National 9 (Spotlight Weekly)

Expressions Of Realities

Beautiful as well as difficult realities of life are expressed in symbolic words in Shrestha's songs

THAKUR AMGAI

The first impression that Navin Shrestha's songs give to any listener is a saying by a famous writer that goes, "If you ask me what my writings are, I cannot tell you, but if you ask my writings who I am, they will tell you." When Shrestha starts reciting his soothing songs with the background in which he wrote the songs, any listener will be held spellbound. The addition of well-composed music and voiced in line with the feelings of the words would undoubtedly add to the beauty of the songs by many folds.

Shrestha : In need of recognition

However, to Shrestha, what is more important than that is the protection of his creations. Shrestha is sensitive about his works and is keen to ensure that the final product do not, in any way, hurt the quality of his feelings. That could be the reason why Shrestha prefers to pile up his best creations inside his drawer and give out only 'good' songs for singers and music composers. "I fear that the feelings in my songs might not get justice when I give them out to anyone who asks for it," said Shrestha.

Recluse would be the right word to describe Shrestha in one word. At a time of publicity and advertisements, he confines himself within the periphery of his very close acquaintances who he can share feelings with, than to be involved in the world of artistes like himself. Only one-tenths of the best of the best songs that he has written have been recorded. Commercializing the art is his accusation to most of the people. And in reaction he does not like to easily disseminate any of his creations.

Shrestha, who started writing with the inspiration of his artist father, has spent decades in a kind of isolation. In his early childhood he used to enjoy the songs that his father wrote at the back of his exercise books used in schools. Humming the songs by Kiran Kharel, Dr. Ramman Trishit and Indian poets including Sailu Tami used to be his pastime in the school days. Shrestha, now in his late thirties, still enjoys the same pattern of life. The only difference being that, in addition to the other Hindi and Nepali songs, he hums his own songs and often creates them in response to what he sees.

Use of symbolic metaphors is a specialty in his song writing. His uses of phrases are such that a single phrase can tell a thousand words. He writes the realities of life. Whether it may be the hardships of life or the expression of mind, Shrestha's songs speak out the woes of suffering minds from class struggle, financial hardships and love tragedies.

To say the least, Shrestha's creations have not been recognized. While one strong reason could be his reserved introvert nature, the extreme commercialization of music could also be another reason why naturally gifted lyricists like Shrestha have not come in the limelight.

"I have categorized the songs in three categories and to anyone who asks me for a song I give them the middle one," said Shrestha. However, he has hopes that he will one day bring out his best songs when he can invest on his own for the recording and bringing out the album. "I will bring these songs to public when I can do so in my preferred tunings and without killing the feelings of the words."

Shrestha formally started writing some two decades ago, and his first song was recorded 15 years ago. He has given lyrics to songs in about half a dozen Nepali movies and for about a dozen collection of albums. The latest one is 'Portrait' from the rebel creation in which the songs are sung by Poonyam Pradhan.

Celebrated singers of Bollywood like Udit Naryan Jha and Kabita Krishnamurti have sung his songs.

At a time when emerging artistes are running after cheap popularity leaving the music anthology at a dearth of long-lasting songs, the extremely expressive words of lyricists like Shrestha could be very enriching. The trend, however, does not seem favorable to people with such attitude. 'Adaptation with the environment' seems to be the only solution at present.