Tuesday, Apr 15, 2025 11:45 [IST]
Last Update: Monday, Apr 14, 2025 18:46 [IST]
GANGTOK, : The second edition of The Social Experiment Music Fest, presented by
The Rizz Events & Entertainment, lit up Saramsa Garden on the evening of
April 9 with electrifying performances by two of Nepal’s most celebrated bands,
‘John and the Locals’, and ‘Swar’.
The
music festival also featured opening performances by local band Avineet Rahul
and the Band, and DJ Bibz. The venue also included food and other stalls.
Here is an exclusive interview with SIKKIM EXPRESS…
SWAR
Swar
is a project started in 2022 by a group of musicians from different bands.
“We
wanted to do Project Swar because all the members come from different bands and
diverse genres,” said frontman Swapnil Sharma.
“Rohit
and I own a studio, and while jamming one day, we came up with the idea of
creating a project focused on slow pop-rock music. We’ve transitioned from hard
rock to melodies; now we’re into melodious soft rock. We’ve recorded several
songs and have many compositions that we wanted to release under Project Swar,”
he added.
“With
Swar, we’re getting to experiment a lot and think from a new perspective. We’ve
reached a new and broader audience. Having performed on stage for over 15–20
years, returning as Swar with a new team of musicians is both fun and
challenging as we’re engaging with a fresh audience. Earlier, our audience was
different, but now even Gen Z listeners are enjoying our music,” said Rohit Shakya.
The
members of Swar include Swapnil Sharma (vocals), Rohit Shakya (guitar),
Gautam Tandukar (drums), Rupesh Sen (manager), Siddhant Gurung (bass guitar),
Santosh Lama (keyboard), and Ramesh Magar (sound engineer).
“It’s
our first time performing in Sikkim as a band, though Rohit has been here
multiple times. We can actually call Rohit the ambassador of Nepali Music in
Sikkim, as he has been working with many Sikkimese video and audio artists.
This time, we’re performing alongside John Rai and The Locals. The Sikkimese
audience has sent us heart-warming messages on social media, and we’re truly
excited by the response,” said Swapnil.
“The
Nepali music scene is blooming right now. There was a time when there were very
few concerts and people hardly listened to Nepali music. But today, the scene
has revived. Live music is back. Even in Sikkim, I’ve seen many artists from
Nepal performing here. I’ve toured with Sabin Rai and The Pharaoh to Sikkim a
couple of times. We feel at home here, and hopefully, we’ll be coming back to
Sikkim more often,” added guitarist Rohit Shakya.
The
band releases a new single every two months. Many songs have already been
recorded and are ready for release at the right moment. Swar is currently on a
selective tour and has international tours lined up.
“We are more than happy to come and play in Northeast India, where there’s a strong Nepali-speaking community. We would love to perform live for you,” the band concluded.
JOHN RAI AND THE LOCALS
John & The Locals is a band fronted by Nepali singer/songwriter John Chamling Rai.John Rai is the main vocal and songwriting force, and the band performs with a backing ensemble. They are known for their emotional melodies and dynamic live performances.
About the Organisers:
Co-founded
by Himalaya Roadies Season 4 winner Naseeb Tamang and Abhinash Gurung, The Rizz
Events’ ‘The Social Experiment Music Fest’ is a newly launched and highly
anticipated music festival in Sikkim, established in 2024.
“Our
IP’s aim is to envision, create, and execute curated immersive experiences that
stand out — for a progressive audience across multiple locations and
platforms,” expressed Abhinash Gurung.
