| Username |
Post |
| ashu |
Posted
on 12-Jul-03 11:13 AM
In the US, one of my fondest activities was going to a lot of "a capella" concerts, to enjoy the songs sung by a group of students with no instrumental accompaniment whatsoever.
Once, absurdly feeling like a combination of Deep Shrestha and Bruce Springsteen , I even auditioned to get into one such group, but failed miserably to make the cut -- which, in retrospect, was just as well. [Some dhobi would have come up to me, looking for his donkey!!]
But there have been times I have wondered: Given our Nepali penchant for bursting
into songs (playing 'antakshari') on just about occasion in just about any gathering, how come we Nepalis do NOT have -- in or out of Nepal -- a single Nepali "a capella" group to speak of?
Something to think about, no?
At any rate, Kathmandu's Yak'n' Yeti Hotel is playing host to an A Capella group from
New Haven called "Yale Whiffenpoofs" this coming Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The Whiffs, all recent graduates of Yale College, are visiting KTM as a part of their
2003 world tour.
Those should be two fun evenings for those who miss American college-style a capella music in Kathmandu. In Kathmandu, one has to make do with a singing group from
Yale, and that's life. :-(
For more on the Whiffs:
http://www.yale.edu/whiffenpoofs/
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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| ashu |
Posted
on 14-Jul-03 08:50 PM
Nepali students at Amherst, Williams, Princeton and other schools too many and first-rate a capella groups may want to encourage their college groups to visit and perform
in Nepal.
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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Aural pleasure with The Whiffenpoofs
by SOPHIA PANDE
[The Nepali Times. 11-17 July, 2003. Number 152]
A touch of whimsy led to the Gentlemen Songsters of Yale naming themselves The Whiffenpoofs after one of the characters in a Victor Herbert musical comedy. Dont let the name fool you. This group of 14 fresh-faced Yale men is very, very talented and has a 96-year-old history behind it as one of the best collegiate a cappella groups in the United States.
The 2003 groupa new batch is culled from the Yale senior men every yearis on their annual world tour and we are very fortunate to have them here in our patch of the Himalaya. And there could be no better setting than Bir Shumsheres entertainment theatre, Naachghar, now a part of the Yak & Yeti Hotel. I had the pleasure of watching them in performance before, and must warn you that Whiffenpoofian (!) joie de vivre is highly infectious.
The group takes the stage impeccably turned out in tuxedoscomplete with pristine white glovesbut are far from stodgy. In fact, they are renowned for their presence that includes much jumping around and the occasional dance routine.
As I recall, they carry the old Yale-Harvard-Princeton rivalry right under the arc lights through outrageous jokes, all at the expense of the other Ivy Leaguers, charming the audience into a complicit understanding that Yale is undoubtedly the best of the lot. The Whiffenpoofs repertoire is an eclectic mix of traditional Yale songs, Broadway favourites and traditional folk songs from all around the world. The Bohemian Marching Song Aj, Lucka, Lucka Siroka is a favourite opener that will set your feet tapping.
The Whiffenpoofs of 2001, 2002 and 2003 have three albums to their credit, so at the end of the evening if you need to stock up on a little of their legendary aural pleasure, you can leave with a CD, two or maybe even three.
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| isolated freak |
Posted
on 14-Jul-03 09:09 PM
ashu,
there are some fine a capella groups in the west coast too :-).
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| ashu |
Posted
on 14-Jul-03 09:17 PM
All right, I stand corrected. Only in the US, especially on the East Coast, it's possible to get so provincially narrow. :-)
oohi
ashu
ktm,nepal
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