On lost traditions, resilience, and leaf music: Q&A with Night

Q. How would you introduce the band for the UK audience?

NIGHT is a new-school Nepali folk band that focuses on using traditional and especially endangered Nepali instruments and tunes. Night is creating new sounds and reintroducing Nepali instruments to a contemporary audience.

Q. With your music you revive lost Nepali traditions. Can you explain why they are lost and how you revive them? 

There are many factors involved in why Nepali traditions are being lost. Economic and industrial developments, urbanization, increased migration are just a few of the factors that have led to deep and rapid socioeconomic transformations. People are heavily inspired by modern culture and trying to adopt their daily life style to it. From which after a certain time the traditions are either forgotten or abandoned.

Q. Can you describe some of the rare instruments you use in your set?

1. Paluwa is a fresh young leaf in Nepali. Leaf is found everywhere but only few can be played. Most commonly played leaves are cilāune (Needlewood Tree) and sāl. In Nepal people play the leaf at the time of cattle herding. But in the current time, this culture is becoming extinct. There are very few good leaf players remaining in Nepal.

2. Mahaali is a reed instrument, mostly used by the jugi community (tailor caste musicians). It is a conical bore double reed shawm. It is used in many religious moments and mainly the melody instrument of Navabaaja (ensemble of nine drums).

3. Pilrhu is a wind instrument made out of clay in the shape of a small bird. This instrument is usually played by children of the Tharu community imitating the sound of bird. It consists of 2 -4 small holes in the body.

4. Piwancha is a bowed bamboo instrument. The string of the Piwancha is made from the horse tail hair. This instrument became extinct many decades ago but it was frequently used during the Malla period (medieval period of Nepal which was from 1201–1769). It produces warm and low sound and is said to have been played by farmers of the Kathmandu valley.

Q. You are inspired by local traditions and songs – can you tell us something about these?

First of all we love local Nepali music and we love to create folk music and we are doing what we believe in. 

Our interest in local traditions was also born out of the increasing rate of their endangerment. Most importantly it has not only been about music and instruments. Our creative thoughts mainly revolve around village life of Nepal, the hardships of simple working class people and the inherent resilience of the Nepali spirit. There is struggle in the Nepali village life, but despite the apparent hardships, there is joy, contentment and certain warmth that always shine through despite the daily toil. Our music and lyrics celebrate this - both the joy and the struggle.

Q. Do you also find inspiration from other music from around the world?

We usually listen to many kinds of music around the world. …..

Q. You create a contemporary sound for a band with traditional roots. How did this concept come about?

We started out as an avant-garde metal band. As Jason travelled Nepal while working as a Chartered Accountant, he was exposed to lot of new music and the flavour of Nepali folk. With this new-found interest in traditional music and ethnomusicology, Night changed gears and started experimenting in producing contemporary music with traditional instruments.

Q. What would you hope the UK audience can learn from your concerts? 

They definitely will get to hear a new sound. From our music, we hope they will see a reflection of the current situation of Nepal, the stories of Nepali people. We built very special relationships with our audience when we visited England for the first time last summer. Though we sing in Nepali people somehow relate to our songs. Music definitely is a universal language. We are also learning from our audience.

A new podcast, featuring Night

A new podcast!
With mesmerising music from Nepali band Night. Presented by Colin Bass.

New tour coming up: Nepali folk innovators Night

A ‘new school’ folk band from Katmandu, Night dive into the rich Nepali musical culture, breathing new life into lost and endangered traditions, using rare instruments to create a stunning new sonic landscape. Their unique sound and original compositions are the result of extensive travels to remote parts of the country and encounters with different ethnic communities. From place to place, they were fascinated with the people, the vibrant music culture and their timeless way of life, which inspired colourful songs revolving around the daily hardships, everyday rituals and small victories in these villages. The title of their debut album, Ani Ukali Sangai Orali, alludes to the arduous climbing up, then descending of steep slopes, a daily reality for most villagers in Nepal. Weaving together stories, memories and melodies on a journey celebrating Nepali village life, Night re-energise traditional instruments and melodies with a decidedly contemporary flair and an excitingly unique sound.

Live review: Otava Yo at Rich Mix (2)

By Ellie Panton 

“Who here speaks Russian?” Asked a band member to the London crowd. A chorus of excited shouts came in response. Otava Yo are a Russian folk band, so there was a language barrier for a few audience members. However, I was not completely lost, as every song had a spoken prelude in English, allowing us to appreciate the band’s quirky humour and even learn a bit about Russian folk culture.

 One of the best things about seeing Otava Yo live was the quality of verbal, audio and visual storytelling. Certain songs had creative lighting and pre-recorded sound effects. As it happens, blue lighting, sleigh bells and the sound of howling wind can make the idea of playing a Christmas carol in March seem sensible. The band’s use of unique instrumentation was also very entertaining. Violins played quasi guitar, two pipes being played simultaneously by one person, and an iPhone being used as a bass drone (to the amusement of the other band members).

