Hari Maharjan is many things at once. Those who frequent Thamel will recognise him as a gypsy jazz guitarist par excellence. Followers of Nepali popular music will discover he created the riffs of some of the most memorable Nepathya songs in the last few years. And to those who look up to him as a teacher and senior musician, Maharjan is by far the best guitarist in Nepal.
Now, two years after the release of their first album Kalakarmi, Maharjan’s band Hari Maharjan Project is back with another gem. Sudina, Nepali for ‘a good day’, is finally out for those who want a made in Nepal eargasm.
It is Maharjan’s brilliant guitar playing that drives the listener through the noisy chaos of the Valley in the opening track Memories of Kathmandu and yet manages to extract a semblance of seclusion in Sudina. The energy of Easter and Pullu Kishi at once transports you into the whirlpool pull of chariots in the narrow streets of Asan and Patan.
Because of his vast experience in arranging over 15,000 songs, Maharjan’s music too escapes conventional genres and nomenclature, even though all the songs in Sudina are structured around a virtuoso guitar.
We don’t have to cry anymore is a relaxed sit-down as the sarangi wails along with the guitar, while the next track Spirit of Shiva takes you right into Tandav mode, guitar ascending and descending in tandem with the Destroyer’s limb movements in tabla beats. Again, Sequency and things provides a moment of calm, while Keep on running accelerates proceedings. The album is rounded up by two of the strongest tracks in Birds of a feather stick together and Enough is enough.
In addition to Hari Maharjan’s regular band members, Riju Tuladhar on bass and Daniel Rasaily on drums, guest musicians from the Netherlands have also contributed to the album. Peter Keijsers, executive producer, is omnipresent with his bass. The famous Nepali folk-band Kutumba also feature throughout the album, lending its jazzy improvisations a somewhat earthy feel. Part recorded in Venlo, Netherlands, and in Kathmandu, Sudina transcends all technical barriers and sounds better than Kalakarmi.
Driven by Maharjan’s roving guitar and backed by the groovy rhythm section, Sudina alternates between dense clarity and clear density, finishing faster than the 57 minutes its tracks take up.
Sudina
Hari Maharjan, guitars
Peter Keijsers, bass
Riju Tuladhar, bass
Daniel Rasaily, drums
Ben Fikkert, piano
Theo Thomassen, classical guitar
Rs 350
Available at Kathmandu Music Centre, Thamel (01)4259968, 9851067909
Hari Maharjan playing with Kutumba