| ashu |
Posted
on 12-Jul-03 12:19 AM
Stings here. Hes walking on the hills
By Dipti Sherchan
Kathmandu, July 10,
Gordon Matthew Sumner, popular worldwide as Sting [formerly of the rock band The Police], was in Kathmandu jamming with the local boys.
Unbelievable yet true! The musician who took the music world by storm in the early 1980s with his group Police and songs like "Message in a Bottle", and "Every Breath You Take", performed with the local band Cadenza in the jazz pub Upstairs Ideas at Lazimpat on Wednesday evening.
And it was an experience of a lifetime for the local boys. "It was fantastic to jam up with him. It was like a trip. I cannot explain how I felt. It was as if I was transported to a different world altogether. It was heavenly!" says Cadenza member Nabin.
For those present at the jazz bar, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The voice seemed familiar, but not the man. The clean-cut Sting look was missing. Instead there was slightly unkempt man, stubble et al, on stage performing a blues number. As reality dawned, SMS messages were being punched frantically. "Sting is here and live!"
According to Nabin, Sting declined to perform initially. "He had plaster on his forefinger. Nevertheless I asked him if he would sing. At the outset he told me 'Maybe not man! We need to go and have our dinner.' Then suddenly after listening to our CD he said 'So what do we sing?' And I said 'Walking on the Moon'. He said no, but added let's sing blues Shuffle rhythm. I think he too got energised suddenly," recounts Nabin wistfully.
How did the musician pop up in Kathmandu, that too in the tiny music pub? According to Chhedup, the owner of Upstairs Ideas and the rafting company Drift Nepal, Sting arrived in Kathmandu incognito on July 7, as he wanted to go rafting with his son, Jake. On their return from the rafting trip on Wednesday, Chhedup decided to take him out for a drink. He recalls, "We would have taken him to Thamel but gave up the idea as it would have created a riot there. So, I suggested we go to a small jazz bar Upstairs Ideas and he agreed to come with us."
Cadenza members are still wondering whether they performed with the legend himself. According to Nabin, Sting himself was surprised by the high standards of music in Kathmandu. "He said he didn't expect this in Nepal. The jazz bar, the jazz music, the band playing jazz, the atmosphere, the crowd etc," he said.
But Chhedup sums up the legend: "As a person I found him very cool. He does not speak much. He merely wanted to have a quiet holiday and spend quality time with his son. He had specially planned this holiday for his son. Just the two of them," he says.
Sting is all set to release his new album Sacred Love in Japan on September 10 and in the United States on September 23. He is now trekking in the mountains. And for obvious reasons we cannot tell you where he is right now.
|
