Kathmandu’s other jazz festival, KatJazz, returns for its sixth iteration this month, blending contemporary tunes with the rich traditional music of Nepal and beyond. This eight-day music fest starts on 22 April and concludes with a grand celebration of a finale on the UNESCO recognised International Jazz Day on 30 April. The very first KatJazz in 2017 had jazz education as its objective. The festival has come a long way since and has been integral in further lifting Nepal’s jazz scene, perfectly aligning with the theme this year ‘The Jazz Trail to Kathmandu: Past Voices. Global Sounds. Future Harmonies.’ “This festival is a two-way thing. It brings Western jazz music to Nepal but it simultaneously puts Nepal’s music to world music,” says Abhisek Bhadra, academic director of Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC), co-organiser of the festival.&nbsp; This year’s lineup features 15 international and 12 Nepali musicians as well as 11 women musicians of KJC Rajamati Choir. “Our emphasis has been on local artists and the collaboration that will take place between the ensemble,” adds Bhadra.&nbsp; The ‘Taking the Lead: The Diverse Voices of Women in Jazz’ session scheduled for 27 April is set to be the highlight of the entire festival. The session will celebrate female musicians in the jazz scene with performances from Juliana Rodrigues, Enji and Maria Fajardo. The artists have all worked extensively, blending jazz with the traditional and folk music of their homelands. Says Abhisek Bhadra: “We are celebrating contemporary jazz music while acknowledging and appreciating traditional music of Nepal and elsewhere.” &nbsp; Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/jazzing-up-the-mandu-for-20-years">Jazzing up the ‘Mandu for 20 years</a>, Aïsha MacDougall <h2>Ben van den Dungen Quartet &nbsp; (The Netherlands)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240421110428_3f2422989e2c43c002aed73545f7e411557af406286338f37011c3334d8352e6.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240421110428_3f2422989e2c43c002aed73545f7e411557af406286338f37011c3334d8352e6" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1133" loading="lazy" alt="Ben van den Dungen Quartet"> </figure>  Ben van den Dungen is an acclaimed Dutch Jazz saxophonist who started his concert career in the early 1980s and has since performed in 6,000 concerts in 70 different countries. His band, Ben van den Dungen Quartet, has regularly toured South America, Russia, Indonesia, South Korea, China, India and Europe.&nbsp; At KatJazz, the quartet is paying tribute to the legendary saxophonist John Coltrane, one of the most influential saxophonists of all time. In this dazzling ode, they present a contemporary interpretation of a repertoire that has rightly been labelled as 'classics'. Ben van den Dungen – Saxophone | Miguel Rodriguez – Piano | Steve Zwanink – Bass | Mitchel Damen – Drums <h2>Enji&nbsp;</h2> <h2>(Mongolia/Germany)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240421110432_e4450b10ff9a05f5cd70cd02e96b9acfa2ea78da9e4b54f50695c22e8a4d293b.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240421110432_e4450b10ff9a05f5cd70cd02e96b9acfa2ea78da9e4b54f50695c22e8a4d293b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Enji"> </figure>  Enkhjargal Erkhembayar ‘Enji’ is a Mongolian-born Jazz singer and songwriter. As such, there is a touch of Mongolian folk to her music. Enji’s previous album, 'Ursgal,' received acclaim from The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Guardian, making it to the Best Jazz Albums of 2023. She was also invited to perform for COLORS in Berlin. For this year’s lineup, she is joined by Martin Zenker on double bass and Paul Brandle on guitar, adding new dimensions to her already extraordinary sound. Enji - Voice | Martin Zenker - Bass |Paul Brandle - Guitar Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/bass-and-no-treble">Bass and No Treble</a>, Sajeet M Rajbhandari <h2>Gyan Residency</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240421110432_1e921a7a3312bd71d0950142c655c7a71ff2abbfb63b20e2205f774d2a582dce.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240421110432_1e921a7a3312bd71d0950142c655c7a71ff2abbfb63b20e2205f774d2a582dce" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1468" loading="lazy" alt="Gyan Residency"> </figure>  The Gyan-KJC Residency, a crucial part of the KatJazz festivals, has been providing a space for collaborative dialogue through music. This year, it brings together Nepali maestros Shree KC (dhrupad vocals), Santosh Bhakta Shrestha (esraj), and Jagannath Dhaugoda (tabla), alongside international artists from Chile (Tomas Carrasco, Moa Edmunds), Brazil (Juliana Rodrigues), Spain (Javier Galiana, Javi Delgado, Guillermo Martín-Viana, Pedro Cortejosa), Mongolia (Enji Erkhem), and Nepali folk musicians, including Pushpa Palanchoke. Before 22 April, these participating artists will discuss Hindustani music, Nepali folk, and Western music in workshops aimed at deepening the understanding of Hindustani music among Western performers and vice-versa, fostering cross-cultural learning. In the next phase from 23-25 April, all the artists will collaborate and put together a blended music piece which will be showcased at the Gyan-KJC Residency concert on 30 April at Moksh in Jhamsikhel.