Knowledge is Power, Work is Worship

V/A — Coronation Issue: Selected Nepalese Folk Songs & Tunes

I found this record at a shop in Munich. It's a collection of "folk songs" and "folk tunes" from Nepal, issued by the Shree Ratna Recording Corporation in 1975. Ratna Records was (and may still be) the state run recording and releasing arm of the national Radio Nepal.

I put folk songs and folk tunes in quotes, because the songs on this record and from the Ratna label in general aren't purely folk. It's not easy finding info about Nepalese music on the internet; what I have found is either in academese or very dry (though informative). General consensus from the sources is that Nepalese popular music in the 20th century, especially from the 50s and 60s onward, is a mixture of local folk musics with indian ragas and western music (both pop and classical).

These three forms mix perfectly to form a style wholly different. A lot of the instruments are either common to or borrowed from India—most notably the percussion used throughout this record. But the melodies are quite different from the Indian musics I've heard and are often played on western instruments: violin, organ, guitar, etc. I'm guessing the melodies are based on folk forms.

The closest comparison I can think of is Bayon, the east-German/Cambodian 70s krautish group. Especially my favorite song from the record: Prem Dhoj's "Yo Naniko Siraima" (Nepalese pop songs are titled by their first lyrics).

I have a few more 7" EPs from the Ratna label that are just as great. I will be posting them in the coming weeks. As well, one can find many Nepalese songs on the WNSO website, though most of the songs I've heard there are heavily synth-laced.