My favourite song by far was about pancakes. As we were told in the prelude, pancakes are beloved in Slavic culture, as they represent the sun: warm and circular. And as both Russia and England are in such desperate need of sunshine, the band decided to sing the song to try and summon the sun. About halfway through, the music starts to slow and slide down in pitch, coming to a halt as one of the violinists clutches his stomach and groans. Another band member asks the audience what they should do, until they come to this conclusion: he should eat just one more. And the music starts back up again.

 The skilled, boisterous band seemed to attract one of the best audiences I’ve been in. Not only were most of us dancing and participating, but the band was able to flawlessly coordinate us into a three-part clapping rhythm. But the show’s biggest strength had to be the passionate performance of infectiously catchy music that was still being hummed on the tube back home.

Photo by Merlyn Driver.

Live review: Otava Yo at University of Sheffield

By Joanna Booth

Otava Yo’s performance was intriguing from the beginning, starting with a background soundtrack of bird noises as the lights went down and the performers strolled casually on stage throughout the lively opening number. Their stage presence was cheerful and engaging and their folk tunes managed to be both dark and Slavic and utterly joyful at the same time. The traditional instrumentation and old Russian feel was balanced with a more contemporary sound which merged modern electric guitar solos into the folk texture beautifully.

It was music which told stories and with the help of humorous anecdotal introductions in English before each song, these stories rang through especially in the lovely vocals of fiddle player Yulia Usova, whose soprano voice doubled all the male voices to great effect.

Recorded sound effects returned multiple times, including film crackling to accompany a slow waltz from a very old Russian film. These kind of performance novelties really lifted the show element of the gig. Multi-instrumentalism was a definite theme of the night and a favourite with the audience was the use of pan pipes split into three sections and divided among the performers who danced whilst they played, grins on their faces and the ear flaps of their hats flapping.

By the second half they had a good portion of the audience on their feet dancing at the back of the hall and by the last song of their set list the dancers had moved to the front by the stage and the concert felt more like a festival set. This, they told us later, was first time this has happened to them in the UK and there was a feeling of such mutual delight at this that the band decided to extend their concert beyond its planned end because, as they said, the night was “only just beginning.” Judging from their popularity at this gig, it seems the same can be said of their international careers.

Otava Yo on stage. Photo by Merlyn Driver

Live review: Otava Yo at Rich Mix

By Madeleine Woodley

From the moment I walked into London’s Rich Mix I was intrigued and excited for what the night was to offer. A stage with a washing line, a wooden duck statue and over twenty different types of instruments led to all different kinds of ideas running through my head. From the beginning to the end (of the washing line) not one audience member was disappointed with what ‘Otava Yo’ brought to the stage.

The six-member band from St Petersburg completely filled the room with their delightful fusion of traditional Russian folk and contemporary music. Their motivation was clear from the beginning, to show a revival of their traditional Russian folk heritage, which some would say has been lost, whilst presenting it in a way to make it accessible to the modern listener. Their intention was evident in more than just the music: from the outfits they wore, signature tank tops, peasantry dress and ushanka hats.

The mixture of their own Russian folk songs merged with modern day instruments such as the bass and electric guitar created a sound which was lively, innovative and rich in not only colour but harmony as well. The off-beat and dance like rhythms managed to get the whole audience moving their feet.

Their 21 different instruments definitely didn’t gather any dust either, each was utilized thoroughly, and in such a creative and inventive way to enhance their performance. From the archaic Russian village instruments such as the Gusli (Russian harp), to the Violin and lots of percussion instruments in between, we went on a musical journey through the Russian countryside, with Otava Yo showing fresh and original ways to fuse different instruments with music.

A particular highlight for myself was when the musicians used an iPhone as an instrument and incorporated that into one of the most moving songs of the evening. The use of the iPhone to produce rich cello sounds, mixed with pan pipes whilst the band was singing in harmony allowed the audience to see all sides of Otava Yo. Showing how their fusion of Russian folk music didn’t just produce upbeat, dynamic and danceable tunes, but songs with true raw emotion, capable of moving the audience emotionally too. This presented so much clearer the importance of the revival of traditional Russian folk music, and how integral it was for the band to communicate this to the audience (and the world).

Otava Yo were clearly passionate about presenting Russian folk music in a way which was accessible to 21st century listeners and they did all that and more. The audience was captivated from start to finish from not only the music, but by the band themselves. Communicating with the audience in between songs, telling jokes and educating the crowd on the meaning behind the songs they sung. Creative, inspiring, and genuinely interesting, Otava Yo are definitely one to check out if you get the chance.

Otava Yo at Rich Mix Lndon. Photo by Merlyn Driver