&nbsp; <h2>Jhuma Limbu and Raithane Music&nbsp;</h2> <h2>(Nepal)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240421110436_d8598c4ceaa57272816d15a9d77c9f8ecf174f3e1a36df270737016d6b7b4ff3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240421110436_d8598c4ceaa57272816d15a9d77c9f8ecf174f3e1a36df270737016d6b7b4ff3" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="Jhuma Limbu"> </figure>  With over two decades of experience in the Nepali music industry, Jhuma Limbu is a highly skilled folk singer renowned for her performances across diverse genres including cultural, folk, playback, patriotic, and modern music. Limbu is dedicated to preserving and promoting Nepal's rich indigenous musical traditions. This concert is a fundraiser for her ongoing album-recording project in collaboration with Chilean musicians Tomás Carrasco and Moa Edmunds, and Nepali producer, keyboardist and arranger Abhisek Bhadra. Jhuma Limbu - Voice | Manice Gandarva - Sarangi | Tomás Carrasco - Flutes | Moa Edmunds - Guitar | Abhisek Bhadra - Piano | Sudhir Acharya - Percussion | Javier Delgado - Upright Bass Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/orchestrating-cross-cultural-collaboration">Orchestrating cross-cultural collaboration</a>, Tayama Rai <h2>Juliana Rodrigues&nbsp;</h2> <h2>(Brazil)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240421110436_94f1cfbe5ec5e59a7930ef9482b9786a2b0dad9f7bc35bae1c0849d9e28170d4.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240421110436_94f1cfbe5ec5e59a7930ef9482b9786a2b0dad9f7bc35bae1c0849d9e28170d4" data-rendition-name="original" width="1750" height="745" loading="lazy" alt="Juliana Rodrigues"> </figure>  A pianist and composer from Sao Paulo, Juliana Rodrigues has released two albums, Vive and Mnemosine, showcasing her unique and diverse musical background. Her team of three performs with excellent cohesion, bringing her compositions to life with a repertoire of rhythms, phrasing, and collective improvisation.&nbsp; Rodrigues is also a member of the women-only samba group Dona da Rua, which recently released singles Filha da Luta and Que Venha em Mim. She has performed at Sala São Paulo, Festival Jazz al Este, Instrumental SESC Brasil, Savassi Festival, and Sonamos Latinoamérica. Juliana Rodrigues - Piano | Rajat Rai - Bass | Prajwal B.K. (Punku) - Drums <h2>Samyog Regmi and Co. (Nepal/Spain)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240421110432_b1e551e11fa610c40a01c8ba51544fa8b8d91998faf649ca437d0e197ad4d62d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240421110432_b1e551e11fa610c40a01c8ba51544fa8b8d91998faf649ca437d0e197ad4d62d" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="997" loading="lazy" alt="Samyog Regmi"> </figure>  Samyog Regmi, born in Nepal, was immersed in diverse musical influences from an early age, including local traditional music, jazz, and Eastern classical music. An alumni of the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory (KJC), Regmi pursued musical studies in the Netherlands. His compositions span various ensembles, including his quintet (a group of five playing music/ singing together), septet (a group of seven playing music/ singing together), and the Conservatory of Amsterdam Big Band.&nbsp; Recently, Samyog released his album Unpopular Opinion. At KatJazz 2024, get ready to witness his musical craft accompanied by international artists from Chile and Spain. Guillermo Martín-Viana (Spain) - &nbsp;Drums | Tomás Carrasco (Chile) - &nbsp;Flute/Sax &nbsp;| &nbsp;Pedro Cortejosa (Spain) - Saxophone | Javi Delgado (Spain) - Upright Bass <h2>Versados Despistados Quartet&nbsp;</h2> <h2>(Spain)</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240421110448_71b6459b542f238634cf7f154404667f9988999f3b671d330e4dd93b369c7818.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240421110448_71b6459b542f238634cf7f154404667f9988999f3b671d330e4dd93b369c7818" data-rendition-name="original" width="4100" height="1050" loading="lazy" alt="Versados Despistados Quartet"> </figure>  The four Andalusian (south of Spain) musicians that make up Versados Despistados Quartet have been in the national and international scene for years. With their own voice and classic jazz instrumentation, this quartet explores the fusion between different forms of Andalusian and Afro-American music. Featuring Pedro Cortejosa on saxophone, Javier Galiana on piano, Javier Delgado on double bass, and Guillermo Martín-Viana on drums, Versados Despistados, which translates to ‘versed scatterbrains’ takes the audience on a dynamic journey of sound with freshness and a sense of humor that catches one by surprise. Pedro Cortejosa - Tenor saxophone | Javier Galiana - Piano | Javier Delgado - Double Bass | Guillermo Martín-Viana - Drums Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/review/in-nepal-east-meets-west-musically">In Nepal, East meets West musically</a>, Shrijan Pandey <h2>SCHEDULE</h2> Piano Explorations with Javi Galiana and Juliana Rodrigues&nbsp; Monday, 22 April&nbsp; 7PM onwards&nbsp; Rs800 Alliance Française, Pulchok&nbsp; Samyog Regmi and Co.&nbsp; Tuesday, 23 April 7PM onwards&nbsp; Rs800 Jazz Upstairs, Lazimpat&nbsp; A Tribute to Coltrane by Ben Van Den Dungen Quartet&nbsp; Wednesday, 24 April&nbsp; 7PM onwards&nbsp; Rs800&nbsp; Dhokaima cafe, Patandhoka&nbsp; Enji (Enkhjargal Erkhembayar) Thursday, 25 April&nbsp; 7PM onwards&nbsp; Rs800&nbsp; Moksh, Jhamsikhel&nbsp; Versados Despistados&nbsp; Friday, 26 April&nbsp; 7PM onwards&nbsp; Rs800 EDN Sanepa&nbsp; Taking the Lead: The Diverse Voices of Women in Jazz with Juliana Rodrigues, Enji, Maria Fajardo&nbsp; Saturday, 27 April&nbsp; 6PM onwards&nbsp; Rs1000 Yellow House, Sanepa&nbsp; Jhuma Limbu and Raithane Music Monday, 29 April 7PM onwards&nbsp; Rs1000 Mandala Theatre, Thapagaun International Jazz Day Concert Tuesday, 30 April&nbsp; 7PM onwards &nbsp; Rs1200 Moksh, Jhamsikhel&nbsp;

