to 60-second Reels, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok clips driven by catchy hooks. One swipe brings a song like Makai Bari Daryam Daryam, the next Katta Handinchhu.
Creators now face psychological pressure to seize attention within seconds or risk fading into obscurity. Song durations continue to shrink, while endless scrolling habits test our patience to sit with a melody for long. Speed has increased with time, but what about musical depth?
Poet and lyricist Shrawan Mukarung, known for Sun Re Siyaram and Rai Maila Le Gaun Chadyoo Re, questions whether the new generation is investing enough artistic effort and seriousness into music.
Veteran singer Gyanu Rana, who witnessed the golden era of modern Nepali music, echoes that concern. She recalls that songs once required a month of rehearsal. Today, she says, the patience, dedication, and sustained practice seem diminished. Rana is celebrated for classics such as Manchheko Maya Yaha and Sirima Siri Ni Kanchhi.
Singer and composer Swaroop Raj Acharya, active for three decades, observes a surge in songs crafted primarily to go viral. With social media shaping success, artists feel compelled to capture attention within 30 seconds. Naturally, music is being tailored to fit that demand.
In such an environment, pressing questions arise. Are meaningful songs still being created? Where has the melody gone? Where is the literary richness that once defined modern music? And where is the discipline and devotion that shaped the legacy of an earlier generation?
From top left: Shanti Thatal, Amber Gurung, Phatteman Rajbhandari, and Gopal Yonzon. Photo: YouTube
The very mention of modern Nepali music brings to mind the timeless, melodious works of legends such as Bachchu Kailash, Nati Kaji, Shiva Shankar Manandhar, Amber Gurung, Narayan Gopal, Manik Ratna, Prem Dhoj Pradhan, Phatteman Rajbhandari, Gopal Yonzon, Shanti Thatal, Aruna Lama, Tara Devi, Deep Shrestha, Bhakta Raj Acharya, and Dibya Khaling.
Modern music emerged as a distinct genre after the establishment of Radio Nepal in 1951. In its early years, radio programming relied heavily on Hindi songs and ghazals, leaving Nepali listeners with limited local options. Recording facilities were scarce, and artists often had to travel to Kolkata, India, resulting in very few Nepali gramophone records.
Prominent figures of that era included Ustad (an honorific title for an expert person in classical singing and instrumental playing). Seturam Shrestha, Mitrasen Thapa Magar, Melawa Devi Gurung, Ratna Das Prakash, and Ustad Saina Shrestha. Performers were required to appear in the studio and deliver live renditions.
Recording infrastructure improved significantly after the establishment of the Ratna Recording Institute in 1961 and the installation of a modern studio at Radio Nepal in 1968 or 1969. This period marked a creative high point for Nepali music. Beginning in fiscal year 1965, Radio Nepal also organized national song competitions, which played a crucial role in formally recognizing modern music as a separate genre.
Before modern music took shape, Nepal’s musical tradition was rooted primarily in oral transmission and classical forms. Modern music arose with expanded access to new technology. It was neither strictly classical nor purely folk. While Indian musical influence was natural, especially when recording had to be done in India, Nepali creators also felt a strong social and psychological drive to craft original compositions.
Singer and composer Ujjwal Sagar states that Radio Nepal’s songs significantly reduced the dominance of Hindi music in Nepal and helped establish modern music as a distinct genre, calling this a major achievement in itself.
Modern songs drew not only from Eastern classical and folk traditions but were also influenced by Rabindra Sangeet and Western music. Yet they developed a distinctly Nepali character. Composer and writer Aavaas, in his article The Melody of Nepali Music, argues that after Radio Nepal’s founding, artists increasingly sought originality, driven by emerging linguistic and ethnic consciousness that shaped questions of identity in their work.
Radio Nepal Studio. Photo: YouTube
An example of this cultural interplay was the banning in India of Nau Lakh Taara Udaaye, composed and sung by Amber Gurung with lyrics by Agam Singh Giri, and the subsequent invitation extended to Gurung by King Mahendra to come to Nepal.
Poet Bairagi Kainla, writing in the Amber Gurung Smritigrantha, observes that the new path poets were seeking in Nepali literature was something Gurung discovered through music. Professor and critic Abhi Subedi notes that Gurung’s most experimental period in music coincided with the phase when Nepali poets were exploring modernity in literature.
Modernity was entering literature and other art forms alongside music. The two principal centers of modern music were Kathmandu and Darjeeling, India. Over time, these parallel explorations merged. After Gurung’s arrival in Nepal, many of his disciples and fellow musicians followed, and through shared experimentation and craftsmanship, modern music evolved into a distinctive genre.
It was an era when singers, composers, lyricists, and instrumentalists gathered together to rehearse and perform, fostering creative exchange. Many enduring, high-quality songs emerged from this collaborative environment.
A collection of modern music cassettes
Composer Deepak Jangam, active for six decades, explains that the lifestyle, ideals, and goals of that time differed greatly from today, which shaped the outcomes. Known for songs such as ‘Gajalu Ti Thula Thula Aankha’ and ‘Yeti Dherai Maya Diyi,’ Jangam says music was once treated as a form of devotion, where earning meant recognition rather than profit, whereas today business drives the industry and the desire for instant hits dominates.
Composer and singer Kali Prasad Baskota says new purposes have entered music. Earlier, the main objective was to create a good song. Now, branding in a short time, earning money, and doing concerts have been added. He believes the time once devoted to creation is shrinking and sees the tendency to treat music like content creation as the core problem. According to him, the old legacy of modern music is already in crisis. The composer of Saili and Laija Re stresses that musicians must reconnect with literature, society, and socially aware individuals to produce high-quality work.
