AFK paints Valley with colourful tunes

No celebration in any part of the world or culture is complete without music. And once a year comes the International Music Day which celebrates music and the integral part it plays in a community. June 21 is marked as the International Music Day and every year Alliance Francaise Kathmandu (AFK) makes sure it is marked with much fanfare. This year too was no different with AFK organising various programmes around the Valley.

The closing of the week-long celebration took place at Rastriya Nach Ghar on June 27, where French Jazz band Sam Smala performed. The concert was opened by 7th Gravity, the winner of AFK Music Contest on June 23. Watching them perform it was clear why they beat the six bands that participated in the competition. Their style was a fusion between jazz and rock with a hint of Latino Salsa to it making it a wonderful experience altogether. They played three instrumental pieces, out of which one was from their upcoming album.

Sam Smala grabbed everyone’s attention with their peppy tunes. The five member band is made up of Samuel Strouk (guitar), Guillaime Marin (bass), Quentin Braine (drums), Mathias Levy (violin/guitar) and Serena Fisseau (vocals). The band has been travelling to different countries on their world tour. The band started their performance with peppy number Puzzo where the musicians were successful to make the audience tap their feet to their beats. The performance was filled with energy and the violinist received the loudest applauds for his tricks on the instrument. The fast beat was soon followed by a slower number Simplicity, which mesmerised the audience. Similarly the band kept the audience asking for more with their world music.

On June 21, in association with Service Civil International Nepal and Bhaktapur Rotaract, a concert was organised at the Dattraya Square in Bhaktapur. The five-hour long concert gave locals and expats a distinct flavour of western and eastern music. Performers of the day were Byase Dheeme group, Shweta Bhairab Cultural Group, students from Kathmandu University, Dattatraya Cultural group and well-known traditional music ensemble Kutubma for the eastern touch, while Nekhvam blended some blues tunes to the event.

Source: The Himalayan Times