original

674x448

610x380

500x500

400x266

400x240

400x203

301x200

1250x600

1084x550

Jazzing up Kathmandu again

Besides Dasain-Tihar-Chhath Nepal is known for a fourth annual autumn festival: Jazzmandu. The event has grown since its inception in 2002 with new and prolific artists from across the globe flying into Kathmandu to showcase their talent and experience the unique atmosphere of the Valley. The melange of chosen venues reflect the ethnic and cultural diversity of Nepal as well as the performers from around the world. Surya Nepal Jazzmandu this year encapsulated and perpetuated the power of music and its ability to bring people together. From the pulsating groove of Plurism’s African rhythm and the mellow emotive voice of Lucile Chriqui to the bright tones of Samundra band’s rendition of Nepali folk music, this year’s jazz reflected the diversity of this music genre. A free concert for the students of St Xavier's School gave students exposure to the unique delights of jazz. There were concerts at Jazz Upstairs and the Dutch group Under The Surface performing at Electric Pagoda with experimental electronic sound. Multinational Forro performed at Jazz Upstairs while Swiss South African group Faku took on an intimate set at EDN in Sanepa.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231111031148_0218034eabe8f4742526ba8f477548fc840c797cc3db8c0f603f1f20f0937a97.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20231111031148_0218034eabe8f4742526ba8f477548fc840c797cc3db8c0f603f1f20f0937a97" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Jazzmandu"> </figure>  The Jazz Bazaar at Gokarna Forest Resort gave guests a captivating musical showcase with the full Jazzmandu line-up. The historic Baber Mahal heard the rich tradition of Brazilian music. The penultimate evening in Patan was a culmination of the week with both foreign and Nepali artists performing a magical fusion of Nepali classical music and jazz. The festival attracted a diverse audience from Kathmandu residents, tourists and expats. Said deputy EU ambassador Joëlle Hivonnet: “Jazzmandu is getting better every year. Although it does not attract world-renowned artists like Motreux or Marcia, it manages to bring upcoming artists and covers a variety of styles. I particularly enjoy bands that mix Nepali and western Instruments.” The Lucile Chriqui quartet, a formidable new force in French Jazz, ascribed their experience of Jazzmandu and Nepali culture as an experience like no other: “It feels like being on tour in one city.” The band held a charity concert to raise funds for the burn victims at the Sushma Koirala Memorial Hospital. “It was amazing to perform for such an important cause. We realised the power of music as a tool for connection,” said Chriqui.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231109101144_9f276596e90a0c96204f75c1b18f2ecb05cf28c531cbdc22c8c0a3a73109deba.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20231109101144_9f276596e90a0c96204f75c1b18f2ecb05cf28c531cbdc22c8c0a3a73109deba" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1334" loading="lazy" alt="Jazzmandu"> <figcaption>Lucile Chriqui</figcaption> </figure>  The band wants to take back to Paris the special energy and friendliness they experienced from the Nepali volunteers which inspired them to try and connect more with tourists visiting their own country, and the unique pace of life in Kathmandu especially compared to Paris where “one hour feels like a minute”. Chriqui also hopes to continue to experiment sonically, inspired by the timbre of Nepali traditional instruments. “Maybe I’ll also take home a singing bowl too,” she quips. Next year Nepal’s pioneering music event will turn 20. Co-founder Navin Chettri says, “Initially, we were met with some reluctance and confusion regarding jazz but now there is no need to explain, Jazzmandu has put both jazz and Kathmandu on the map.” When asked what’s in store for the special 20th anniversary, Chettri replied gleefully: “No spoilers.” &nbsp; <h2>Jazz at the Gate</h2> In contrast to other Jazzmandu evenings, where the setlist was structured to showcase each act separately, ‘Jazz at Patan’ on 7 November celebrated the cultural exchange between jazz and Nepali classical sounds with musicians from around the world.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20231111031148_b06d5c6058914a65a5f1e1a35b7d37eeebafdf149a026b330adbc2774caf8e93.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20231111031148_b06d5c6058914a65a5f1e1a35b7d37eeebafdf149a026b330adbc2774caf8e93" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Jazzmandu"> </figure>  The meticulous fusion of repertoires and celebration of cultures abandoned the formulaic composition of ‘mainstream’ music structure, and transgressed genre to create a spiritual and meditative sound described by attendees as “grounding”, “unique” and “irreplicable”. The lantern-lit, well-catered evening at Yala Maya Kendra facilitated an intimate experience for attendees who put stress and hunger aside allowing the technical prowess, professionalism, and self-expression of the bands to remain the focal point of the evening. Artist Sisonke Xonti highlighted the privilege of performing in front of a live crowd again, a crowd that another artist Nick Aggs described as “the best at Jazzmandu”. “In order to celebrate the unique sound of each artist, there needs to be a reciprocated level of intimacy and respect between artist and audience,” added Aggs. Singer Lucile Chriqui was left feeling that the crowd was “truly listening and connected”. She added: “So much energy, so much love represented the very essence of Jazzmandu, which is to connect with people and demonstrate that music is a divine, universal language”. Guests felt transcendental: one concertgoer was in disbelief at the ability of the artists to champion all instruments and voices and extolled the “inexplicable” connection she felt between everyone within the 100-year-old Rana-era courtyard. The evening ended with a standing ovation, and the crowd ambled out of the venue still processing the magic of what they had witnessed. Jazz at Patan had a multicultural audience, and celebrated the oneness of humanity and was an event to be experienced at least once in a lifetime. Uma Dhital

