Chhewang Lama: From YouTube sensation to rising star of Nepali Music

Kathmandu, July 17: Chhewang Lama, now serving as a judge on season 3 of ‘The Voice Kids Nepal’ is emerging as a promising and talented singer in the Nepali music industry.

It’s evident from the fact all of his songs have surpassed a million views on YouTube, establishing him as a promising singer whose melodious voice has captivated audiences in a remarkably short time.

The popularity of his songs such as ‘Lahure’,  ‘Lahure 2’, ‘Lahure 3’,  ‘Timro Manma’,  ‘Sarara’,  ‘Jaat’  and others has solidified his status as a promising singer in the Nepali music fraternity.

Although he started singing from childhood, his musical journey began with cover songs. In 2009, he moved to the UK and began posting cover songs on YouTube, where he received positive responses and encouragement from friends, family and viewers.

 This support opened doors for him in the music world. Inspired by the public response, he began writing and singing songs himself. 

He also continued covering Hindi, Nepali, and English songs, which helped grow his YouTube fan following. People started recognising him and organisers in the UK began inviting him to perform at events.

As his YouTube channel grew and started earning money, Lama became more dedicated to music.

 To become a musician, he returned to Nepal in 2016. 

He planned to pursue music for one to two years, with a fallback plan to return to the UK if it didn't work out.

 Fortunately, his songs were successful. His cover song ‘Isarale Bolaunu Pardain’ gained popularity, leading to greater recognition.

 He then released his first song, ‘Lahure,’ which was a great success. Following this, he received offers to perform at festivals and transitioned from singing cover songs to his original compositions. He released ‘Lahure 2,’ which also did well and entered the ‘crore club.’

In 2019, Lama wrote a song called ‘Jaat,’ inspired by caste-based discrimination and the murder of Nawaraj BK of Rukum, a story that deeply affected him.

 Although it was not a commercial song, its strong message helped establish him as a significant figure in the Nepali music scene.

 Lama mentioned that every song on his YouTube channel has crossed a million views, and his channel recently reached one million subscribers.

Initially hesitant to accept the offer from ‘Voice of Kids Nepal’  he was eventually convinced by the show’s team to become a coach.

 He started YouTube around 2011 from the UK and initially recorded songs using his mobile phone and guitar.

 His first song was ‘Aama’ in 2013.

 Lama has sung about 20 songs, all of which have crossed over a million views.

 Self-taught through social media, he has no formal musical mentor but learned through passion and dedication.

Lama has several international and national shows lined up and plans to devote more time to music. He has planned to tour the US in September and October, covering 10 to 15 cities over one and a half months. 

He also plans to tour Japan, though the dates are yet to be decided. As a songwriter, composer and singer, he has written all his songs himself and he plans to devote himself to music.