Verse

Author: Verse

  • Getting to know the silent empire of vader

    ‘Vader’ is one of the pioneers of death-metal who, over the last 28 years, have made a permanent mark on the international metal-scene. Headlining at this years’ Silence Festival II, Vader thrilled fans with a heart stopping performance of loud, head-banging real grungy metal.  Verse was similarly thrilled to secure an interview with the busy Polish band to find out about their experiences in Nepal, the rise of the metal scene and the life of being a truly global band. Many thanks to Mr. Bikrant Shrestha, founder director of Silence Entertainment, without whom this interview would not have been possible.

    What was your initial reaction when you were offered to play in a country like Nepal?

    Vader: A big surprise because nobody expected to play so high in the world. So we were pretty much excited and it was a dream came true. The fact that Vader could arrive even to Nepal was very spectacular and very exciting.

    Silence Festival II, October 15! What were your expectations from the crowd there?

    Peter: You know usually, from my experience, I find that if there are few metal shows in a country, then there is no scene and relatively no support. So, it was a big surprise for me that even though it was for the first time for Vader in Nepal and maybe one of the few concerts of metal music in the country, it was so professionally prepared and the crowd was so big. I’m sure that 50% of the crowd was not metal-hats from heart ‘“they came to see a show because there was something going on in the city. But, even if 50% of the audience were real metal-heads, it was very big because the crowd was around four thousand, which is pretty spectacular, really. So, it’s a big deal.

    You might have seen some local bands performing during the Silence Festival. How do you think the local bands were?

    Vader: You know, we couldn’t see too much because we were performing late and we needed to prepare the guitars and practice a bit before the show. We arrived just two hours before our time. So, we could only see two bands; they were pretty good. But, we never expected the bands from Nepal to be so modern in sound ‘” especially the band in which Bikrant played; the band was really awesome.

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    How did you feel about the Silence Festival?

    Vader: Spectacular. We were really excited because of the chance to be a part of Silence Festival given to us by Mr. Bikrant. We really hope we can come back again in future. This is the first touch of Vader here and we get a feeling that they like it. So, we will be waiting for the next trip.

    Moving on to the past, how was the metal scene in Poland when you started?

    Vader: Vader was actually among those bands that started extreme metal, sort of underground in Poland. Unfortunately, not too many bands survived at the time. So, there are only some names coming back now like Crusade, Pandemonium to name couple of bands. There was no media to support these kinds of music. There was metal but the bands that were called metal were closer to bands like AC/DC or Iron Maiden but nothing like extreme metal. Vader was among the ones who started that; not the only one, but one of those who started this sort of music.

    How has the journey from ‘The Ultimate Incantation’ to ‘Welcome to the Morbid Reich’ been?

    Peter: The journey was very long, but very interesting. The journey has not only taught me as a musician but also as a man, as a human being. I get to know people around the time and I get to know people around the world. We are travelling across the earth. So this is the best teacher. You can feel much respect from the fans around the world as well. What can I say? This is experience and if your experience is almost 30 years playing metal, then it’s a lot. I’m happy I’m still alive.

    You guys tour quite a lot. Does that affect your personal lives?

    Vader: This is actually the biggest problem while talking about Vader. We are busy guys. But, this is the meaning of metal: to play on stage and to play live. This is pretty much live music. That’s why we all sacrificed with music. Since we signed the deal ‘” the pack with the devil, we’ve been spending two-third of the year touring, practicing and playing far from friends and families and this is the price you have to pay for playing music.

    We’ve been touring continuously since 1993 and we have around 100 shows in a year. So, you can see, we are really busy people.

    Touring that much in a year, when do you get time to compose or play or just come up with new music?

    Vader: Any time. Composition is always in your mind. You just need a time to sit in a studio, to focus in your work and to put it into a tape record.

    In what direction do you see the metal scene in Nepal going? Any words of advice for local bands?

    Vader: It’s hard to say but it depends on you. If you really want to do something, you will. If somebody comes to you and says he’s going to take you somewhere, then don’t believe in that. Believe in yourself. We were also in same situation in eighties in Poland. We were in deep shit back then. You are in a better situation than we were. You have studios, media and people like Bikrant. You have all the necessary equipment here. The world is all yours. Moreover, you have fans around. The time is going to come when the world is going to cry for you and wants to see you somewhere else in the world. That’s the only way.

