KATHMANDU: The folk-rock band Nepathya has once again brought the whispers and sighs of Karnali to its audience after a long hiatus. The newly released song, titled Karnalika Chhaila, was unveiled in the capital. It is a creation that lead vocalist Amrit Gurung developed over two decades by tracing the musical roots of that region after discovering its original melody.

The song was born from Nepathya’s ongoing commitment to give voice to traditional folk tunes shaped by rural life and nature. The song’s music video was directed by renowned audiovisual creator Bhusan Dahal.

Though the song was newly released, a lot of old fans of Nepathya knew it even about two decades ago. Amrit Gurung and the collector of the song Narayan Wagle had already whistled some sections of it in the documentary Bhedako Oon Jasto. That scene from the documentary was also showcased during event.

This song is based on the traditional folk rhythm Tappa, which is popular in Salyan and surrounding districts. Interestingly, the well-known song Kala Kurtaile Chha Maile Jagirai Khayen from the old Nepali movie Maitighar is also set in the same Tappa rhythm.

While creating Karnalika Chhaila, Amrit retained the essence of the original folk melody but developed it in his own unique style. According to him, the song’s chorus was discovered at the same time as another song Sa Karnali, which was featured in the album Bhedako Oon Jasto.

“I first had the opportunity to hear this song in 2001 from Angad Hamal and its collector Laxmikant Upadhyay, who had come from Dolpa,” Amrit revealed at the event. “Although I recorded it once in 2008, I wasn’t satisfied with the outcome, so I shelved it.”

He explained that even after that, he kept the song in mind and traveled multiple times to the Karnali region. He was ultimately mentally prepared to write the song after attending some rural music festivals in Salyan last year.

While collecting the lyrics, Amrit came across a few lines in the local language. Due to the structural limitations of the Tappa rhythm, it was a difficult job to integrate those lines into the melody with a strong base.

Once the song was completed, Kiran Krishna Shrestha, from the managing organization Nepalaya, decided to release it with a matching music video. “Our previous Karnali-based song Sa Karnali was also beautifully crafted by Bhusan Dahal,” Shrestha said. “We believed he was the right person to do justice to this project as well. He recently traveled to the region to film the video.”

Dahal shared that working with Nepathya always feels like a friendly challenge. However, this time, with the support of new technology and a younger team, he was able to meet that challenge with ease.

The newly released music video will initially be available only through a pay-to-watch system.

“Anyone who loves Nepathya and wants to support the band deserves the first right to access its creations,” said Shrestha. “Accordingly, we’ve arranged for the video to be viewed by paying a minimum of NPR 10 in Nepal or at least USD 1 abroad.” He added that those who wish to contribute more are welcome to do so voluntarily.

Those who want to watch the video can visit Nepathya’s official website: nepathya.com.np. A link is provided there which redirects to a payment gateway. Users can complete their purchase using bank details or any payment wallet, after which they’ll receive an email with the access link. That link will allow them to watch the video as many times as they wish.

For viewers who prefer to watch it for free, the music video will be made publicly available after seven days.

“We’re heading to the United States in two days for Nepathya’s musical tour,” said Shrestha. “During that time, at an appropriate moment, we will release the music video on YouTube.”