The duo had an opportunity to go one on one with two popular faces of the Nepalese community in Sydney. Both individuals on similar terms have given a great deal to our community for over a decade. Let’s hear what they have to say………….
Sushma Gurung
If one were to say that Sushma Gurung possesses one of the most exceptional Nepali voices in Sydney, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who would argue the point. We have heard it in the background for many years… Sometimes lilting with the plight of a melancholy couple separated by a stretch of seas… Other times soaring with the sheer elation inspired by Dasain and Tihar … But always, always a wonderful, lucid articulation of the emotion embedded within the song, something even the most hardened hearts in our community succumbed to time and again.
Now this soundtrack to our lives has unwittingly come to the forefront with the success of the “Vision” concert in December and the release of Sushma Gurung’s first solo album “Debut”. We spoke to the inspiring songstress about her experiences.
- When did you start to regard your talent/interest as something more serious?
Singing, to me, has always been a hobby. It is only recently that I have started taking it a little bit seriously.
- What would you say are the main highlights of your artistic stint thus far?
I find so much joy singing in front of a live audience. Our Dec 20th ‘Support Local Talents’ show in Sydney would have to be the main highlight so far.
- Who was your favourite band to perform with? Can you share some memorable moments you shared with your fellow artists?
I have to say that I have been honoured to share the microphone with a lot of bands and artistes over the years. I cannot choose only one as all were different and wonderful experiences. One memorable moment would definitely have to be singing ‘chanchale chanchale’ with Hari Bamsha Acharya dai at a program organised by G.N.C in 1998 in Sydney
- Who is/are the person(s) that inspired you to sing?
I have been singing for as long as I can remember. Along the journey a lot of people that I met have inspired me. Everyone from my friends and family
- Who are your favourite singers/artists? Who are your main musical influences?
Sukmit Gurung and Aruna Lama for being the evergreen voices of Nepalese music. They have covered everything from classic songs to modern, pop songs.
- Have you ever received any sort of formal training/guidance?
No, I have not.
- How difficult was it to get to where you are today?
It has been a journey with ups and downs. I believe that I have more to offer and that the journey hasn’t ended yet. I am very grateful to have a supportive family, as well as friends who have had faith in me enough to encourage me all the way. A special thank you to Ashok dai and family, Anil Thapa Magar and all the Sydney Communities.
- How has your devotion/dedication to your craft changed with marriage and starting a family?
It hasn’t changed much! It is just a matter of juggling family, work and music. My family love music just as much as I do, which makes things a lot easier.
- What is the biggest challenge you face in pursuing this interest further?
Time will always be my biggest challenge. It is hard to find time to devote solely to pursuing music
- We all know your fans love you but what sort of community support have you received along this journey?
Kind words and praise from dais, bhaujus, didis, bhai, bahinis that I have come to know through the community programmes have certainly helped me come this far. Also, being invited to be a part of the programmes every year has definitely made me a better singer.
- What sort of sacrifices have you made to get where you are today?
Professionally, one of the sacrifices I have made is to move permanently to Australia. Had I stayed on in Nepal, I would have pursued my craft persistently. Who knows, by now, I could have had a few albums up my sleeve and maybe even the chance to travel. It is not something that I see as a major sacrifice as I am very happy to be an Australian resident. It is simply a ‘what if?’ moment.
- You have performed and formed a close bond with many up and coming young Nepali artists. What has most satisfying for you to be witness to? Furthermore, what are some things lacking in the community in support of these up and comers?
I have seen so many talented musicians and singers in Sydney. And I believe there is more out there. It is satisfying to see that there are people who love music and singing as much as I do. One of the best things that Communities have done for them is to provide them with a platform onto which they can launch themselves. On the same note, these artists are not being taken seriously enough. I hope everyone realises that they do indeed have talent and are not just something to fill up an empty slot on the program list. Hopefully in the future, we might see communities organise small gigs for these bands. It would give them the recognition they deserve.
- How far along your journey do you view yourself to be? Do you think you have reached your pinnacle or do you have further to go to peak?
I definitely think that I have more to contribute. This feels like just the beginning as I have only just released an album and recently had my own headlining concert. I have so many things to learn and one day hope to release material that I have written myself.