Jazzing up the ‘Mandu for 20 years

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723c129c7e80680e0c95fajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683"/>The wait is over: the annual Surya Nepal Kathmandu Jazz Festival is back in town after a two-year Covid hiatus, spreading the message of peace and compassion through music.Begun in 2002 and founded by Chhedup Bomzan of The Jazz Upstairs Bar and Navin Chettri, drummer and vocalist of Cadenza, ‘Jazzmandu’ is in its 18th year and keeps alive its aim to bring quality jazz to Nepal, transcending cultural boundaries with world-famous musicians getting together in Kathmandu for a week of entertainment this festive season.Just as jazz incorporates elements from folk and traditional music, adding unique melodies and modulations, Surya Nepal Jazzmandu 2022 showcases the best that the genre has to offer in a vibrant cultural exchange.Line-up includes the Jamie Baum Sextet from the USA, Jin Jim from Germany, Catia Werneck from Brazil and France, and Yumi Ito from Switzerland. Nepal’s very own Jonisha Poudel, Cadenza Collective and Samundra Band will also perform.Read also: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/jazzing-up-in-kathmandu,3316">Jazz it up ‘Mandu</a>, Sahina Shrestha<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4306#.W9Ktg3szbIV">All that Jazz</a>Over the years, the jazz festival has been putting Nepal on the world music map, bringing the exquisite international sounds of jazz to Nepalis and taking Nepali musicians to the world. Twenty years ago, there were only a handful of jazz musicians in Nepal, but now aspirant instrumentalists queue to learn the style at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory. Here too, jazz has developed into a dazzling form of art, with its own distinct identity.The festival promises to enrich lives, promote creativity, encourage sharing of international sounds and ideas, pushing the limits and boundaries of musical expectations, nurturing the talents of Nepali musicians.“I hope that over the years, Jazzmandu has had a positive impact on our youth and evolving music culture,” says Nabin Chhetri, artistic director of Surya Nepal Jazzmandu 2022 and member of Cadenza. “We have a special free concert just for young students every year and this year we are also bringing back the Jazz for the Next Generation music competition.”There is also a three-day free sound workshop from 10 to 12 October with a sound engineer from Switzerland. The theme this year is ‘Music for unity, peace and compassion’ and the festival runs from 13-19 October across many venues in the Valley.<hr/><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723c169c7e80680e0c95fbjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1811">The Jamie Baum Sextet (USA)Widely considered among the top jazz flutists and composers in the world, Jamie brings to Jazzmandu some of the most compelling musicians from the New York jazz scene today.Jamie’s passion for South Asian music was heightened over several tours in the region between 2001 and 2009, including two visits to Jazzmandu. She wrote “Honouring Nepal: The Shiva Suite”, commissioned by the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art, to pay tribute to Nepal after the 2015 earthquake and performed at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2016. Now, “The Shiva Suite” is coming to Nepal for the first time.<a href="https://jamiebaum.com/">www.jamiebaum.com</a>Jamie Baum – flute, compositionsKenny Warren – trumpetBrad Shepik – guitarZack Lober – bassJulian Shore – pianoJeff Hirshfield – drumsCatia Werneck (Brazil/France)Born into a family of musicians in Rio de Janeiro, Catia began to sing and play from a young age before touring abroad and moving to Paris to further her career. Starting with an early collaboration in France with the Boto Novos Tempos collective, she has gone on to tour across the world and perform at major international jazz festivals.She continues to perform and record in Brazil, showcasing her mastery and creativity in the styles of bossa nova, samba, jongo (a forerunner to samba), and more.<a href="https://jazzmandu.org/_wp_link_placeholder">www.catiawerneck.com</a>Catia Werneck – vocalsNoé Chantraine – piano/keyboardsBenjamin Asnar – bassNavin Chettri – drums<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723c199c7e80680e0c95fcjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1811"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723c1c9c7e80680e0c95fdjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2000" height="1600">Yumi Ito (Switzerland)The destruction of Earth, the committal of a friend to a psychiatric hospital, the death of her unknown neighbour from heroin use — Yumi weaves into her music stories about society that matter, no matter how large or small, how bright or dark.Her sound — an amalgam of jazz, art-pop, electronica, free improvisation and neo-classical music — might seem tricky but really isn’t: the musician, composer, producer and arranger navigates a clear stylistic path of her own making, always telling a story along the way.<a href="https://www.yumiito.ch/">www.yumiito.ch</a>Yumi Ito – vocals, compositionsKuba Dworak – bassIago Fernandez – drumsJin Jim (Germany)“Vertical lift-off” is how the broadcaster NDR described Jin Jim’s meteoric rise on the German jazz scene. In 2013, the same year Jin Jim was founded, the band was voted by the public into the finals of the JazzTube Festival in Bonn.Jin Jim’s sound is powered by a mix of latin, jazz and rock influences that create a rhythmically complex yet harmonically accessible whole.<a href="https://jinjim.com/">www.jinjim.com</a>Daniel Manrique Smith – C/alto/ bass fluteJohann May – guitarBen Tai Trawinski – double bassNico Stallmann – drums<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723c209c7e80680e0c95fejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="683"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723c239c7e80680e0c95ffjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707">Cadenza Collective (Nepal)With a signature blend of jazz, afro-funk and Nepali folk music, Cadenza Collective plays music that’s irresistible for your ears and your booty. Led by the drummer and composer Navin Chettri, the group boasts a hard-driving performance style and has amassed six albums of original music.In addition to pumping up the improvised music scene in Nepal, Cadenza has played across the world and collaborated with a stellar list of both Western and traditional Nepali musicians.<a href="http://www.cadenzacollective.com/">www.cadenzacollective.com</a>Navin Chettri – lead vocals/ drums/percussionPravin Chettri – alto saxophone/vocalsRajat Rai – guitar/vocalsSamir Chettri – bass/vocalsSamundra Band (Nepal)Formed in 2004, Samundra celebrates and safeguards the Gandharba community’s long tradition of performing Nepali folk music. Holding firm to typical folk instruments, the ensemble plays age-old Nepali tunes recomposed in new forms, updating cherished old music for contemporary tastes.<a href="http://www.samundraband.blogspot.com/">www.samundraband.blogspot.com</a>Anil Gandharba – sarangiSubash Gandharba – bansuriPujan Gandharba – madalRamkrishnaGandharba – arbajoBuddha Gandharba – kartal<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723c269c7e80680e0c9600jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="2022"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111414110/63723c2a9c7e80680e0c9601jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1811">Jonisha Poudel (Nepal)As a gifted exponent of khayal, the preeminent genre of Hindustani classical music, Jonisha Poudel has already made a deep mark at a young age. Trained under the guidance of Shree K.C., one of Nepal’s most respected khayal and dhrupad vocalists, she has won multiple honours and performed at many prestigious classical music festivals.Her talent ranges beyond classical music as well: she has recorded hit songs for the Nepali film industry and been the lead vocalist for the band Vastu.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Jonishapoudelofficial/">www.facebook.com/jonishapoudelofficial</a>Jonisha Poudel – vocalsSantosh Bhakta – ishrajShree K.C. – harmoniumNimesh Kapali – tabla<hr/>Jazz for the Next GenerationConcert for Young Students / Music CompetitionDate: Thursday, 13 OctoberTime: 11:00am – 1:30pmVenue: Malpi College, GairidharaEntry by invitation only! Groovin’ at UpstairsDate: Thursday, 13 OctoberTime: 7:00pm – 9:00pmVenue: Jazz Upstairs, LazimpatPrice: Rs700Gates open at 6:30pm.Cadenza Collective gather new and old friends for an explosive jam at Kathmandu's most storied jazz club. Valley JamsDate: Friday, 14 OctoberTime: 7:00pm – 9:00pmPrice: Rs700Gates open at 6:30pm and close at 7:00pm.Venues:Jazz Upstairs, Lazimpat – Jamie Baum Sextet (USA)Electric Pagoda, Thamel – Jin Jim (Germany)Evoke, Jhamsikhel – Catia Werneck (Brazil /France)Maitri Marg – Yumi Ito (Switzerland)Visiting Jazzmandu 2022 acts perform intimate sets at venues across the Kathmandu Valley. Jazz BazaarDate: Saturday, 15 OctoberTime: 3:00pm – 10:00pmVenue: Gokarna Forest ResortPrice: Rs1500Gates open at 2:00pm and close at 7:00pm.A day and night of incredible music under an open sky at the lush Gokarna Forest Resort.Sounds of Brazilian Jazz &amp; Nepali Afro-FunkDate: Monday, 17 OctoberTime: 7:00pm – 9:00pmVenue: Aloft, ThamelPrice: Rs1700Gates open at 6:00pm and close at 8:00pm.A classy evening in Thamel with music spanning Brazil, West Africa and Nepal. Jazz at PatanDate: Tuesday, 18 OctoberTime: 7:00pm – 9:00pmVenue: Yalamaya Kendra, Patan DhokaPrice: Rs1700Gates open at 6:30pm and close at 8:00pm.Please be seated by 6:45pm.Nepali classical music fuses with jazz on a magical night in the old city of Patan. Jazzmandu FinaleDate: Wednesday, 19 OctoberTime: 5:30pm – 10:00pmVenue: Hotel Yak &amp; Yeti, Durbar MargPrice: Rs1500Gates open at 4:30pm and close at 8:00pm.The full festival line-up comes together for one last jam to close out Jazzmandu 2022.

