Dharmaraj Thapa: Singing for a cause
Published in The Kathmandu Post in 1996
For nearly five decades, the son of a farmer has defined the voice of Nepal with his magical poetic outpour, a style that blends with traditional folk song and contemporary thoughtso effortlessly that it has sometimes worked as a miracle.
Born in Batulechaur, Pokhara valley seventy two years ago, Dharmaraj Thapa seems to be only poet who has traveled extensively to promote Nepali folk songs and poetry in every nook and corner of Nepal. His chief contribution lay in the revival of many folk rhythms which he collected by undertaking long journeys to different corners of the country and India where there are settlement of the Nepali speaking people.
Brought up among Gaine who are like the troubadours, jongleurs or bards of medieval Europe, he was inspired by their capacity to deliver songs spontaneously.” As I was born and brought in such a place which has begotten poets like Lekhnath Poudyal and other philosophers, it was obvious for me to be inspired by them,” Dharmaraj Thapa says with pride.
As a poet, his first debut was in Udhyog with a poem called Kuwa(Pond). It was followed by the presentation of poetry and songs in the Radio Nepal in 1948.
He says he is proud of himself as he has a rare combination of a sweet voice for singing and talent in writing poems.
Folk songs cover a wide gamut of subjects from narration of stories to the outpour of deep feelings of pathos, love, anguish or longing. It is ,in fact, a spontaneous outpour of feeling. “ Unlike classical music, folk music is not based on mathematics, thought it has rhythm and melody,” he says.
Seeing the poor state of Nepali folk music and songs, he says the people seldom take the incentives to collect and preserve folk culture of Nepal. “ During my prime youth, I traveled fare and wide and collected folk songs, got them published and even opened Nepal Lok Geet Sangralaya for promotion of folk songs. For this, I even staged a play in verse Bhoolay ka Chainna(Not Forgotten) in Darjeeling,” he recalls.
Even at his early days in Pokhara as a small boy, he used to read Bhanu Bhkta’s Ramayana, poems of Motiram Bhatta and Lal Bahadur’s Manalahari and Premlahari(collection of poems published from Darjeeling). “These books greatly influenced me in my later life and inspired me to write poems and songs.”
1952 is the year that he never forgets in his life. He was with Gorkhapatra Sanstha as a Mukiya(equivalent to assistant clerk) and was a member of low paid stadd association. Because of his involvement in the association which demanded a hike in their salary, he was sacked by the Sansthan and put him behind the bar for 30 days. He was released only after late King Tribuvan intervented into the matter. The bitter memory of jail did not deter him from writing. Instead, late King Mahendra conferred upon him the title of Janakavi Keshri(People’ Poet) and Birthday Award. He was then sent to China in a cultural team along with Bala Krishna Sama, Bal Chandra Sharma and Chitadhar Hridaya. “ The six songs that I sang in China are still playing on the Beijing Radio,” he says.
In 1959, he was elected president of Nepali Progressive Writers’ Association and following year he was nominated by late King Mahendra as the Manager of folk song department in Radio Nepal. He wrote Mangali Kusum in 1968 and received Manad Puruskar the same year. In the same year, he also received Indra Rajya Laxmi Award., followed by nomination in the Royal Nepal Academy as Associate Member the following year.
Recalling his past experience, he said that he was received very well in Assam and Megalaya. They organized reception and functions to honour him which he vividely remembers till today. Dr. Bhupendra Hajarika, an Assam writer and music director who later on received Dada Palkhe Award, India’s most prestigious award in the field of cinema, also spoke highly of him.
“In Darjeeling, I was welcomed by Parasmani Pradhan, Ram Krishna Sharma, Deo Prakash Rai(the then MLA, West Bengal), Deo Kumari Sinha and others. I was really moved by their reception,” he recounts. “In Kurseong, the Member of Parliament(Upper House) Maya Devi Chettri, Jagat Naryan Pradhan and Shiva Kumar Raid( then Deputy Labour Minister, West Bengal) hosted a big reception and honoured me by giving an opportunity to inaugurate a school there,” he says.