- It is no secret that you have a gift. But what sort of response/feedback have you received about the technical aspects of your singing?
I’m still learning a lot about the technical side of things. My voice needs improvement technically and it is something that I will be working on. So far, feedback has been positive, and I hope it stays that way!
- What is the difference between performing in Nepal and here in Australia? Does your contribution to the cultural landscape feel different?
It is hard to say, as my performance in Nepal was done when I was much younger and a lot less experienced. I wouldn’t imagine it to be any different because here, we have a large Nepalese community and I sing only in Nepalese. So, in that way, it doesn’t feel like I am doing anything different to how it would’ve been done in Nepal.
- When was your first formal recording? How did you feel?
In 1997 for a song written by my friend and music composed by Raju Singh. It wasn’t easy to do the recording as it was my first time in the recording studio.
- How many formal recordings have you done thus far? What was the reception like for your most recent recording, your first album “Debut”?
I recorded a song with Nepathya called ‘Mardi khola’ when I was in Nepal and two songs for ‘Expression I’ which was released here in Sydney with Samir bhai, Bidur dai and Madan dai. Everyone has appreciated the album ‘Debut’, which I am very happy about. A lot of work went into it and I am glad that despite all our busy lives, we made time to create this the way we wanted to.
Hem Limbu (Hasan)
He is the person everyone wants… no… NEEDS to have around. He is the friendly face, the go-to guy, the one we take for granted.
There is no doubt about it. Hasan Limbu surely packs a punch.
For he may be small in stature but he is big in heart. And he has devoted a lot of that heart to Sydney’s cultural scene; so much so, that for those who know Hasan and who have had the pleasure of working with him, his name is almost synonymous with the noble ideals of community service and commitment to a greater cause, all served with a refreshing humility and a generous sense of humour.
Known to be a real advocate of local artists and talents in Australia, we sat down with amicable organizer to learn more.
- You are one of the most familiar (and friendly) faces in Sydney, that of an organizer of cultural events. But to be an organizer you need experience; where did you receive yours?
Well for anyone who knows me, my main source of experience has obviously been the GNC. Back in the day, it was all about a group of friends getting together for some song and dance but in recent years we have seen the formation of proper communities and organizations. Over time I just inadvertently collected more than 10 years worth of experience.
- Can you tell us about your artistic journey?
[Laughs] I always liked singing and dancing and found great joy and connection in Nepali culture. Having started out as an artist in the early days of the Nepali community here in Sydney, I found that my active participation soon evolved into the greater responsibility of my current role.
- What were some of the most memorable moments of your artistic tenure? Both good and bad J
There are always ups and downs when trying to successfully organize any cultural program. But I am yet to experience an incident when anyone was greatly hurt. On the flip side, I have been involved with simply too many items and budding artists to pick a clear favourite. But let it be known, there were no bad ones! [Laughs]
- Who are the individuals and organizations you have worked most closely with in the capacity of cultural coordinator?
Quite obviously, the main organization is the GNC – in fact I have worked exclusively with the GNC! I have had the pleasure of working with many wonderful friends who are members of the GNC, in particular the great cultural sub-committee and of course our many artists. The people and the environment one works in is so important and it is no surprise I found myself drawn to the friendly and familiar atmosphere of the GNC!
- The voluntary work you do is certainly very stressful! But at the end of the day, is it all worth it?
That one moment! It’s all for that one moment. There is certainly a lot of stress and tension during the preparation phase for the program and when all of that comes to a head, I promise myself every year that this is going to be my final hurrah. But then, when the program is over, you feel such a rush of relief and the adrenalin almost consumes you. Before you know it, you find yourself reflecting on what went well and what went wrong and planning improvements for next year! This sense of communal achievement is really addictive and it is really cemented when you get positive feedback from the audience.
But having said that, this year is definitely my last year [Laughs]. It is not just because of a slight increase in family responsibility but mainly because I believe we need new ideas and diversity in the cultural team and that can only come with the appointment of new people.
- From the time you started in this role to the current day, how has Australia’s cultural landscape evolved in your perspective?