And all that Jazzmandu

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5fb79c7e80680e056e43jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="684"/><figcaption>Photos: JAZZMANDU</figcaption></figure>Surya Nepal Jazzmandu will celebrate its 17th anniversary with a week of world-class music from 17 to 23 October. Jazzmandu, or the Kathmandu Jazz Festival, is now an established part of the international jazz scene, and is recognised as among the leading music festivals in South Asia.As always, Jazzmandu’s stages are filled this year with musical talents and traditions from all over the planet. The trio RSxT will keep alive a strong connection between Jazzmandu and the daring music scene in Hamburg. With Paul Tynan and Jake Hanlon, Jazzmandu has Canadian musicians back at the festival for the first time since 2004. The local acts Jooni, The Blue Fret and the Cadenza Collective will represent the great diversity of contemporary Nepali music. Tropic Green is returning to Jazzmandu from Singapore for a second time, having already made a mark here in 2014. From the United States, Jazzmandu 2019 presents Adrian Crookston with the Palouse Forro Experience, playing forro music from the North East of Brazil. And from France, the festival welcomes Faby Medina, an ambassador of the unique musical traditions of her native Guadaloupe.There is also, sadly, an irreplaceable gap in the Jazzmandu line-up this year. The tabla maestro Rabin Lal Shrestha, who played at every single edition of Jazzmandu right from the first one, recently succumbed to illness, in what is a great loss to Nepali music. As Jazzmandu pays tribute to a special musician and friend, Shrestha’s son and students will perform in his honour at the Jazz Bazaar in Gokarna, and the Jazz at the Temple House event will feature a special piece in his memory.Jazzmandu has helped introduce jazz to Nepal, and to seed a vibrant local music scene. The festival makes music education a large part of its mission. Jazzmandu 2019 will begin with a free concert for school children (all schools and individual students interested in attending the event should contact <a href="mailto:info@jazzmandu.org">info@jazzmandu.org</a> as soon as possible), and will also host workshops and masterclasses for upcoming musicians and music enthusiasts. Besides these, the festival will feature a packed week of events, presenting world-class music in some of Kathmandu’s most atmospheric venues for both local and international audiences.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221108141152/636a5fb99c7e80680e056e44jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="163">Read Also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/jazz-returns-to-the-mandu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jazz returns to the ‘Mandu,</a> Sanghamitra Subba<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/kathmandu-and-all-that-jazz/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kathmandu, and all that jazz …,</a> Sewa Bhattarai<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Jazz-comes-home-jazzmandu-festival-kathmandu,3964" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jazz comes home,</a> Shreejana Shrestha