  • Coffee with Anil Chitrakar

    Anil Chitrakar is a successful social entrepreneur, a cultural historian, a social activist, and the list goes on. I was told that he was intelligent, knowledgeable and intellectual, what I didn’t know was, apart from all his wonderful traits, he is also a very warm, humble, and approachable person. For many years he has been working diligently for the development of the country, and has inspired many with his vision of change. As he sits next to me I feel there is so much to learn from him. His wife smiles quietly from the other side of the table, ready for us to begin.

    At the young age of 28, Anil became one of the few Nepali Ashoka fellows determined to bring positive change to the rural Nepalese community through technology. After having received his graduate education from one of the best universities in the world, The University of Pennsylvania, I couldn’t help but wonder what brought him back to Nepal, when he could have easily had a fine paying job anywhere in the world. With a soft smile, he says that he returned to Nepal because he believed that he could do so much here compared to just having a comfortable life in the States. ‘We live in a globalized world now, you can fly from Nepal in the evening to have breakfast in the States, so it’s not very difficult to travel when you need to. But when you decide to come to a developing country like ours, you need to be prepared for the challenging environment. In fact, I came back for the challenge. You need to figure out whether you want to be a small fish in a big pond or a big fish in a smaller one.’

    As our conversation continues, he talks about the importance of Nepal in the Geo-political paradigm, and sustainability. Our ‘location’ is of prime importance; and we need to capitalize on this magnificent advantage. ‘Give incentives to help conserve and it will happen’ he remarks. He recalls the time when he worked with policy makers to conserve the national parks of Nepal. After making amendments to the law, fifty percent of Chitwan National park’s revenue was allocated to the local community. Thanks to wise visionaries like Anil Chitrakar, our forests increase by 2% every year. This has become a unique phenomenon in a world where deforestation is more prevalent than afforestation.

    Most of us may also know Anil Chitrakar as one of the founding members of the movement Nepal Unites. On asking about his ideology behind the movement, he says, ‘we all might have excelled as individuals but we still lag behind as a team. So Nepal unites is a movement to give reasons to dissolve our differences and unite as a team striving for excellence. On being quizzed on how he mobilized masses for change, he stresses ‘it’s easy to mobilize people against something but uniting a group to create is something totally different’. He expresses that the need of the hour is changing gears from the individual to the collective. The division into individual power dilutes the sum effect. He is a bit cynical about the media when it comes to creating a rift between ethnic groups. Help people see the future; give them a vision and then they can be motivated to bring about change. Incorporating a game plan ensues. Do your own bit. Whether it is digging a local well, or establishing a community school or even organizing trifle festivities. Start small, but start something.  ‘Half of the solution is taking responsibility’. It was a very interesting take on where to start. Due to issues of moral high ground we tend to demand accountability from others.

    After coming back to Nepal, he out shone his contemporaries with his extensive knowledge about the places and faces of Nepal. He has been leading famous Heritage Walks that has fascinated walkers from all backgrounds with his in-depth interesting stories of history, and culture. On asking him about what he thinks about our urban planning, he says, ‘For a city like Kathmandu to have lived through eons of change and still be alive in our ancient temples and courtyards is awe-inspiring. You have the advantage of living in a city that was built 3000 years ago. You walk around Mangal Bazaar, and see dhunge dharas (stone water spouts) that have been supplying water for the past 2000 years. Compare that to western countries like America that was built only 300 years ago, and you’ll find how rich we actually are in preserving our heritage and culture’

    With the interview drawing to a close I asked him about what the youth should integrate as their mantra. To this he stated that having personal values is very important. He gives examples of people like Gandhi, Ashoka, and Buddha. Those who had tremendous value systems and for that very reason, they went far beyond only riches. He suggests that we internalize these values so that mere monetary gain becomes insignificant. The need for self-empowerment cannot be overstressed. Mr. Chitrakar also emphasized a fundamental trait that everyone should have- being observant. There is no lack of inspiration to bring about a change, however minuscule it may be.  Looking around you can initiate sparking that brilliant idea which would, otherwise, be lost in oblivion. And remember, it’s easy to learn skills, but values you can’t learn, you have to earn.