Modern and pop music CDs and cassettes. Photo Credit: Anil Sthapit
Singer Swaroop Raj Acharya also believes standards have declined as literature has drifted away from songs. He explains that modern music is defined by the union of melody and poetry, and listening to melody-oriented songs requires a calm body and mind. With technology accelerating consumption, that patience is fading. Personally, he says he remains committed to quality and continues to record an average of five songs a week. Musical trends, he adds, shift with socio-political change and technology, and artists must adapt without compromising standards or purpose.
Composer Jangam, who has worked across generations, says his output remains steady at about 20 to 25 works on average. He maintains that both senior and emerging artists are actively creating modern songs. Today, figures ranging from Deep Shrestha, Uday and Manila Sotang, Anju Panta, Satya Raj Acharya, Shiva Pariyar, and Pramod Kharel to Melina Rai, Ujjwal Sagar, Sujan Chapagain, Menuka Poudel, Asmita Adhikari, Rachana Rimal, Samikshya Adhikari, and Prabin Bedwal are engaged in the modern trend. Some songs become popular, yet broader evaluation of quality is rare, as media and social platforms focus mainly on hits.
From top left: Swaroop Raj Acharya, Anju Panta, Ujjwal Sagar, Banika Pradhan, Kali Prasad Baskota, and Melina Rai. Photo Courtesy: Artists/Facebook Page
After the end of Radio Nepal’s monopoly, the expansion of private FM stations and television in the mid-1990s helped audiences track new releases. Amid pop, rock, rap, and Dohori (a competitive Nepali folk genre featuring fast-paced, improvisational lyrical duets between male and female teams), modern music icons such as Phatteman Rajbhandari and Deep Shrestha produced enduring hits. Songs by Ram Krishna Dhakal, Yam Baral, Rajesh Payal Rai, Sharmila Bardewa, Sapana Shree, and Jagdish Samal resonated widely. The atmosphere even encouraged pop background artists like Karna Das of Madhhyanha and Bivek Shrestha of Kandara to release modern albums.
With digital media, dependence on traditional platforms declined, and piracy emerged as a challenge. Ujjwal Sagar considers another issue even more damaging: the growing practice of singing on tracks rather than performing live. He argues that carrying pen drives and performing to recorded tracks has weakened the modern tradition. Recently, the sector has become concert-oriented again, with many solo artists appearing alongside bands. Sagar, known for ‘Timi Khusi Ta Chhau Ni Bhana Na,’ has already held two concerts in Kathmandu this year and believes live performance is essential for revival. He says a well-composed song sung live with musicians and improvisation is more likely to remain in listeners’ memories.
For two decades, the program Paleti, run by Nepalaya under composer Aavaas, has promoted live modern music by featuring both new and established artists. Singer Gyanu Rana, who performed there last November at age 76, attributes the strength of earlier songs to live performance and believes the current generation lacks sufficient live singing ability.
Gyanu Rana performing at Nepalaya’s Paleti. Photo Courtesy: Nepalaya
Some people label modern music as Sugam Sangeet, often translated as ‘easy’ or ‘accessible music.’ Yet there is a growing sense that even this stream has struggled to carry the depth once associated with earlier modern compositions. Singer Swaroop Raj Acharya rejects the idea that Sugam simply means easy listening. “Sugam implies easy music, but it demands knowledge of classical, folk, jazz, and blues traditions,” said Acharya. “That is why the term ‘modern music’ feels more accurate.”
Fashion and music move in cycles. What appears new eventually fades, and what seems old returns in another form. From earlier remixes to today’s retro revival, music never fully detaches from its past. In that context, the question arises whether the modern music of yesterday is the same as that of today. “That was the modern music of yesterday’s generation,” said Acharya. “Whatever the current generation creates in its own way is what defines modern music today.” He added that the duty to create meaningful and lasting songs remains as strong for today’s musicians as it was for their predecessors.
From left: Harka Saud, Deepak Jangam, and Shrawan Mukarung
Composer Kali Prasad Baskota believes the very definition of the older modern trend is evolving. “Time keeps redefining music,” said Baskota. “The moment has come to interpret modern music within a new context.” He noted that earlier generations had limited musical sources, while today’s artists are exposed to global genres and naturally incorporate those influences into their work.
Lyricist Mukarung accepts that outside influence is inevitable but cautions against drifting away from Nepali musical traditions. “The new generation itself must take initiative to bridge the generation gap visible in music today,” said Mukarung.
Harka Saud, who has collaborated with younger singers and composers, argues that one defining trait of the modern tradition was giving songwriting its own respected space. He stresses that literary strength must not be neglected. “The previous generation created powerful works with layered, metaphorical language, melody, and vocal expression,” said Saud. “That is why those songs are still heard today.” At the same time, he observes that some contemporary songs resist clear classification. “Everyday speech is entering lyrics, but it is being used in unconventional ways,” said Saud.
Daami Music app. Photo Courtesy: Daami Music
Saud, known for writing songs such as Teenpatey and Unko Sweater, believes meaningful music is still being created, though in limited numbers. He compared such songs to a rare bird hidden in thick mist, easily overlooked unless amplified through Reels, YouTube Shorts, or TikTok.
This raises a deeper concern: how can music be evaluated if it is never truly heard? Modern music, in this sense, feels alive but faint, as though its pulse is growing weaker beneath the noise of aggressive promotion. In the past, Deep Shrestha had remarked that their songs were being played less frequently. Today, artists like Swaroop Raj Acharya and Ujjwal Sagar express a similar worry, saying their songs are being seen and heard less.
There remains hope that this period of transition will pass. Amid the surge of viral trends, songs rooted in melody and literature may yet find stable ground again and continue to inspire future generations. https://english.nepalnews.com/s/entertainment-lifestyle/modern-music-evolution-or-erosion/