October 28 2005

Trishit has been writing songs for the last fifty years

By THAKUR AMGAI

By profession he is a doctor. But people know him better as a song writer.

Ram Man Trishit

Inside the operation theatre Dr. Ram Man Shrestha plays with the scalpels and scissors to remove stones from the gall bladder with his skilled hands trained in the medical school. He works with his brain.

But off duty, whenever the mood strikes, Ram Man ‘Trishit’ sits down with pen and paper to write down feelings from the soul. The busy schedule of being a medical student, or a practicing medical professional never hindered his passion for song writing. “You need mood, not time to write songs,” said Dr. Trishit.

But when he gets inspired by the mood is always unpredictable. Trishit says he has written songs at the middle of the night and during leisure time.

Persistence in song writing is the greatest strength of Trishit. He has persistently written songs ever since one of his songs was broadcast for the first time from Radio Nepal fifty years ago in the voice of Tara Devi and music composition of Ustad Bhairab Bahadur. The song which was sung live is, however, not on record like many of the superb songs sung live in the early days of Radio Nepal.

Trishit is better known and deserves to be known as a song writer. He was into music first. Medical profession came only later in his life.

Born in Kathmandu in 1940, Trishit was inclined to music and literature since his childhood. The rhythmic recitation of Hindu religious epic ‘Bhagwad Geeta’ by his grandmother – the tradition carried on by his father – attracted him towards singing. He thought he would become a singer one day.

Seeing his interest in music, his father bought him a harmonium thinking it would be the best tool to keep him away from going out to play in the streets. What his father presented him as a toy became instrumental in developing his musical skills.

To enhance his musical skills he joined classes with Ustad Bhairab Bahadur during his six months long holidays after taking the SLC exams. There he got an opportunity to mingle with fellow students Tara Devi, Ganga Rana, Narayan Gopal, among others.

It was there that he found that his voice would not entice listeners. “I felt that my voice is not good for the audience. So, I started focusing on composing music and writing songs,” recollects Trishit adding, “If it had been these days, I would have become a singer.”

When Trishit was studying at Tri Chandra College, he and his friends formed Naba Kalakar Pariwar. This group would practice music, compose, sing and perform in group. The group involved most of the veteran singers of the Nepalese modern songs including Narayan Gopal, Prem Dhoj Pradhan, Tara Devi, among others.

In the subsequent years he had a very busy schedule first as a student of medical science and later as a practicing doctor. However, unlike many people who lose momentum in their passion thanks to their profession, Trishit persistently involved himself in writing songs and poems. It was during those years in the government service that he brought out ten out of the eleven books he has published so far.

He sang hundreds of songs during this time. Many of his songs such as ‘Euta Tara Jharda Pani Aakash Singai Rittai Lagchha’; ‘Dilma Hajur Ayera Matra Malai Thaha Bhayo Mama Pani Jawani Aisakechhha’; ‘Maile Punya Man Parayan Ya Pap Man Parayan, Je Hos Timilai Chup Chap Man Parayan’; to name a few became very popular.

Trishit has expressed the feelings of people at different situations in a very lyrical and touchy ways in these and many other songs. Paradoxically to the nature of his profession, he explains life and its attributes from a different angle of understanding that cannot be explained with logic.

Trishit is today one of the most popular lyricists of the Nepalese music industry. He has hundreds of songs on record to his credit. He has six albums ‘Mitrata’, ‘Swarnim Swar’, ‘Yauban Rahirahe ta Dheraiko Pyar Aunchha’, ‘Phool Phool Jasto Chhaina Pat Pat Jasto Chhaina’, ‘Piratika Kura’ and ‘Samipya’.