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People's Melodies

Folk-song albums are chart-toppers in the music market

By SANJAYA DHAKAL

Last year, Khem Gurung's album made record sales. His song "Wari Jamuna Pari Jamuna" became the biggest hit of the year. This year, Prem Raja Mahat's "Hiunchuli Ma Hiun" is doing great business.

Nepali film in theatre : Folk Music is the key

Although they were never out of the scene, folk songs are now having a field day. Such has been their commercial success that Nepali films and pop songs are now moulding themselves into folk melodies to gain popularity.

The sales of albums of folk songs occupy around 35 percent of the total music market, said Santosh Sharma, managing director of the Music Nepal, the leading music company in the country. The rest is shared by albums of Nepalese film songs, pop songs, Hindi songs and English songs.

Even among folk songs, Dohari or Juhari ó typical Nepali songs that run quite long and are based on question-answer format often between young couples ó are getting more popular.

"Only those songs whose melodies are based on folklore have been able to catch the listeners' attention in the country. Whether they be film songs or pop songs, folk melodies have prevailed," said Sharma. He goes to the extent of saying that Nepalese pop songs began to get famous only after they moulded themselves in typical folk melodies.

At present, Sharma estimates that around 150 albums of folk songs are released. "And almost 80 percent of them become successful," he said. This phenomenal rate of success is rare among other disciplines. One reason why they are so successful could be the low cost of their production.

Most of the time, the singers/musicians of folk albums approach music companies like Music Nepal, Ranjana Cassette Center and so on, only for the studio facilities. "They already have their songs and music planned. For around Rs 10,000 they can have their albums released," he said.

But there are people who demand heavy arrangements, which are costly, even for folk songs albums. Prem Raja Mahat's "Hiunchuli Ma Hiun" is an example.

The audiences of folk songs are primarily the rural population as well as Nepalese going overseas. "But now people from different walks of lives have started to listen to folk songs. Their sales are increasing," said Uttar Kumar Rai, a cassette shop owner in Jawalakhel.

The rising popularity of the folk songs can also be gauged from the fact that the number of restaurants that have entertaining programs based on Dohari songs are increasing in the capital.

Sharma, however, laments the apparent neglect toward folk songs from the authorities. "The folk songs preserve our traditions but there are no incentives to folk singers. They have to pay tax similar to others. Besides, the government does not have any policy regarding folk songs and how to promote them," he said.

Music is one of the very few industries in the country that is currently witnessing a phenomenal growth. From a market worth less than Rs 500, 000 in 1984, the Nepalese music industry is today worth Rs 300 million a year.

Even though the Nepalese music market is growing in length and breadth, the equally thriving piracy threatens to eat up its successes. According to estimates by Music Nepal, as much as 40 to 50 percent of the Nepalese music market is captured by pirates.

The folk songs market, too, is haunted by piracy. A successful folk song album makes sales around 200,000 in Nepal. "And 60 percent of these sales are made by pirated cassettes," said Sharma.

Although folk songs have bright prospects, strong action against piracy isneeded if the industry is to continue thriving.