Deep Shrestha - Mero Aankhama

This week, I am listening to “Mero Aankhama” by Deep Shrestha. I would often ask my mama to sing this song for me when I was a little kid. Her voice reverberated deeply through our Lazimpat house, right to its bones, and listening to her sing would always calm me down. Then, she would proceed to tell me many bedtime stories as she gently ran her fingers through my hair, and I’d drift away to la la land. 💤

Listening to my mama tell me bedtime stories is one of my favourite memories as a child. She had an incredible way of storytelling, sometimes so heart-wrenching that my little heart would literally feel like it had broken in two. One of my favourite stories that I would always want to listen to came down to this very question: “Mama, can you tell me the story of how you and baba fell in love?”. 😍

“Oh yes.” she would start by first describing my father strum away on his guitar when she first saw him, his shoulder-length brown hair from the late 70s, and his calm and grounded demeanour that made all the ladies (including my mama) get drawn to him. 🙂

Then, she would talk about how hard it was to love in a society that, at the time, did not approve of inter-caste relationships. My parents in the 80s challenged this societal convention and chose to get married for love. My parents are the reason I held on to the fairytale definition of “the one” throughout my adulthood. Relationships are never perfect, but I must say that when love is unconditional, you accept all imperfections. #truelove

Now, the answer to many of your questions as to why my last name is Tamang-Maskey? The explanation is simple. Hari Tamang (my father) + Susan Maskey (my mother) = Astha Tamang-Maskey (their daughter). 🤓#hyphenatedlastnames

With music by Deep Shrestha and lyrics by Shiva Shankar Thapa, here’s my rendition of “Mero Aankhama”.

#meroaankhama #deepshrestha #shivashankarthapa #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here:

Coldplay - Fix You

This week I am listening to ‘Fix You’ from Coldplay’s 2005 album ‘X&Y’. This album by Coldplay takes me back to my college years, and the many hours I used to spend commuting on the bus to Seneca College.

The year was 2007, and I was applying for the Independent Music Production program (IMP) at Seneca College. I had shown up with my application, a collection of my MySpace demos, and a photo of me and my black ovation guitar as part of my electronic press kit (EPK). This was my chance to study music in a way where I got to learn not only the technical audio side but also the business side of music.

With only a limited number of exclusive seats left in the program, I was nervous and eager to get accepted. I walked into the studio room, where Professor John Switzer was sitting across a giant mixing board. John is perhaps the gentlest human I have ever come across in my life, a fantastic mentor, and a presence that I will never forget.

Just my luck, I got my acceptance letter in the mail a few weeks later after my interview, and just like that, my fate was sealed. Music was going to be my journey for the next decade of my life. Eff the labels, we are going to make it DIY was the spirit us IMP kids carried. We wanted to do our own thing, on our own terms, and stay true to our art. And stay true to it to this day, I did. #DIY #EffTheLabels

Big dreams, so much unknown, but I was ready for everything. #BringItOnLife I learned a lot during that program. So much so that I took all that knowledge and wanted to release my very first Nepali album with my own budget and independently on my own terms.

Soon after I graduated in 2008 at the tender age of 18, I made my way to my hometown of Kathmandu and released an 8 song album, which most of you know today as my debut release, “Sabai Thikai Huncha.”. It’s funny how life works out, right? As if I had just figured out how to be at the right place at the exact moment in time I needed to be there. But I hadn’t. I look back today, and with all the confidence in the world, I can say that I was destined to do this.

Here’s my rendition of “Fix You” by Coldplay.

#fixyou #x&y #coldplay #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here:

Babin Pradhan - Jhari Pareko Din

This week, I’m listening to “Jhari Pareko Din” by Babin Pradhan. This song transports me back to many childhood memories spent in my childhood home in Lazimpat. Meticulously designed by my father, and interior decorated by my mother, this house was a marvel in its day and still is 🙂. 