“ But, alas! Nobody cares about us here in Nepal. People here should learn how to honour litterateurs from Darjeeling and Assam,” he laments.
In Darjeeling, a Bengali gentleman called Pritam published Koseli(Present), his collection of songs in 1953. With the request o Late Ram Krishna Sharma, a great critic who later become the justice of West Bengal High Court, he wrote the preface to his poetry collection Balidan(Sacrific) and so did for Late Shiva Kumar Rai’s poetry book, Dafaychari.
Among his 26 books, Ban Charao(The Forest Bird) appeared in 1946 followed by Ratna Juneli(The Moonlit Gem), Pahari Sangeet(The music of the hills) the same year, and Kali ko Lahar(Waves of Kali river) in 1951. The account og hid journey, Mero NepalBhraman(My Journey in Nepal) published in 1958 is based on his folk song collection tour to different parts of Nepal.
Everlasting songs written and sung by Dharmaraj Thapa that still echo in every nook and corner of Nepal are Hamro Tenzing Sherpalay, Nepalilay Maya maro Barilai, Homalay Ho, Jham Jham Paralyee etc. These songs were recorded in HMV Company Calcutta.
Apart from the description of Himalayan beauty, the flora and fauna of Nepal, his songs and poetry have an outstanding imaginative and artistic quality that raises them above the banal level of ordinary songs.
“The government has recently nominated me as a life member of the Royal Nepal Academy without fulfilling proper formalities and this has placed me in a an odd position amidst the younger generations,” he says.
He has reservations about modern Nepali music. Commenting on the present situation of Nepali folk music, he says that Hindi film songs have a very adverse effect on Nepali folk music.
To keep his work and contribution alive, his family has just established Janakavi Kesari Dharmaraj Savitri thapa guthi which will given an award and a purse of Rs. 12,000 every year to folk singer, researcher and promoters of Nepali folk music.
For nearly five decades, the son of a farmer has defined the voice of Nepal with his magical poetic outpour, a style that blends with traditional folk song and contemporary thoughtso effortlessly that it has sometimes worked as a miracle.
Born in Batulechaur, Pokhara valley seventy two years ago, Dharmaraj Thapa seems to be only poet who has traveled extensively to promote Nepali folk songs and poetry in every nook and corner of Nepal. His chief contribution lay in the revival of many folk rhythms which he collected by undertaking long journeys to different corners of the country and India where there are settlement of the Nepali speaking people.
Brought up among Gaine who are like the troubadours, jongleurs or bards of medieval Europe, he was inspired by their capacity to deliver songs spontaneously.” As I was born and brought in such a place which has begotten poets like Lekhnath Poudyal and other philosophers, it was obvious for me to be inspired by them,” Dharmaraj Thapa says with pride.
As a poet, his first debut was in Udhyog with a poem called Kuwa(Pond). It was followed by the presentation of poetry and songs in the Radio Nepal in 1948.
He says he is proud of himself as he has a rare combination of a sweet voice for singing and talent in writing poems.
Folk songs cover a wide gamut of subjects from narration of stories to the outpour of deep feelings of pathos, love, anguish or longing. It is ,in fact, a spontaneous outpour of feeling. “ Unlike classical music, folk music is not based on mathematics, thought it has rhythm and melody,” he says.
Seeing the poor state of Nepali folk music and songs, he says the people seldom take the incentives to collect and preserve folk culture of Nepal. “ During my prime youth, I traveled fare and wide and collected folk songs, got them published and even opened Nepal Lok Geet Sangralaya for promotion of folk songs. For this, I even staged a play in verse Bhoolay ka Chainna(Not Forgotten) in Darjeeling,” he recalls.
Even at his early days in Pokhara as a small boy, he used to read Bhanu Bhkta’s Ramayana, poems of Motiram Bhatta and Lal Bahadur’s Manalahari and Premlahari(collection of poems published from Darjeeling). “These books greatly influenced me in my later life and inspired me to write poems and songs.”
