When Milan Newar Amatya won the ‘best contemporary female singer’ at last week’s
Radio Kantipur Awards, it was a culmination of more than a decade of hard work. Her journey had started in 2003 when she came second in the All India Musical Competition.
The contest catapulted Milan to fame among Nepalis in her hometown of Guhati, Assam and local fm stations were swamped with requests for her songs. Even after the euphoria over the event had subsided, Milan kept herself busy with live performances and managed to release her first album, Kanchi, in the same year.
At the heights of her popularity, her father Ganesh Newar suggested that she give her talent a shot in Nepal. “He told me not to limit myself to the 300,000 Nepalis in Assam, when I could sing for 30 million fans in Nepal,” recalls Milan.
So in 2010, she moved to Kathmandu and within a year released a self-titled album. After establishing her presence on the airwaves, offers for playback singing began to pour in. Milan, who has previously sung in Assamese, Mishing, Bodo, and Rajasthani, was the voice behind the hit song Slowly slowly from the recently released Nepali film Kali.
Now a household name in Nepal, Milan also performs regularly for the Nepali diaspora across the globe. In 2012, she won the ‘best female pop singer’ at the Image Awards.
“I am glad I moved to Nepal because nothing compares to working and performing in my ancestral homeland,” says the 30-year-old, whose grandfather migrated from Sankhuwasabha. “Since my family lives in India, my husband who is from Kathmandu is my biggest supporter here.”
Although Milan started vocal training only in college, she says she fell in love with the stage at a young age. The naturally gifted singer grew up listening to Bollywood classics of Lata Mangeshkar and Nepali legends such as Tara Devi, Aruna Lama, and Narayan Gopal, and would eagerly copy her idols during school performances and local concerts. At 13 she recorded her first song for an Assamese music album.
“When I come on stage, whether it is in Nepal or India, my only concern is to make sure the audience is enjoying every bit of my performance,” she explains. “Seeing the crowd cheering me on and singing along is very satisfying.”
Currently the singer is busy preparing for her soon-to-be-released album, which she says will be a fusion of all genres of music she grew up listening to. Says Milan: “I am grateful to the Nepali music fraternity for welcoming me to the industry with so much love and support. They inspire me to make music every day.”
See videos
But Slowly Slowly
Jaslai Mutu Ko
Natak