Jazzmandu 2019 kicks off

The daily 10-hour curfew at Tribhuvan International Airport from 8 November that will last five months has affected tourism during Nepal’s peak season, with some hotels and trekking agencies here reporting cancellations into spring next year. The reduced hours at Nepal’s main aviation gateway till 31 March means that a third of all flights have been cut. This has also caused ticket prices to surge by up to eight times of normal fares. For example a Kathmandu-Delhi ticket that used to cost Rs12,000 is now listed at Rs50,000, and even then seats are not available.&nbsp; “Especially if they are here to trek, change in flight dates can cause tourists to miss their connections,” says Jagan Timilsina, who runs a trail running and outdoor education business. &nbsp; Pokhara is feeling the brunt as hotels report last-minute cancellations for November because of flight disorders. Some hoteliers also say although there have been some cancelled trips, most itineraries have been rescheduled.&nbsp; Hari Prasad Sharma Gaire of the local chapter of the Hotel Association of Nepal says the Kathmandu airport closure should have been timed for the off-season. He told us: “Starting construction during the peak tourist season was a mistake and will cause the tourism industry to lose a lot of business. The upgrade could have been spread out over a longer time but closed for fewer hours at night so that disruption was minimal.”&nbsp; Nearly a third of the 1.2 million tourists who visit Nepal annually come to Pokhara, which is also the gateway to Mustang, the Annapurna treks and pilgrimage tourism to Muktinath. Located by scenic lakes with a range of adventure sports like hot air ballooning, paragliding, canyoning, bungee and ziplines, Pokhara is also popular among diaspora Nepalis. “Besides its own attractions, Pokhara is really the hub for central Nepal, and we have been trying to get visitors to extend their stay here,” says Timilsina, who started out as a trekking porter and rose up the ranks to be an expedition guide and entrepreneur. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024111603114_0e071ce63ea9b0a9a7ee76f8c3cea0ff08c6767c41dd09f6bc4413d2db067a60.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2024111603114_0e071ce63ea9b0a9a7ee76f8c3cea0ff08c6767c41dd09f6bc4413d2db067a60" data-rendition-name="original" width="3500" height="2333" loading="lazy" alt="Pokhara's tourism woes NT"> <figcaption>Tourist arrivals in Pokhara have slumped since the disruptions at Kathmandu airport due to upgrading work. Photo: KRISHNA MANI BARAL/NEPALI TIMES ARCHIVE</figcaption> </figure>  Even without the Kathmandu airport closure affecting tourist arrivals, Pokhara was already suffering from a decline due to many factors like the poor state of the Prithvi Highway, the shortage of luxury accommodation for high-end tourists, and the reluctance of international airlines to start direct flights to Pokhara despite an expensive new airport that was inaugurated two years ago.&nbsp; “There was a lot of initial excitement on the construction of the international airport,” says Timilsina, “but it hasn’t delivered as expected due to politics. People have invested in nearby businesses, and have faced losses.” India has blocked direct flights from its cities to Pokhara because the facility was built by a Chinese company. Although tourists and pilgrims from India hit record levels this year, the poor state of the highways and the Indian bus accident on the highway to Kathmandu in July that killed 27 pilgrims from Maharashtra state dampened arrival figures. Gaire says, “While tourist arrivals to Pokhara are now approaching pre-Covid levels, we haven’t seen the improvement we were expecting. We need a better marketing strategy. What are our embassies abroad doing?”&nbsp; Indeed, Pokhara used to be a favourite destination for Chinese tourists. There was a boom in arrivals from China before Covid, especially after a popular Chinese tv serial was shot on location here. But arrivals from China have not really recovered since the pandemic because of the economic slowdown there. Promoting Pokhara airport to handle direct flights from Chengdu or Kunming could revive Chinese arrivals.&nbsp; Nepal’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAN) has used the Kathmandu airport closure as an excuse to arm-twist international airlines to start flying to Bhairawa, which has barely been in operation for two years since it was inaugurated. So far, Fly Dubai, Thai AirAsia, Jazeera and Qatar are flying to Bhairawa, but most use it as a hop before flying on to Kathmandu, which does not reduce congestion at Kathmandu.&nbsp; An ideal situation could have been to get Pokhara to run to full capacity while Kathmandu is partially out of action. Pokhara entrepreneurs are puzzled why the CAAN and the national government have not taken more interest in promoting Pokhara as an alternative to reduce the congestion in Kathmandu. Nepal’s football team that was flying to Dushanbe this week couldn’t get tickets via Delhi, and took a domestic flight to Bhadrapur, crossed over to Bagdogra and flew on to Delhi to catch their flight to Tajikistan.

