Nepali Music Scene Stalls as February Festivals Cede Ground to Election Fever

Looking back at previous years, various fairs, festivals, and musical programs were organized from villages to cities in the month of Falgun. Artists used to be extremely busy with the fairs and festivals held across the country's villages and towns. However, this time the scene looks different.

Instead of musical fairs and festivals, the villages and towns in Falgun are currently echoing with election rallies and slogans of political leaders, as the House of Representatives election is scheduled for Falgun 21. Consequently, as the country's political atmosphere continues to heat up, the musical atmosphere has started to cool down. The election has impacted the musical calendar during Falgun, which is considered the 'peak season' for fairs and festivals.

To understand the extent to which the election has affected fairs and festivals, one only needs to look at singer Elina Chauhan. The past month of Magh was spent in a rush for her. In the 29-day month, she managed to attend 29 fairs and festivals. Moreover, due to scheduling conflicts, she had to skip about 12 programs. This Falgun, she performed in Gulariya, Bardiya on Thursday.

Elina mentions that due to the election code of conduct and strict administration, some festivals planned for Falgun were moved to Magh, and some were postponed.

"At some of the organized events, the audience turnout has been very low," says singer Chauhan, "People have returned to their villages to cast their votes." With no audience, the programs are naturally affected. She adds that programs are not being organized because the administration does not grant permission for events during the election period.

Elina, who is preparing to fly to Australia in a few days for a stay of about a month, says she has about 15 programs scheduled there.

Lakshmi Acharya, a popular singer from Sudurpaschim, is among those who are usually busy with stage shows. Last year in Falgun, she managed over 15 stage shows, but she is surprised by the situation this year. After performing about a dozen shows in Magh, Acharya has not stepped onto a stage even once in Falgun. Acharya says that with free time from fairs and festivals, she is currently touring Dhangadhi.

"Falgun and Chaitra are the main seasons for us for programs. But due to the election, programs in this month are almost halted," says singer Acharya, "The musical programs, which started getting affected from Magh, can be said to be zero in Falgun."

Folk singer Asmita Dallakoti is an artist who used to participate in numerous programs in Magh and Falgun in previous years. This year, she has not been able to participate in many programs. After performing in four or five programs in districts like Palpa and Syangja in Magh, she has not performed on stage even once in Falgun this year. She says that apart from one program scheduled for Holi, she has no other programs in Falgun.

"Last year in the month of Falgun, there were programs, and I was quite busy. But now, it's not like that due to the election atmosphere," says Asmita, "I haven't had direct conversations with the organizers, but since there are no programs anywhere, I think the fairs and festivals have been affected by the election."

She speculates that organizers might not be scheduling events because leaders are visiting villages for election campaigning. "Even though there are no stage shows and fairs/festivals, I am currently busy recording my official songs and singing some live Dohori," she shares.

Singer Shantarani Pariyar is in a similar situation. After being busy with musical programs almost every day in Magh, Shantarani has not been seen on Nepali stages since Falgun 3. Although programs in Nepal have decreased due to the election, she is currently performing in Hong Kong.

"Perhaps only one or two sporadic programs might happen, probably just for Holi," says singer Pariyar, "If we look at previous years, an excessive number of programs were organized this very month of Falgun."

With fairs and festivals affected, some artists are engaged in song recording, while others are seen participating in the election campaigns of their favored political parties. Folk singer Radhika Hamal is participating in election campaigning. After performing in about half a dozen programs in Magh, she says she has joined the election campaign because the fairs and festivals have stopped.

"In the past, I used to be on stage for about 22 days out of 30 days in a month," says Radhika, "But now, due to the enforcement of the election code of conduct, many people cannot gather. The administration has also not given permission for new programs."

Not only fairs and festivals, but the central general convention of the National Folk and Dohori Song Academy, which was scheduled from Falgun 1 to 3, has also been postponed due to the election. Ganesh Hamal, who manages fairs and festivals through 'Bhawana Emergent,' says that the election has impacted the entire event management sector.

"The period from Kartik to Falgun is considered the golden period for fairs and festivals. But now, as the country is completely colored in the hue of the election, the CDO office and local administration are not giving permission to hold programs," he says, "Even if permission is granted and a program is held, the possibility of an audience turning up is very low."

He mentions that there is a faint hope that programs will resume from the month of Chaitra after the election concludes. "But since the summer season will start, there is a fear that audience density will be lower and business will suffer compared to the winter season."