For those in the creative industry, inspiration can strike at any moment. When Siddhi Sagar Prajapati, aka Kuma Sagar, was returning from his Gosainkunda trek, a few words began playing in his head. Having spent days in the mountains, his heart yearned for the comfort of his home and mother’s lap.
“ Para bata sunda timro tyo boli mutu mai laagera manai ramaayo re, ” (Hearing your voice from a distance touched my heart, making me happy,) These words, born from the confluence of his longing towards his mother and the beauty of the surroundings, became the foundation for his song ‘A Mai Re ’, which has more than 4.5 million views on YouTube. Born and raised in Bhaktapur, Sagar’s musical journey seeds were sown early when he used to go to dafa (a Newa communal place for learning and playing traditional musical instruments) with his grandfather.
The dafa hosted bhajan every evening in the falcha (Pati) of the community. “My baje (grandfather) used to play Khing baja in the dafa , and I used to follow him. Since then, I have inclined towards music,” he shares.
Sagar remembers singing ‘Chihan ki Pari’ for the first time in his school in 8th grade. Since childhood, he has analysed songs and music to understand how they were made. However, like every typical Nepali parent, Sagar’s parents considered education the most crucial thing and hindered him from pursuing music.
They ignored his desire to pursue an unconventional career and advised him to follow an orthodo.