An identity crisis during his university years in Japan pushed Bobin Bajracharya to take his interest in music more seriously. Growing up in Patan, he was accustomed to the sounds of traditional instruments played during festivals. But like many in his generation it was western music that drew Bobin instead. In 1996 he compiled Heroes of Dreams but the album was never released.

Bobin left to study international cooperation at Shumei University, where he discovered his true calling. "We always tend to seek the far-off god but in Japan I realised why my roots were important," recalls the musician, who soon began using traditional Newari instruments like the taa along with his guitar. In 2000, Bobin released the instrumental solo project Samsar through East Meets West studio in Kathmandu.

Back in Japan he set out to establish his identity as a Nepali and to quench his musical thirst. His new vehicle was the group Bobin and the Mantra-himself, Nepali sitar and tabla player Sawan Joshi and Japanese Tomoco Tamako and Tetsutaro Tamaki, saxophone and bass players. The band was well received by Japanese audiences when it performed in festivals like the Fuji Rock Fest.

Bobin and the Mantra have just released a self-titled album that still shows traces of their leader's identity crisis. A unique fusion of traditional Nepali and western instruments, it bears the unmistakable sounds of master musicians but lyrically, the album reveals the confusion that Bobin felt in his early days. "My English and Nepali are not as strong as my Newari but I still feel more comfortable using English to express myself," confessed the singer.

Alok Tumbahangphey

PIC: AJAYA JOSHI