Pokhara’s tourism woes

An excerpt of a conversation between an anthropologist and linguist Mark Turin, PhD and Lava Deo Awasthi, PhD, the first Chairperson of the Language Commission of Nepal. Nepali Times: What is the role of Nepal’s Language Commission and when was it formed? Lava Deo Awasthi: The Constitution of Nepal (2015) created a Language Commission (LC) with the following four core mandates: (a) to develop eligibility criteria for gaining status as an official language and offer recommendations to the Government of Nepal about the official language(s) in each province; (b) to offer recommendations to the Government about measures to be taken for the conservation, promotion, and development of languages; (c) to suggest possible ways of using mother tongues in education by assessing their stage of development; and, (d) to conduct studies, carry out research and perform monitoring functions about the response to the constitutional provisions for the federalisation of languages in Nepal. The Commission was founded in 2016 and I was appointed as the Chairperson of the Commission in September of the same year by the Cabinet of Ministers. What in your own professional and educational background helped to prepare you for the role? I have worked with the Government of Nepal for about 30 years, alongside holding teaching appointments at universities in Nepal. Prior to assuming the role of the Chairperson of the Commission, I served as permanent Secretary to the Government of Nepal and worked as the Chief Administrator of the Central Development Region. I was appointed as Director General of the Department of Education and completed my assignments as Joint Secretary at the Planning, Monitoring and Educational Administration Divisions of the Ministry of Education.&nbsp; In addition, I have taught courses as a visiting professor at Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University for more than three decades. Later, I also started supervising MPhil and PhD students at the Far Western University in Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur. My PhD project from the Danish University of Education was dedicated to making sense of Nepal’s social construct and commitment to multilingualism, exploring the persistence of monolingual school practices in the face of constitutional promises and state commitments to multilingualism. I conducted a survey of Nepal’s languages and carried out a qualitative study of the Tharu language in the district of Bardia. I analysed language policy statements and explored classroom pedagogies in schools. I documented how teachers showed a tendency to resist change and maintain the status quo because they were not consulted when new educational language policies were introduced. Teachers also exhibited a deeply-held adherence to the Gurukul education system which appears to have been harnessed as a way to resist newer pedagogical ideologies imported from the West. Recognising how engrained these rich traditions of knowledge transmission are, I wanted to know how students’ engagement in the learning process appeared to have dwindled, creating a gap between children’s home languages and the language(s) of the school. Whilst statutory provisions for education in the mother tongue were oriented towards promotion, classroom pedagogies remained resolutely monolingual and exclusionary. The result was that multilingual education policies that had been introduced in Nepal did not result in meaningful changes in classroom practices. My research was also a reflection of childhood traumas I had experienced at the earliest stage of formal education. My home language, Baitadeli, has a strong oral tradition and no written literature. English is my fifth language in terms of exposure and competence, and my home district of Baitadi is well-known for its loyalty to the local language. I had to drop out of school after completing my sixth grade. Staying at home, I received much attention from my family and had much greater exposure to my native language, culture and environment. My overall impression is that dropping out of school had a surprisingly positive impact on my life. The opportunity offered a surprising dividend for me as I gained mastery in my mother tongue and received extensive exposure to folk literature and Indigenous knowledge and survival skills, cultivating my interest in language, culture, literature and local cosmologies.&nbsp; Now that I reflect on it, I appreciate how language has always played a key role in my life. I grew up in a multilingual environment: brought up with Baitadeli, Hindi, Sanskrit, Nepali and English. Language played a major part in my decision to leave school and my later success is closely linked to my competence in several languages. It was rewarding to be at home with my family as I deepened my understanding of native language and culture, which in turn helped me to harness and refine my art of living. Languages matter so much to me because they are both software and hardware. Later, when I was in secondary school, I realised that my command of my home language contributed significantly to enhancing my Nepali and English. I used my mother tongue as a form of linguistic capital to strengthen my competence in both English and Nepali.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024111811110_5400ba54792bf9e4854e1c1effde8bf09804e99647f23513700b450cc49adc4a.jpg" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="2024111811110_5400ba54792bf9e4854e1c1effde8bf09804e99647f23513700b450cc49adc4a" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Dr Lava Deo Awasthi"> </figure>  In your term as the Commission’s first Chairperson, what were your strategic goals and objectives? My first strategic goal was to create an environment conducive to implementing the provisions of the Constitution of Nepal in relation to language. My priority was to prepare a detailed action plan for my six-year tenure in consultation with language stakeholders, including language experts, professionals, activists, Indigenous community members and representatives of relevant national and local-level institutions. The Commission formed a body of high-level advisors to ensure that the Chairperson’s work was well-informed and credible. The advisors to the committee had highly visible professional and social reputations in Nepal and had much experience in the field of language conservation, promotion, research and development. Another strategy we adopted was to establish close institutional linkages with federal, provincial, and local level governments for collecting opinions and disseminating information widely.&nbsp; What critical issues did you have to consider while discharging your duty? When Nepal’s new Constitution was drafted, a number of concerns could not be adequately addressed. These related to the conservation of languages, the recognition of official languages at the provincial level, and the use of mother tongues at federal, provincial, and local levels. These unresolved issues and matters pertaining to the federalizsation of Nepal’s languages were passed on to the Language Commission to address and resolve.&nbsp; Regarding the recommendations for official languages, a five-year timeline had been set by the Constitution. With great effort, we succeeded in having all provinces agree to recognise their official languages as per the recommendations of the Commission.&nbsp; What were your greatest achievements during your term? One of the greatest achievements was that we succeeded in setting a language agenda at all levels. Nepal’s language communities and other stakeholders expressed the view that this was the first time their languages were recognised and their voices heard by the state. People participated in debates and discussed issues relating to language that in all likelihood had never before happened in their lifetimes, at least not in ways that were supported by the state. We encouraged people to speak in their own language(s) and provided translators during plenary sessions and group discussions. Another major achievement was developing criteria for the status planning of languages at federal, provincial, and local levels, and to recommend 11 province-level official languages, in addition to the Nepali language. Similarly, a notable achievement was recognising Indigenous languages spoken by smaller communities, all of whom faced ongoing marginalisation and high levels of endangerment. The Commission identified 9 new languages that had not been reported in the 2011 census, and provided a framework for recognising official languages within a municipality. The commission emphasised the need for documentation and digitisation of languages for developing corpora and archives at national and sub-national levels.&nbsp; Languages of historical importance as well as classical languages were given recognition for their protection, growth, and development. Recommendations were made for the conservation, promotion and development of Nepal’s marginalised languages that are threatened by majority languages and for those languages that hold particular power at local and global levels. Recommendations were also made for how best to safeguard Nepal’s languages from the ever-growing spread of English and other powerful, globalising languages.&nbsp; A further important aspect of the Commission’s work was to emphasise mother tongue medium instruction in schools across the nation. Recognising the role of language in children’s cognitive, socio-emotional and academic development, the Commission suggested strategies for linking schools with ward-level language clusters for use in the classroom. The importance of nurturing and respecting a child’s first language was reiterated in the Commission’s recommendations for children’s learning and all-round development. By the end of my term, a remarkable change could be observed in terms of building trust within and across Nepal’s diverse language communities. A network of language groups and stakeholders across the country proved to be a powerful way of bringing all language communities under one roof for a collective review of and response to the process of federalising language policy. The many language stakeholders across Nepal appreciated the opportunity to work within a coordinated framework, and—feeling empowered by this—seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the initiatives taken by the Commission.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2024111811114_b45297fdd2fedf17bdb6313e495a1062c0d87f1a19fa5349f871f220b75f93ab.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="2024111811114_b45297fdd2fedf17bdb6313e495a1062c0d87f1a19fa5349f871f220b75f93ab" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1000" loading="lazy" alt="Dr Lava Deo Awasthi NT"> </figure>  What were the most significant challenges for you as Chairperson? One of the major challenges was winning people’s trust in advocating for the mission of the Language Commission. I faced considerable resistance as I sought to emphasise the use of native languages in families and communities. While the Commission advocated for multilingualism and promoted linguistic diversity, the prevailing policy circles and central level institutions had been deeply influenced by a one-language discourse and ideology of Nepali only. The spread of English also poses a huge threat to Nepal’s languages. However, people in power do not seem to see this as a problem. They tend to abandon their own languages in preference for English. The way that Nepal’s municipalities are increasingly introducing English as a medium of instruction at the earliest stage of a child’s school-based education has proven to be detrimental to their cognitive development, socio-emotional wellbeing and academic success. Most of Nepal’s elites have been heavily influenced by the spread of English and remain unaware about its impact on their home languages as well as on the inter-generational transmission of Indigenous languages in the country. I wish that we could have produced more compelling evidence to show the consequences of making poor policy choices for our children’s education. Demystification calls for a collective response. To make change happen across this entire, complex and federalising country was daunting work and left like a race against time. I feel that I could have done more to offer concrete examples in favour of using the mother tongue as a medium of children’s education at the earliest stages of a child’s education. What do you see the Language Commission achieving in the next 5-10 years? The Language Commission will have to ensure that all of its key recommendations are implemented at all levels of government. In 10 years’ time, all seven of Nepal’s provinces will have their official languages in place. These languages will also be recognised as languages of federal business, alongside Nepali. I anticipate that all official languages in the federal and provincial systems will have a national portal for inter-language corpora using machine translation to fulfil their federal, provincial and local level language functions, and that all languages spoken in Nepal will be represented through a digital database in the national archive. The Office of Statistics will monitor the status of Nepal’s languages over time. By the end of the next decade, each municipality in the country will have recognised one or two official languages at the local level, based on speech populations. Other local languages will have received community-level legal recognition and official status to fulfil their functional roles. Languages that are highly endangered or at risk will be entitled to receive state grants for enhancing local level capabilities to encourage families and young learners to speak the language. Incentive schemes will be introduced in municipalities that promote language within the family and at home. Inter-generational transmission of languages will have received welcome and timely attention across Nepal. It is my hope that all schools—public and private—will have introduced mother tongue medium instruction at the earliest stage of school education, at least up to class five. Nepali, English and other national as well as classical and foreign languages will be taught as subjects. The existing policy of English medium education at the early stage of education will be abolished. The Government of Nepal will be held accountable if the number of speakers of any language decreases or if local communities face language loss and greater endangerment. Under the aegis of the Language Commission, a Centre for Language Research and Innovation will be created with world-class facilities for language documentation and archiving in collaboration with Tribhuvan University’s Central Department of Linguistics and other relevant institutions. Harnessing the vastness of Nepal’s linguistic diversity, the Language Commission will morph into a centre of excellence for national and international communities to engage in collaborative language research, to share experiences and document best practices at in service of global linguistic diversity and Nepal’s many Indigenous languages.

