Albatross touring to launch 'Raat Ko Rani'

BY SUSHMA MAHARJAN, Kathmandu, May 18: Albatross, a Nepali rock band, has come up with their new album 'Raat Ko Rani' and is currently touring Nepal for its launch.

Shirish Dali, vocalist/guitarist of the band, said that the album is titled Raat Ko Rani as they had portrayed the story of an innocent, pure and beautiful lady who dares to face the nightlife in it.  The album consists of nine songs in total.

 Of them, six are completely new songs and three are the old songs recorded again. Established in 1998, the band has Sunny Manandhar on guitar, Avaya Siddhi Bajracharya on base and Kismat D. Shrestha on the drum.

The band launched the album at an event organised at Purple Haze, Kathmandu,  on May 13.

They will be touring Nepal and abroad as a part of the release of Raat ko Rani. The band will have a performance and album launch in Chitwan on May 18, in Pokhara on May 19 and in Butwal on May 20. After that, the band will have an acoustic show at Moksh, Kathmandu on May 26.

The band for the event is managed by kgarira.com and one can buy tickets through the website. Nirnit Tandukar, executive director of the company, said that they had received unconditional love from the audience for the new release. The band which continues to define and carry the rock category forward has selective audience and their eight-year-long wait ended with Raat Ko Rani.

“We are expecting an international tour as well. International audience will get to meet Albatross in Australia in June, in the USA in early July and in the UK in late July,” Tandukar added.

According to the band members, they have tried to deliver a new taste to the audience in their latest release. They informed that they have collaborated with Diwas Gurung in the song 'Raat Ko Rani', with Uniq Poet in 'Kaha Janchhau' and Ashish Maharjan in 'Bhawana'. Albatross is known for its unique rock music form, but in the new album they have included folk taste too.

Earlier, Albatross, which has set a new trend in the Nepali music industry, had released four albums-- Hi:fly (1999), Jo Jas Sanga Sambandhit Chha (2005) and Atti Bhayo (2011) and Ma Ra Malai (2015). The band which has rocked the Nepali music industry for over two decades and influenced a lot of music lovers has given super hit songs titled Bhool, Awaz, Atti Bhayo, Khaseka Tara, Aafnai Sansaar Ma Kina, Abhiman, Timi Bhane and others.