Standing tall, and resilient through many years of Kathmandu weathering, and most recently the 2015 earthquake, the house has played host and been a home to many artists, musicians, and travellers over the years... If you were an active musician from 2012 to 2014, it is very likely that at some point in time, you must have spent a few moments in our Lazimpat home. If you have, you will remember those cold, chilling orange kitchen floor tiles that I speak of, the artisan oil lamps on the balcony,  the big mirrors in the living room, the beautiful arches throughout the home, our wonderful dog Simba and the tall pink Bougainvillaea flower vine crawling up the 3 stories all the way to the roof.  

I have so many memories of Lazimpat Ghar, including the memories of tiny Astha, waking up really early, running to the kitchen barefoot, scooping out a bowl full of rice and rushing to the terrace to feed the pigeons every morning. You see, I was in direct competition with our neighbour Baju across the street, as to who got the most pigeons to show up on their roof. But no matter how many rice grains my tiny hands could carry, Baju across the street always won, and she got hundreds of pigeons to always show up on her roof. Even those super rare white speckled pigeons. This never stopped me from trying, though, I continued to feed the pigeons every single morning. The beautiful view of the Himalayan range, the wonderful morning air while rising with the morning sun, and this song playing. Oh, what a feeling. #makesmesuperemotional

My dii used to say that Babin Pradhan wrote this song while mourning for his love who died in a plane crash. When music becomes the medium to heal one’s pain, the most magical thing happens. It gets shared. It becomes a moment in time, when you are not alone. Music has always helped me connect to the deepest, darkest parts of my soul, just so that I could be aware and shine some light in those corners. For all these years, you’ve been there listening, feeling with me …for that, I am eternally grateful.

Here is my rendition of “Jhari Pareko Din” by Babin Pradhan.

#jhariparekodin #babinpradhan #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here:

Alicia Keys - If I Ain't Got You

This week I am listening to ‘If I Ain’t Got You’ by Alicia Keys. I find myself revisiting her 2003 album, ‘The Diary of Alicia Keys’, quite often. Alicia Keys is one of those artists that, if I were ever so lucky to meet in life, I would most likely faint and drown in a puddle of my own tears. I just love absolutely everything about her.

Even my old YouTube username, cag3dbird is because of track 15 on Key’s first album. So many teenage memories spent with Keys’ records, with songs like ‘A Woman’s Worth’ which became an anthem for me growing up. It was grade 9, English class, and the assignment was to perform a poem in front of our class however we’d like. I had gone up in front of my class bravely—just me and warm, freshly printed lyrics of ‘A Woman’s Worth’ in my hands. The secret was out, and all the kids in my class were about to find out that I could sing 🙈. #songsinaminor

Young me always wanted a love that was deep, a love that was unconditional. I finally understand the deeper message of this song now that I’m in my 30s and have fallen head over heels in love with my person. The song’s lyrics deliver a deep message emphasizing the significance of love and authentic connections, prioritizing them over material possessions.

Here is my rendition of “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys.

#ifiaintgotyou #thediaryofaliciakeys #aliciakeys #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here:

Axata Singh - Ma Sadhai

This week I am listening to “Ma Sadhai” by Axata Singh, a song that I used to love performing back in the day, long before I started writing my own songs. There are lots of memories associated with this song, including my early performing days in Canada, when I used to play for community events, film festivals, and fundraisers organized by the Nepali community in Toronto, and this song was an absolute crowd favourite :).

Growing up in Toronto was an enriching experience, characterized by its vibrant beauty and multicultural atmosphere. Despite the relatively small local Nepali community at the time, influential figures like Yogendra dai, Sabin dai and Surendra dai played pivotal roles in supporting and inspiring Nepali youth. They encouraged the exploration of cultural heritage, the nurturing of connections to our roots, and the promotion of intellectual growth through values centered around idealism and activism, all aimed at fostering ongoing community development and progress.

