Young Achiever
Alok Shree’s struggle has elevated him to a top spot within a short span as a popular and established music director
By THAKUR AMGAI
W hen a young lad, Surya Kumar Khati, from the remote plains of Palungtarbesi of Gorkha headed to Kathmandu in search of further education, after taking his high school exams in 2044 B.S., he had little idea that this valley would shortly make him a renowned artiste .
Like in most youths he had passionate ears to appreciate good music only, but no skill to play music and sing. Instead, he had a burning desire to become a popular poet and a lyricist. Since school age, he recited poems he penned among his friends.
“With a deep interest to have my songs tuned and recorded I went to Radio Nepal to show my diary of poems to the music directors there,” he remembers. “But, the music directors did not appreciate it. I felt quite humiliated.”
That very event changed Khati’s destination. Deeply humiliated by the rejection of the music directors he promised that he himself would compose music now.
The same day he went to a music store, bought himself a harmonium, and started learning the ABCs of music all on his own. After relentless practice for about a year, he was able to compose music for a song written by Bharat Bamjan.
His happiness knew no bounds when the song ‘Timi Jati Tadha Bhaya Timro Yad Aunchha’ sung by Purna Pariyar in his compsosition was recorded at Radio Nepal in 2046.
While, he was encouraged to compose music for more songs after this song was aired from the Radio, he also had the compulsion of sustaining himself and continuing his education in Kathmandu .
To support his education in Kathmandu , he had the compulsion to work as a salesman in a bookstore and teach at various schools.
“Thus, although I composed music for a few more songs during that period I could not earn much name and fame,” Khati expressed his anguish.
Born in Ampipal, Gorkha 33 years ago, Khati spent his early childhood in the hills and woods of Gorkha. His childhood resembled that of any other child from the remote Nepalese villages, where parents would persuade their children to focus on studies and where children would support them with household works during their free time. Learning music and engaging in it would be a privilege. Despite such a background, Khati, endowed with an innate creativity- was not the kind who would give up by such little failures.
Having completed his high school education from Amar Jyoti Secondary School (Luintel school) – the same school where big names like Dr. Baburam Bhattarai and Dr. Upendra Devkota got their initial schooling, Khati had a deep rooted feeling since childhood that his creations be heard by a larger mass.
As ‘Surya Kumar Khati’ and his creations could not earn much fame in those years, he decided to make a new entry.
In 2054, a song ‘Thorai Thorai Ris Ani Dherai Dherai Maya’ sung by Ram Krishna Dhakal and included in teh album ‘Asha’ became very popular. The music director of the song Alok Shree also became very popular with the song. The revealation that this ‘Alok Shree’ is the same old Surya Kumar Khati came as a sweet surprise the music lovers.
After the instant popularity of the song Khati, now with the new identity of Alok Shree picked up mileage. With songs like ‘Hira Katne Hiraima Rakhera’, ‘Charile Ta’, ‘Kahile Timro Pachchhyaurima Aljhen’, ‘Halla Nagara’, among others, Alok Shree soon became one of the top music directors of the country.
Over the years Alok Shree has composed music for more than 500 songs. He has produced about one dozen albums- ‘Top Ten Nepali Tara’, ‘Chhayan’, ‘Tuna Muna’ ‘Hiunchuli’, ‘Laya’,’Asha’, ‘Upahar’ ‘Rastriyata’ and three volumes of an education album ‘Bal Geetmala’. He has also composed music for a feature film ‘Bhannai Sakina’ with popular songs like ‘Pura Bhayo Sapana Mero’. He was also one of the judges at the ‘Nepali Tara’- a mega hunt TV program to choose the talented Nepali singers from across the country.
Merely, in his early thirties, Alok Shree aspires to take the Nepali music to the world market. He is leaving for US shortly for the promotion of Nepalese music there. In addition, he is now also preparing to bring out a collection of ghazlas written by J. B. Ghale.
