Biggest Jazz music festival in Nepal

The 9th Jazzmandu festival in Nepal has very well abided to its motivation to bring quality jazz to the country, transcend cultural boundaries and spread the message of peace and compassion through music. The annual festival which commenced on October 20 has witnessed great shows and performances from Jazz artists around the world. Nine great bands including bands from abroad and Nepal are participating in the mega Jazz event with live performances, jam sessions and master classes. The Kathmandu Jazz Festival, or popularly known as "Jazzmandu," began in 2002. The festival was founded by Chhedup Bomzan of The Jazz Upstairs Bar, and Navin Chettri, drummer and vocalist of Cadenza band. "Over the years, the festival has successfully promoted jazz in Nepal and brought world-class musicians to Kathmandu," said Chhetri. "It enriches lives, promotes creativity, encourages the sharing of international sounds and ideas, pushes the limits and boundaries of musical expectations and nurtures the talents of Nepali musicians. Jazzmandu strives to make the music accessible to as many people as possible by actively including free shows, educational school programs and workshops," Chhetri said. The festival also aims at promoting tourism in Nepal. "The festival is becoming an annual attraction for tourists who would like to include an international music festival as a part of their experience in the Himalayas, thus, exposing people to the warmth and hospitality of the Nepali people, the cultural and religious treasures, and the awe-inspiring natural beauty," Chhetri said. The influence of the festival also seems to be great for people who are connected to it. Shishir Sharma, a volunteer for the festival and also an aspiring musician, says that the festival is a great opportunity to learn Jazz music. "Jazz music is not so commonly heard in Nepal. But with festival like this, people are getting more interested in this genre of music," according to Sharma. When asked to define Jazz in his own term, Sharma said, "it's different from the mainstream music, hard to understand in the beginning but once understood, the music is very addictive." Likewise, Eugene Montenero, a world renowned guitarist from Switzwerland and a performer at Jazzmandu, says that Jazz music is all about playing melodies and improvisation. Montenero said that his band BCONNECTED will be travelling to China for more Jazz shows right after the conclusion of Jazzmandu. "The Nepalese audiences are great. Although it's the first time experience in Nepal, we feel very connected to the audience here," Montenero told Xinhua. Likewise, Bipin Ale, a Jazz music enthusiast, said he enjoyed every part of Jazz performance. "Jazz music can touch the heart and what is fun is to see that the musicians interact so well with each other, it just enlightens and increases the enthusiasm amongst the audience," Ale said. The festival will continue through Oct. 25.