    In our final segment, as I looked for more wisdom from him, he encouraged people to always question and be inquisitive. ‘Don’t fight gravity, work with it. If there is a problem, understand it and also keep in mind that there has to be a solution.’ if our country is mountainous don’t let this be a drawback. We cannot deny this fact but it also doesn’t mean we need to limit ourselves because of this supposed handicap. Self-pity only holds us back. ‘Think volume, not area,’ he said which summed up his keenness for frugality and efficiency.

    Reinvigorated, as I took final sips of my coffee, I brought our tête à tête to a close. It was an immensely productive hour and I was buzzing with ideas and zest. Half an hour after the interview, Anil Chitrakar’s words echoed in my ears as I was walking through Durbar Square. I looked at Kathmanduists from a distance, busy with their daily chores. I feIt as if I was entering a whole new city, a city that was transformed by our old kings who had strong values, and experts that did not need a PhD or master’s degree to create strong ars for their children’s futures. I was reminded of the great minds that united to build this nation. The old bricks, the shimmering wind chimes, the floating dhwaja, the communal courtyards, the akhejyaals’¦everything looked brighter, richer, and most importantly precious. These might have been things you probably are already familiar with but when visionaries like Mr Chitrakar remind you, your realization double folds. With more people like Mr. Anil Chitrakar this country will find a way out of this melee. All we have to do is join the walk together. best casino online

  • Nepal Cine Symposium

    The Nepal Cine Symposium event was held at Gurukul’s ‘Rimal Theatre’ on 18th November 2011. And it wasn’t just any ordinary film festival. The Symposium was actually a concept formed in 2008. It was an idea that gave audiences a glimpse into the reality of Nepali Cinema. It started as a realistic idea and also proved to be fruitful. The symposium encouraged the birth of new independent movies against the age old tradition of monotonous mainstream Nepali movies.
    The first day of the festival was made special by the presence of some of the most recognized faces in Nepalese Cinema like Namrata Shrestha, Karma Shakya, Nisha Adhikari, Richa Sharma, Vinay Shrestha and more. The event also presented a short movie ‘Lalteen’ which was a delight to watch. It was 85 minutes long and the theatre was crowded. The four day long fest included presentations of different short movies, theatre pieces and documentaries, in the different theatres of Gurukul and Nepal Tourism Board (Auditorium). The tickets for the films were priced at Rs. 100. However, participation at some of the access discussions and special presentations were available only by invitation and registration. Overall, it was a successful event with a strong base to begin with. It was a big step toward the much-needed improvement of Nepali Cinema’s different sectors. online casino money

  • An Evening with Mattia IA Eklundh

    Metal enthusiasts, especially the hardcore guitarists watched the very well known guitarist and vocalist Mattias IA Eklundh, in awe as he took over the stage at an event organized by Silence Entertainment. The Swedish talent has worked with the bands Freak Kitchen, Frozen Eyes, Fate, The Jonas Hellborg Trio, and Art Metal; as well as having released several noted solo albums.
    The evening started with a clinic session with Eklundh, which lasted for an hour. During the 60 minutes, he entertained the audience with his impeccable guitar skills along with some songs. This was then followed by a 30 minute brainstorming interaction session where he was bombarded with queries from the inquisitive audience. The questions kept coming one after another regarding instruments, skills, tips and more, and Mattias was always happy to answer. With his very good sense of humour, he kept the crowd in place and left them craving for more useful ideas and tips.
    While the man of the hour was Mattias and his beautiful work on his instrument, the main objective of the workshop was to promote LANEY AMPLIFIERS. Mattias IA Eklundh endorses and is a grand ambassador for LANEY. Since Silence Entertainment (P) ltd. is the sole distributor of LANEY systems for Nepal, it brought the outstanding musician, and composer here to share his professional knowledge about the system. He, himself has been a loyal, satisfied customer to this system for more than a decade now and he let others know the reason behind it. LANEY has been manufacturing a wide variety of products to tailor to it’s customer’s satisfaction and continues to do so. online casino slot games