‘Kta Haru’ back with new single

By Mannu Shahi, :The new wave of modern Nepali pop showcases the comprehensive calibre led by a handful of creators deliberately not adapting the trails set by the older generation, but rather creating their own. 

One such fascinating group of friends transpiring their way to become household names is ‘Kta Haru’. A quintet comprising: Prasong Rupacha on synth, ukulele and vocals; Milan Neupane on guitars and main vocals; Prasanna Shah on lead guitars and vocals; Nischal Shrestha on bass; and Manish Naubagh on drums. 

Formed in 2018, the outfit released their debut eight track album titled, “Galat Nirnaya” the same year on September 25. The constant abhors and ridicule exhibited by our society to precarious fields like arts and music as a “wrong career decision” is the reason Kta haru chose this album title. 

Consisting their phenomenal tracks, like the most famous tune ‘Bagaicha’, the gaiety ‘Dharan’, the laid back bluesy ‘Dhikichyau’, the bold and liberal ‘Nare Nisha’, their tracks are catchy, listenable and encompassing innovative, witty and peculiar song writing. 

My personal encounter with the band followed their appearance in the prominent live series Yomari Session season 3, a month prior to their debut album launch. ‘Cycle’ featuring Ladi was the tune that instantly grasped my attention for its simplicity, catchiest hook and top-notch lyrics. The series featured four different singles from Kta Haru however none of the tracks were repeated on their debut album released at the similar time frame.

Another profound single ‘Chor Ayo’ published by the band’s official YouTube handle in October, 2019, was a live rendition of their past project Baba Da and Mark Harris, highlighting a dramatic, intricate and humorous narrative. The year 2020 displayed Kta Haru with a live version of ‘Padhna Aaudaina’ featuring a snippet cover of ‘Janna Ma School by Lakhshya’ in the intro section, and a live acoustic version of another single ‘Chandre Ra Usko Chillum’. Both the releases escalated the anticipation for a follow-up sophomore album which remains due till date. 

Nonetheless, an optimistic turn of events surfaced for Kta Haru fans entailing the release of ‘Jham Jham Paryo Pani’ on 9th November, 2022. Currently trending on #4 for music as per the Nepal moderated YouTube broadcast, this Nepali folk influenced single is hands down an ear treat for not just the group’s devotees but a much wider demographic.

The audio is produced by Manzil Bikram KC, the video is filmed by Kishor Maharjan, and the lyrics are credited to James and Milan Neupane. A faintly troubling aspect of the description is the credit for contributing musicians that states: Eldhose Robson on bass, Manish Gandarva on sarangi, Rubin Kumar Shrestha on flute and Sudhir Acharya on madal. 

In addition to this the video also only portrays the duo of singer Milan Neupane and guitarist Prasanna Shah traveling, performing, and having the time of their lives; yet no official statements have been made concerning the absence of the remaining members. Thus, only time can debunk this uncertainty.  

Apart from this, the song provides a quite relishing experience. As usual, the lyrics are the nexus of the entire project but the video is just as engaging and ingenious. 

The ‘jhyaure bhaka’ based melody enriches the group’s already appealing verses; the arrangement is simple and fleek; the outshining personalities of the band members and other secondary characters captured in the video helps the tune come across as more relevant to typical Nepali individuals. 

In less than two weeks, the single has already been streamed over 818,000 times on YouTube alone. Therefore, in case you’ve missed it, head over to the band’s social handles and allow yourself to indulge in the brilliance of Kta Haru.