MERO SARANGI by Shyam Nepali

Shyam Nepali’s newest release, and first entirely self-produced album, is a tribute to the ancient roots of the Nepali Gandharva Sarangi Tradition, as well as a guidepost for anchoring the tradition towards the future for the next generations.

Shyam’s playing has a roots firmly planted in the beautiful Gandharva tradition of Nepal, with new branches reaching towards the future, guiding the tradition into the modern world.

For centuries, the Gandharvas traveled throughout the Himalayan mountain villages and cities of Nepal telling stories through music, functioning as news reporters, entertainers, and healers.

Shyam weaves his sonic tales together with seasoned mastery, as the tones of the sarangi blend with his otherworldly vocals to create a tapestry of stories that reach the human heart in any language.

This collection of original compositions and heritage songs includes songs composed by his Grandfather, Magar Kancha Gandharva, popular Nepali composer L.P. Joshi, and a previously undiscovered song which Shyam found in the records of the Archives of Traditional Music at Indiana University.

Shyam Nepali is a hereditary Gandharva in the Nepali Sarangi Tradition. Shyam's grandfather, and great-grandfather, were official musicians sanctioned by the Kings of Nepal to perform music in the royal court. Shyam's father, Ram Sharan Nepali, was the first born into the modern era, and both he and Shyam have performed around the world, acting as a bridge between time, generations, and cultures