December 09 2005

Mukarung is not only a music composer, but also a researcher, writer and a cultural expert

By THAKUR AMGAI

"Karke Ankhale Jhukyayo Malai,
Sannani Ho Ki Bhanera'

Mukarung : Learned musician cum writer

When Bulu Mukarung sang this duet with another popular singer Lok Bahadur Chhetri about two and half decade ago, he had suddenly become famous as a folk singer from an ordinary person. The song, equally popular today had become very popular and used to aired from the Radio very frequently.

Today, Mukarung has many other attributes to identify him. Not only the hundreds of songs that he has written, sung or composed music for, he has established his identity as a writer, academician, and cultural expert.

After being appointed as the Assembly Member of the Royal Nepal Academy last year, he has invested a considerable part of his time in studying, researching and preserving traditional music of the eastern region.

Mukarung was born in the eastern hilly district of Bhojpur, in 1959, as the youngest child of Late Shaharman Rai and Parbati Rai. There was a trend of joining the British armed forces in his community. His brothers, too, were in the armed forces and so he was encouraged to nurture his passion since his childhood.

During his childhood Mukarung also used to play local musical instruments such as Madal and Bansuri during social and religious functions and the sing the folk songs popular in his area. Likewise, he used to participate actively in the traditional dances such as 'Chandi Nach' and 'Hakpare'. Looking at his active participation and natural talent towards singing and dancing his mother and other villagers used to say that he would take up a profession of artiste later.

While, Mukarung continues to sing and play musical instruments to date, he gave up dancing after he came to Kathmadu. Instead he took up and faired even better in another passion of writing. His writing career formally began after one of his poems was published in the early 1980s. Till date, Mukarung has about a dozen published books to his credit. He writes primarily on issues of music and travelogues, recollecting his memoirs and perspectives of the various places he has visited.

Although, initially Mukarung had been established and recognized as a music composer by the Nepalese audience, today, he is equally well known as a writer. Currently, Mukarung is writing a travelogue – ' America : Imaginations and Reality' featuring his experience during his half year stay in America a few years ago.

In his childhood, however, Mukarung had not thought that he would come this far in this profession. "How could a person who used to go to the school bare-footed think about his career and make decisions of his life," questions Mukarung indicating the backwardness of lifestyle in his village in those days. "I had two tentative things in mind. I thought, if I failed the high school exams, I would join the British Armed Forces and if I passed them I would continue with further studies."  

Fortunately, Mukarung passed the exams. His passage in the high school examination saved a very creative talent in music and literature from being snatched away and wasted in the hands of arms and ammunitions.

After passing high school, Mukarung came to Kathmandu and joined I. Sc. at Tri Chandra College . He also joined the Royal Nepal Academy to be trained as a music director. He was trained under the aegis of veteran musician Amber Gurung.

His musical career got further boost when he joined Radio Nepal as a temporary musician in 1982. He got the opportunity to work with senior musicians of Radio Nepal , Nati Kaji, Shiv Shankar, Gopal Yonjan and with singers like Narayan Gopal. "These were the times when I got to learn the techniques and skills of arranging music. I was in a way enlightened," says Mukarung.

Personally, Mukarung is a very friendly and easy going person. His outspoken and candid nature has often invited difficulties in his career. Still, he continues to express freely his views whether with the media or in his writings. Earlier, in his college life Mukarung faced other difficulties during his stint as a student leader. "I was even jailed for being engaged in politics," Mukarung reminisces.