Jason Kunwar Speaks With The Kathmandu Post About The Trajectory Of His Project ‘Night’

The Kathmandu post wrote about 2019 Fellow Jason Kunwar‘s band Night, and the amazing research and work that they have done in order to preserve and promote Nepalese folk music through the use of traditional instruments like the paluwa, the nyakhin, and the tungna. Regarding their musical evolution (They were a metal band when they first started) Jason said “The ethos of metal gave us discipline. We kept learning and discovering folk instruments by visiting remote areas, learning from those who had mastery in playing such instruments. Sometimes, we brought instruments and self-learned as well”. The band, who are signed to Sub-Sonic Roots, a UK based record label run by Nepali expats, recently released an album called Ramite-Daam, which loosely translates as “The Spectator: Scar”, is based on a novel Jason is currently working on. In addition to releasing music, Night’s ongoing project “Know Your Instrument” explores the history of […]
Alumni

Amel Zen Explores The “Naili” Musical Heritage In New Project

In a new piece, produced by the Goethe-Institut Jordanien as a part of their Musical Heritage program, 2016 fellow Amel Zen re-interprets the traditional Naili song ‘Jlayjel’, which dates back to around 1900. The musical piece, which was passed down orally for generations, originated in the Ouled Nail region in the highlands of Algeria. With the project, titled ‘Trance & Dance’, Amel explores the trajectory of the original composition, and how a folk song can coexist with contemporary electronic music. Read more about the project and listen ‘Jlayjel’ to  here.

The Year Of 2020 In OneBeat Tracks
by Kyla-Rose Smith

It goes without saying that this has been one of the most tumultuous years in our collective human history, with the COVID-19 pandemic permanently shifting the way the world works. In a bid to reconcile, through music, the volatile journey that many of us have been through in 2020, Kyla-Rose Smith sifted through 10 albums created during OneBeat residencies and curated a musical journey that follows the topsy-turvy ride of the last 10 months of the pandemic, from the weird and strange feelings to the hope that an end is soon in sight.  Aguenta Aí (OneBeat 2018) The track starts with a single chord strummed by Indonesian guitarist Nursalim Yadi Anugerah, subsequently followed by Bruna Luccesi’s (Brazil) haunting vocals. The piece’s title means ‘Hold On’ in Portuguese, and cleverly oscillates between time signatures before concluding in a comforting 7/4 groove. Earlier in the year, both Anugerah and Luccesi were involved […]