I still have memories of being a teenager digging into Nepali music sites for hours, downloading songs, and learning how to sing and play them on the guitar. This was well before the YouTube era, so to find beautifully written Nepali pop songs back then was extremely challenging and rare, especially to find songs sung by female artists.

I had the honour of tracking down the original singer-songwriters and getting permission to sing and upload a full acoustic version of this song a few years ago (check the link in my bio under “unplugged”). Originally recorded in 2002, written by Bhasker Rai (Xmarica), and produced by Kashish Das Shrestha, this song is an absolute gem.

Here is my rendition of “Ma Sadhai” by Axata Singh.
#masadhai #axatasingh #bhaskerrai #kashishdasshrestha #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here:

Lucky Ali - O Sanam

This week I’m listening to Lucky Ali’s 1996 debut album, “Sunoh”. This album brings back many fond memories of 14 year old me with crimped hair wearing a long knit red sweater attending Lucky Ali’s concert in Kathmandu back in 2003 with Pooja Di, Sushma Auntie, and I, running after him and screaming his name“LUCKY ALI!!!!”.😵😵‍💫🤭 #fangirls

“O Sanam” was a hit in our household, and was the song that Pooja Dii and I would volunteer to sing at every family event. My daa had this album on cassette in his music archives, which I would steal sometimes and listen to for hours. I still remember Lucky Ali’s piercing eyes on Sunoh’s album cover, and who can forget the iconic music video of “O Sanam” shot in Cairo, which gives me goosebumps to this day every time I watch it.

This album was a disrupter, as we music lovers got to witness a true artist emerge through an ocean of Bollywood hits and release an indi-pop album that was so imperfectly pure, with a voice texture that was raw but so incredibly authentic. Produced musically by Mikey McCleary, a worldly music feeling is captured immaculately while experimenting with instruments like Maktab and Djembe.

Track 1 on the album “Sunoh”, here’s my rendition of “O Sanam” by singer-songwriter Lucky Ali and lyricist Syed Aslaam Noor.

#osanam #sunoh #luckyali #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here:

Aerosmith - Crazy

This week I’m listening to “Crazy” by Aerosmith from the 1993 album “Get a Grip”. This song takes me back to my early high school days 😁. My friends Yohei, Brian, and I had decided to form a band in high school where we would cover classic rock tunes together 😅🎸. Yohei shredded the guitar like a god and picked songs for us to cover, and Brian was brilliant with his keys and particularly versed in all his modal scales. I’ve never met anyone like him lol #musicnerd , and sometimes Richie and Andre would join us on the drums— All of them were seniors, maybe a year or two older than me — and I always felt kinda cool to be hanging out with older musicians who knew a lot more about music than I did at the time 🤘😎.

Through them, I eventually met Vasily and Sean, who help me record my first acoustic demo at the age of 16 :). The demos lived on my old myspace page for many years. I eventually kept working on many demos after that until the release of my debut Nepali album Sabai Thikai Huncha. You can find some of these early demos from my teen years now on my website 🙈! It is super cute to listen to my younger self in the process of figuring music out. Thanks, Lex for making me dig through my hard drives to find these! #iamsoproudofher🥲.

Ms.Vassiliadis and Ms.Dvoriadkina, our two inspiring music teachers at Northview Heights supported us every step of the way by setting up talent shows in our school auditorium for our performances. “Never quit”, Ms.V would say, “because the moment you quit, might be the moment you could’ve made it”. Her words stuck with me for life. I couldn’t quit, even if I wanted to. My definition of “making it” has changed a million times over the course of my life, but it seems that the only constant that remains is my love for music. It is just in my genes. #23andme

Here’s my rendition of “Crazy” from Aerosmith’s eleventh studio album “Get a Grip”.