It is no secret that the Nepali community in Sydney has grown exponentially over the past few years. Back in the day, there was only a small group of us and the audience itself was small so people used to appreciate the preservation of our culture and really cherish programs such as our annual cultural nights. Now I find that with the growth of the population, cultural programs have taken a much more professional turn and there is a real sense of competition to widen one’s membership base and attract larger crowds. This can be seen clearly in the increasing trend to bring professional Nepali artists to perform for the Nepali audience here in Australia.
- Speaking of which, professional artists are great but how important do you think it is to invest in local artists? Can we do more?
It is absolutely fundamentally one of the most important things for the cultural aspect of our community. We can encourage our local talents more and we must encourage our local talents more! Many many of them are still hidden to us, singing in the shower and dancing in their homes. They belong on our stage!
Here we all are so far away from home, and the student life here serves up immense frustrations and challenges. So if we are able to play even a small role in providing a creative outlet of entertainment from the daily stress and hardship they encounter, we will have achieved something.
- Where does your motivation for this come from? Interest/Fun/community service/something deeper?
The motivation I have for this role is inherently a part of me and it just comes automatically. I source a lot of it from my friends and sub-committee in the GNC and of course our wonderful artists.
- You dedicate many hours to this role. How has this impacted your family/personal life? How difficult has this been?
To be perfectly honest, it has not been hard at all. I have a lovely and very understanding wife who supports me in every way possible. This occupies a very special place in my heart and it is very important to me personally so there is no difficulty. But once again, I really have to find someone else with the same passion and commitment so they can lead change and invigorate the GNC.
- What sort of music and artists are your favourite?
I love everything from Nepali Lok right through to Aadhunik Nepali songs and Gazal. I have a real appreciation for all sorts of dance from lok dance to more modern dances. I am not particular in my choices but basically if it’s Nepali, I will be sure to enjoy it.
- When you have moved on, what would you like your legacy to be?
I strongly believe that we must protect our culture and heritage for generations to come. These days, everything is so modernized so I am fearful that our traditional lok songs and dance will be lost to us. The audience’s taste is evolving along with this and that makes me anxious. But lok “bhakas” are our cultural root from where all our songs and dances have grown so we must not let it die. I would hope that when I sit in the audience in years to come, I will be able to hear our lok songs and watch our lok dances along with the other items and feel satisfied knowing that I played a part in preserving that for our children.
- Is there anything you would like to add that hasn’t been discussed?
Absolutely. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our many artists who have given us so much of their time even though they have many commitments as struggling students. I thank our GNC volunteers for their tireless efforts in helping to turn out a great show every year and in the process, helping us protect our culture and heritage for future generations. We may have unwittingly upset some people and if this is the case, I would like to unreservedly apologise to those we may have hurt despite our best efforts. We hope you will be able to see things from our perspective and unite with us in our common cause.
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Day that the Himalayan Tigers surfed on Granville Tsunami!!!!!!
Who said you could not dwell in the past? The Himalayan Tigers are still enjoying sweet revenge with their victory over Granville Tsunami 3-2 while the raging Tsunami is receding back to normality. The culmination of success takes us back to our history of our good old reminiscences of mateship, collaboration, and positive conflicts. Let me take all of you back to our journey to success.
The founding members- Nabin BK, Pabi Subba, Bikash Limbu, Kamal Tiwari and I had to unlock the romance and mystery of soccer. We all understood the personal relationship that people could have with soccer, and its social aspect. Our idea was to give us a little escape during the morning or perhaps to have a refuge for some time to stabilise the continuity of the hustle and bustle of our lives. It was the essence of ourselves-getting out there, kicking the ball and having fun, and also reducing our body mass index. We were not only becoming healthier but also trying to become a lighter footprint upon the earth.
We originally started as “high five” and but now there are about twenty of us. That is pretty awesome. It is sort of a multiplier effect. As the number has increased we moved into the next level- creating a new identity in a democratic way and a team name to enter into a game. Deb Gurung’s creativity and ingenuity gave birth to the team name-the evolution of Himalayan Tigers and every one of us embraced it unanimously.
The Himalayan Tigers are appreciative of Lal’s sheer commitment in organising team jerseys and other sporting merchandise. His killer’s conviction and full intent to deliver his promises has exceeded our expectations in no time. The support and sponsorship from Nepal Journeys, our guiding star and the organiser, Gurkha Nepalese Community Inc (GNC), show that they are getting behind the community. Their support demonstrates their commitments to putting our community first and emphasises their focus on our people and our community.