1952 is the year that he never forgets in his life. He was with Gorkhapatra Sanstha as a Mukiya(equivalent to assistant clerk) and was a member of low paid stadd association. Because of his involvement in the association which demanded a hike in their salary, he was sacked by the Sansthan and put him behind the bar for 30 days. He was released only after late King Tribuvan intervented into the matter. The bitter memory of jail did not deter him from writing. Instead, late King Mahendra conferred upon him the title of Janakavi Keshri(People’ Poet) and Birthday Award. He was then sent to China in a cultural team along with Bala Krishna Sama, Bal Chandra Sharma and Chitadhar Hridaya. “ The six songs that I sang in China are still playing on the Beijing Radio,” he says.
In 1959, he was elected president of Nepali Progressive Writers’ Association and following year he was nominated by late King Mahendra as the Manager of folk song department in Radio Nepal. He wrote Mangali Kusum in 1968 and received Manad Puruskar the same year. In the same year, he also received Indra Rajya Laxmi Award., followed by nomination in the Royal Nepal Academy as Associate Member the following year.
Recalling his past experience, he said that he was received very well in Assam and Megalaya. They organized reception and functions to honour him which he vividely remembers till today. Dr. Bhupendra Hajarika, an Assam writer and music director who later on received Dada Palkhe Award, India’s most prestigious award in the field of cinema, also spoke highly of him.
“In Darjeeling, I was welcomed by Parasmani Pradhan, Ram Krishna Sharma, Deo Prakash Rai(the then MLA, West Bengal), Deo Kumari Sinha and others. I was really moved by their reception,” he recounts. “In Kurseong, the Member of Parliament(Upper House) Maya Devi Chettri, Jagat Naryan Pradhan and Shiva Kumar Raid( then Deputy Labour Minister, West Bengal) hosted a big reception and honoured me by giving an opportunity to inaugurate a school there,” he says.
“ But, alas! Nobody cares about us here in Nepal. People here should learn how to honour litterateurs from Darjeeling and Assam,” he laments.
In Darjeeling, a Bengali gentleman called Pritam published Koseli(Present), his collection of songs in 1953. With the request o Late Ram Krishna Sharma, a great critic who later become the justice of West Bengal High Court, he wrote the preface to his poetry collection Balidan(Sacrific) and so did for Late Shiva Kumar Rai’s poetry book, Dafaychari.
Among his 26 books, Ban Charao(The Forest Bird) appeared in 1946 followed by Ratna Juneli(The Moonlit Gem), Pahari Sangeet(The music of the hills) the same year, and Kali ko Lahar(Waves of Kali river) in 1951. The account og hid journey, Mero NepalBhraman(My Journey in Nepal) published in 1958 is based on his folk song collection tour to different parts of Nepal.
Everlasting songs written and sung by Dharmaraj Thapa that still echo in every nook and corner of Nepal are Hamro Tenzing Sherpalay, Nepalilay Maya maro Barilai, Homalay Ho, Jham Jham Paralyee etc. These songs were recorded in HMV Company Calcutta.
Apart from the description of Himalayan beauty, the flora and fauna of Nepal, his songs and poetry have an outstanding imaginative and artistic quality that raises them above the banal level of ordinary songs.
“The government has recently nominated me as a life member of the Royal Nepal Academy without fulfilling proper formalities and this has placed me in a an odd position amidst the younger generations,” he says.
He has reservations about modern Nepali music. Commenting on the present situation of Nepali folk music, he says that Hindi film songs have a very adverse effect on Nepali folk music.
To keep his work and contribution alive, his family has just established Janakavi Kesari Dharmaraj Savitri thapa guthi which will given an award and a purse of Rs. 12,000 every year to folk singer, researcher and promoters of Nepali folk music.
posted by Sarad @ 8:09 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home