#crazy #getagrip #aerosmith #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here:

Albatross - Timi Bhane

This week I am listening to Albatross’s 2005 EP, “Jo Jas Sanga Sambandhit Chha”, and the song “Timi Bhane,” which I’m sure is a favourite amongst many, is such a joy to play on guitar. I obsessed over this song in my teens and deeply appreciated Sirish Dai’s refreshing take on songwriting. A vocal tone that was rough around the edges but so expressively emotive at the same time. A true artist.

Just my luck, around early 2007-2008 ish I got to meet guitar virtuoso Sunny Dai, who had moved to Canada and decided to spend a few years here in Toronto. At the time, I was playing at a lot of local Nepali community events, and Sunny Dai and I got a chance to connect and play on a few occasions. “Sunny’s guitar playing is so unique. Ekdam different chha.”, I would hear other musicians compliment him as I nodded in awe and agreement. Evident in Albatross’s riffs and compositions, this EP was a disrupter in the Nepali alternative music scene, an absolute gem.

Later in 2014, during my Ma Ek Sapana Tour, I was ecstatic when given the opportunity to tour alongside Albatross. We played 4 Australian show dates together in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and I got a chance to really know Albatross ko dai haru. Many deep conversations and travels shared with Sirish dai, Abhaya dai, Sunny dai and Kismat. They kept me shielded from all the negative aspects of the music/touring industry, and I always felt safe in their presence. In all this narrative around “me too” and “women empowerment,” I sometimes wonder if we forget to give credit to the rare few men in the industry who show their utmost respect to women and create safe spaces where female musicians get an opportunity and an environment to grow and evolve. #iseeyouandiappreciateyou

2014 Ma Ek Sapana tour was massive, one that I will cherish until my hairs turn grey👵. I made many friends along the way like Roshan aka Bhaley, Parikshyit dai, Sisham Dai, Oscar Dai and Abishek aka Thakali from 3D events who were at the time making massive waves in the early Nepali tour/music promotion scene. We will meet again someday, I’m sure of it :). #tourlyf #lyfcha

#timibhane #albatross #jojassangasambandhitchha #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here:

Danny Denzongpa - Chiso Chiso Hawa Ma

This week, I am listening to “Chiso Chiso Hawama” by Danny Denzongpa. As I sit here typing this, drinking my tea ☕ listening to this beautiful and chilling song in the Canadian winter air, my childhood memories with my parents come flooding back like flashing lights. This song in particular takes me back to many precious moments spent with my parents as we hopped on my baba’s red Kawasaki motorcycle and made our way from Kathmandu to the cottages in Nagarkot 🏍️. Sometimes baba would let me ride in the front, and sometimes my parents would sandwich little me in the middle to keep me warm on colder, windier days :) 🌬️. Nagarkot wasn’t so developed back then, and the cottages preserved the natural charm and simplicity of village life.

Nothing beats Nagarkot’s dense and dewy morning air, beautiful sunrises, and endless skies at night filled with shooting stars. I used to take my cassette player with me and listen to a lot of music in the morning ambience, bust out my pencil and notebook, and keep hitting the rewind button until I had every lyric written down to the songs I loved. After a long motorbike ride from the city and a nice hike around the area, we would end up back in our room extremely hungry. Mama would bust open her tiffin with delicious khasi ko mutton kebabs and crunchy beaten rice #chiura. My mama is a hardcore vegetarian now, and the memory of her munching down mutton kebabs saying “kasto mitho!” makes me chuckle 🤭🍢. After that, mama and baba would sip on some taato pani and whiskey 🥃, and we would all cuddle up, and little me would fall asleep in mama and baba’s warm, comforting embrace.

Revisiting this song after many years, it brings me a lot of joy to sing it for you today. This rendition is one I used to perform a lot in my earlier shows, which some of you may have caught back in 2008. Some of you might also find influences pulled from Robin Dai’s rendition of this song.

With lyrics and music by Ranjit Gazmer, here is Danny Denzongpa’s 1976 release, “Chiso Chiso Hawama”.

#chisochisohawama #dannydenzongpa #ranjitgazmer #songsthatmademe

Listen to the original here: