July 29 2005

Singer Pradhan, who has always taken music as a hobby has contributed scores of evergreen songs to Nepali music Industry

By THAKUR AMGAI

About 50 years ago, a group of youths would gather in a house in Bhedasingh in the heart of Kathmandu . From early morning to late night they would practice music in group. They would play harmonium, Tabala and Flute and hum with the scales of these musical instruments for hours till their throats ached and hands soared. Thanks to the relentless dedication, the members of this group grew up to be famous singers and musicians of Nepal . One of them is Prem Dhoj Pradhan.

The audience of Nepali music is well acquainted with Pradhan's super hit evergreen songs and the melody of his voice. Having contributed hundreds of songs in different genres he is known well in the Nepal through his songs like 'Para Laijau Phoolharu', 'Goreto Tyo Gaunko', 'Ghumtima Naau Hai', 'Maya Namara Mayalu', among others. Some of these songs were recorded as early as forty years ago in very old studios.

However, these songs never feel old to the audience. Pradhan was born on June 6, 1938 in Sindhupalchowk, an eastern hilly district of Nepal. He frequently traveled to Kathmandu to his maternal home during his

childhood. His parents separated when he was seven and he permanently shifted to Kathmandu living occasionally with both parents.

During these times he used to listen to songs by Indian singers Lata Mangeskar, Asha Bhosle, Mohammad Rafique and the English band Beatles. He was influenced by his mother Pran Devi Pradhan who stinted as a singer in Radio Nepal .

Pradhan's musical journey officially began in 1951, when he passed the voice test from Radio Nepal singing a Hindi song. There was recording facility at Radio

Nepal as late as mid 1960s. Pradhan sang live for the first time from Radio Nepal 'Yada Kasaiko Aairahechha, Yo Andheri Raatma.'

Till then, he was still in School. In the free times he would be practicing music at Bhedasingh. It looked like, singing was the only passion that he had in life. But he never sang for money.

A diplomat had gifted a recording gazette to Radio Nepal in 1955. Pradhan and Tara Devi recorded a patriotic duet song 'Yo Nepali Shir Uchali, Sansarma Lamkinchha.' This was the first ever recorded

song of Pradhan.

Pradhan, who had taken music as a hobby only, started facing severe financial constraints as he grew up and had to shoulder the responsibilities of supporting his mother who had separated from his father. He went to Radio Nepal for a job for many weeks, but in vain. Later, he found a job in the American Library to perform secretarial duties.

In 1961, a student delegation was taken for all India tour from Saraswati College . Pradhan, who was studying there, was chosen as a singer. During the travel,

there were lots of changes in weather, food, and other daily activities. When he returned he found that he had lost the ability to sing well. Worried, Pradhan, went to a physician. The physician told him that a piece of flesh had outgrown from the interior surface of his throat. Nothing else could be more depressing for a singer. "I was very nervous then," reminisces Pradhan. "I prayed with god to give back my health and ability to sing."

With the Physician's recommendation Pradhan went to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for treatment. "I was very happy when the surgery became successful. I also noticed that my voice had become clearer than before," said Pradhan.

His job at the American Library had become a boon. Not only was he exempted of the financial worries, he could now also invest for his passion. He would go to India to record songs frequently. He made his first disc record in 1962 with four songs in it.

Once he saw a group of American singers performing nearby Tundikhel. They were using a musical instrument that was new to Pradhan. He later found out that it was a guitar. Fascinated by it, he requested one of his colleagues to bring one for him back from

his foreign trip. For the first time a Nepali singer started performing with his guitar in the various places of Kathmandu . Pradhan learned the basics of playing guitar on his own and later took lessons from musician Ram Sharan Darnal.

After about 10 years of joining the American Library, Pradhan took a one year non paid leave and left for India to study music. He had befriended the Indian musician Jaya Dev when the latter came to Kathmandu in the course of making Nepali feature film Maitighar. Jaya Dev was the musician of the film, while Pradhan was the play back singer.

Jaya Dev asked him to sing a few songs to test his aptitude. "When I sung the songs to Jaya Dev, he told me 'you need not learn, you know everything, you can go back," remembers Pradhan. "I was very depressed then because I had gone there with a quest for music leaving back my family and a lucrative job."

He pleaded with Jaya Dev and learned music with him for eight months. During his stay in Mumbai, he met with various singers and musicians and learned a lot from them.

Pradhan has contributed about 700 songs – modern, folk, patriotic, Bhajan (religious songs) and filmy songs. He has brought out about 20 disc records, CDs and cassettes.