Languages are both software and hardware

Earlier this month, Nepal received Rs1.6 billion from the World Bank as part of its <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/will-nepal-ever-be-paid-for-saving-trees">Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF)</a>, rewarding the country for increasing its carbon sink capacity. Nepal is the first in South Asia to benefit from this facility, and it is specifically to recompense the country for increasing forest cover in 13 Tarai districts between 2018-2024. “We are also trying to get another Rs13 billion from the facility while also preparing for free market-based carbon trading in the international market,” says Nabaraj Pudasaini of the REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries) Implementation Centre. Big emitters of greenhouse gases are under pressure to reduce their carbon emissions, and many have signed agreements to do so by investing in decarbonisation projects in developing countries. Countries that emit more than a specified amount of carbon would be able to buy emission rights from countries that emit less. Nepal is internationally known for its community forestry program which has been largely credited for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/tree-mendous">increasing tree cover to over 45%</a> in less than three decades. But this achievement had not been adequately recognised or rewarded internationally before. Forests, especially in the tropics, absorb and store large amounts of carbon while releasing oxygen in a process known as photosynthesis. <a href="https://www.fao.org/forest-resources-assessment/en/">Preventing deforestation</a> and increasing canopy cover is considered a much more achievable goal than reducing emission in the scale necessary to limit global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. COP11 in Montreal in 2005 first proposed reducing carbon emissions by improving forest quality by halting degradation. By 2015, a new mechanism of financial assistance was created to help less developed countries with sustainable management of forests <a href="https://www.un-redd.org/">(called REDD+)</a>. Under this new mechanism, countries receive aid based on their efforts to prevent forest degradation and increase carbon sink, and in 2021 the World Bank was entrusted with implementing it. Nepal’s FCPF receipt this month was calculated on the basis of 2.4 million tons of carbon stored at a rate of $5 per ton. In the second phase, Nepal will receive more than Rs4 billion within the next year for storing an additional 7 million tons of carbon. Eighty per cent of this amount obtained from carbon trading needs to be spent on local beneficiaries and indigenous communities.&nbsp; But carbon trading is not easy, Nepal needs to prove that protected forests will not be destroyed in future.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20241121091132_c8a381c9a95aa86fec558951650d97bb87914741f01766982ba2b086af001f16.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20241121091132_c8a381c9a95aa86fec558951650d97bb87914741f01766982ba2b086af001f16" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="999" loading="lazy" alt="Greenbacks for greenery NT "> <figcaption>Photo: KUNDA DIXIT</figcaption> </figure>  Explains carbon trading expert Yugan Manandhar. “Forests should be handed over to the community and shown that they are managed sustainably. Proving this will be particularly challenging; forest encroachment and degradation is rife in the Tarai.” <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/nepal-is-going-up-in-smoke">Deliberate forest fires</a> have also added to the challenge because they increase carbon emissions and reduce the sink capacity of forests. The basis for the amount that Nepal received was set five years ago by calculating the carbon reserves of forests in the 13 Tarai districts. In the meantime, sustainable forest management, tree plantation, forest destruction and erosion control were prioritised to increase carbon reserves in those forests. Nepal is signing another carbon trading agreement during the ongoing Baku climate conference. The <a href="https://www.leafcoalition.org/">Lowering Emissions by Accelerating Forest finance (LEAF Coalition) </a>proposes to sell the carbon stored in the forests of Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces. For this, Nepal signed the letter of intent three years ago at COP26 in Glasgow. The target is to store 70 million tons of carbon in 32 million hectares of forest in the three provinces per which Nepal will receive Rs13 billion in four years at $10 per ton with provisions to increase the rate if various conditions are met. However, the agreement in itself doesn’t guarantee the amount. According to the targets set by Nepal, forest degradation should be stopped and carbon reserves increased by protecting tree cover. Preparations are also underway for clean air carbon trade because it has offset fossil fuel use by introducing 30,000 electric vehicles. Nepal has been selected for the first round to receive $40 million within one and a half years through the Clean Air System of the World Bank. Given that most of Nepal’s energy mix is from biomass, replacing them with electric stoves can significantly improve health by reducing indoor pollution as well as strengthen the country’s capacity for carbon trade. “Nepal's goal now is to sell carbon in the free market where carbon credits are bought and sold based on supply and demand in an open and transparent manner,” adds Pudasaini of the REDD Implementation Centre. “Nepal can now set its own price and bargain with interested buyer countries and organisations.” Lately, India has been discussing setting up a carbon market. Nepal has exported Rs12.72 billion worth of electricity to India so far this fiscal year, which can be traded under Nepal’s carbon market. “Carbon trading can create significant economic benefits for Nepal, which will help reinvest in development and environmental protection projects,” says Manandhar. “But we must prioritise sustainable management of forests, cutting older trees and allowing regrowth as well as promoting electric stoves and electric vehicles.”

Greenbacks for greenery

Turkish Airlines has introduced a new amenity kit collection designed in collaboration with French fashion house Lanvin for international business class passengers on flights more than five hours. It consists of five pieces designed for sustainability and elegance. Bags are reusable and will consist of Lanvin cosmetic products like hand and body lotions and lip balm. Eye masks and socks are made from recycled materials, earplugs are packaged in paper and the toothbrush is bamboo.

jazz-in-nepal