Looking at the match invitation between the Himalayan Tigers and the Granville Tsunami, the Himalayan Tigers took a final panoramic and panoptic view of the Tsunami from the Himalayas. They then descended down the slope with prowls and growls to the match ground at Lid Com Bay (Lidcombe), DownUnder. Much to the talented Tigers’ astonishment, there were no bays at Lidcombe, as they were hoping to have a stroll around the bay before the match.
The Granville Tsunami cannot be prevented or precisely predicted - even if the right magnitude of an earthquake occurs in the right location. However the effects of the Tsunami may be mitigated by the presence of the legendary Himalayan Tigers! They can absorb the Tsunami’s energy by swallowing the deluge and transferring it to the Himalayan Dam and so defuse the load-shedding in Nepal. It is really ironic that Nepal is so rich in natural waters but it is also in dire need of electricity. Is this a paradox of the orthodox?
We all know the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history, having killed thousands of people in eleven countries and inundating many coastal communities. So it was really déjà vu for our heroic Himalayan Tigers. They were concerned with human welfare and so had a good reason to meet and overcome the devastation that the Granville Tsunami could have caused.
The match was scheduled on 22nd March 2009 at 11.30 am sharp. The Himalayan Tigers who were leading an idyllic existence in the Himalayan retreat must have lost in translation of time zone. Instead of turning up on the ground at 11.30 am they sporadically turned up at 12.00 pm. The opponents’ presence at 11.30 am sharp surely outnumbered and dominated the presence of two Himalayan Tigers, Dip Bantawa and myself on the field. Nandu Gurung and Shamsher Thapa from Granville Tsunami had no hesitation in showing their over-confidence when they asked us how many goals we were willing to succumb to.
We really respected the Granville Tsunami as a team but we certainly did not hold any fear about them.
On the day I saw that same spirit of unity alive on the fields and sidelines with our supporting and cheering Himalayan Tigresses.
We're very fortunate to have a central indefatigable defender with leadership qualities. It's no secret that role was adequately filled by Gobin Gurung so that the effect of Granville Tsunami shockwaves was neutralised to counter attack. How can we forget about the superb goal keeping skills and omnipresence around the goal post manifested by Om Gurung?
The Himalayan Tigers scored all of their goals in an incredible first half with Ashok Rai scoring one and Pabi Subba scoring one. While in the second half Goba Katuwal and Jitman Limbu from Granville Tsunami scored one each so putting the two teams on tied scoresheet. The Tsunami’s volley over terra nullius, no man’s land was maximised by Goba Katuwal’s heading score, while Jitman Limbu’s agility and pace which scored another goal. Both of them showed typical characteristics of a tsunami. This made the Himalayan Tigers reconsider their strategy and change the game plan seriously and swiftly.
But the unstoppable Himalayan Tiger – Bhala Rai was the saviour of the game scoring one goal in an immaculate style so putting the Himalayan Tigers one goal ahead of the Tsunami and enchanting spectators with his style and sophistication.
The Granville Tsunami team looked devoid of any ideas of how to defend the Himalayan Tigers’ leads and leaps in heaps. They were beginning to discover what it was like to be on the wrong end of a drubbing and the effect of psychological conundrums and pandemonium caused by the Himalayan Tigers on the arena.
The pain of defeat remains raw, even today. Nandu Gurung, who is a die-hard Granville Tsunami player, declined to be interviewed for this story.
Granville Tsunami failed spectacularly and had a great time doing it.
Let us face it; the Himalayan Tigers had definitely shown the spectators and Tigresses how to surf on the Tsunami on 22nd March 2009. History was created but also let’s not forget to reinforce and recapitulate at the end of the day; soccer is truly the world's sport! It promotes camaraderie and friendly competition across the community and the globe.
The Himalayan Tigers are looking forward to meeting the Granville Tsunami and other competitors next year in 2010.
By Shivaji (The writer Shivaji is also known as CBG or Chandra B Gurung and is a right defender of Himalayan Tigers) |
