The Band Creed - incomplete without Scot Stag

I can't digest the band Creed with the main vocalist Scot Stag. It just doesn't sound right without him. He was the life-blood to the band. All the band members were good but then it was his vocal which led the band to achieving hits after hits. Where is Scot now anyway? I miss his presence in the band ever since he left the band.

I don't understand these bands why they have to split when they are in the verge of reaching the summit. If we look at the history of most of the successful bands then they have almost the same stories. One band member not liking the other and the disputes they have inside or at the backstage. Once I watched a DVD of Metallica where the band members where yelling and swearing at each other at the backstage just before the concert. That's what goes on in a band. Egos burn at all times no matter how interdependent the band members are in a band.

I wonder when and how we can stop all these disputes. But then not even the greatest bands would have been formed if they hadn't come together despite their egos, would they? Anyway, it's a huge issue to discuss about. Scot Stag - I miss this rock-star so much in the band.

Joe Satriani - the God of Guitar

Have you listened to this track 'War' by Joe Satriani? Whenever I listen to Joe's this track I feel like I'm in a war for real. Really! It's sound is so intense and he has really portrayed a war scene through his unique music.

Joseph Satriani -  that's his real name. He was born in July 15, 1956, is an American instrumental rock guitarist, mulch-instrumentalist and multiple Grammy Award nominee. Early in his career, Satriani worked as a guitar instructor, with many of his former students achieving fame such as: Steve Vai, Larry LaLonde, Rick Hunolt, Krik Hammet etc to name a few.

In 1988, Satriani was recruited by Mick Jagger as lead guitarist for his first solo tour. In 1995, Satriani toured with Deep Purple as the lead guitarist. He has worked with a range of guitarists during the G3 Tour, which he founded in 1995. His G3 collaborators have included Vai, LaLonde, Steve Kukather, Eric Johnson etc.

I just can't explain the sound produced by Joe Satriani. It's sometimes happy and sometimes really sad. It's furious and quite often melodic. So my friends try Satriani and get swayed by his beautiful music. Jai Joe!!!

The Eagles

The band - Eagles has always been my friend anywhere I go. I'm never without it. I always listen to The Eagles because I fell in love with their music ever since my childhood. I use to rummage into my brother's room and one day I found the CD of this band. From that day, I'm listening to the Eagles.

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in LA, California at around 1971. It was found my band members Glenn, Don Henley, Bernie and Randy Meisner. With seven number-one singles, six Grammys, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful bands of the 1970s. AT the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, Their Greatest hits and Hotel California, ranked among the 20 best selling albums in the US according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Hotel California is ranked 37th in the Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time", and the band was ranked no. 75 on the magazine's 2005 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

As I go on writing about the Eagles I don't like stopping to write more about their success. I can't do with the Eagles every single day.

Some Concert!

Over 8,000 people attended the Ncell Rocks concert in Lahan on February 25 at the premises of the Shree Pashupati Higher Secondary School. Kamal Khatri sarted off the concert with the popular numberslike "Aatma Ma" and "Korera Prem Patra", followed by a host of popular artists like Nima Rumba, Adrian Pradhan, Rajina Rimal and Shreya Sotang. The capacity crowd were seen greatly enjoying the music and singing along with the artists. Ncell rocks also provided a platform for local artists to entertain the crowd, along with additional entertaining acts like a DJ session and a B-Boying performance.

Similar was the atmosphere at Janakpur, on the premises of the Janakpur Cigarette Factory on February 23. Around 12,000 people attended the concert, stated a press release. "We thank out customers and music lovers for making Ncell Rocks successful," said Milan Sharma, Corporate Communication Expert at Ncell. "Ncell Rocks did not just entertain music lovers but also gave opportunities for local artists to share the stage with the national artists.

Free tickets to the concert were provided to new customers as well as existing Ncell subscribrs with the purchase of SIM cards and recharge cards worth Rs 100 and above. It was an awesome day for me. The event was spectacular and I hope to see the same kind of concert very soon. Nepal ROCKS!!!

Music knowledge from abroad

The British Council in Kathmandu brought in two music experts from the UK for a two-day workshop, from February 26 to 28, for music professionals and upcoming artists at the British Council, Lainchaur.

Ruth Daniel, who co-founded Un-Convention four years ago aiming to strengthen music-related infrastructure from the grassroots level over the world, and Sharon Dean, music publisher and founder of Respect Music, discussed the commercial aspect making music with workshop attendees. Majoj KC of 1974 AD, Roshan Sharma, music teacher at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, and Garima Gurung Shah, were among the participants at the workshop.

Daniel informed that they had conducted similar workshops in 22 different countries, including Uganda, Venezuela, Colombia, Australia and India, and that this was their 44th event focusing on building a sustainable career in music.

During the workshop, participants pointed out problems like the lack of quality instruments and studios, the lack of brand sponsorship and few large scale music festivals for local bands. Un-Convention attempts to mobilize artistes and create a network of artistes at the workshops conducted across the world.

Music - not a piece of cake, is it?

"I would like to make a real jazz album someday because I never have. But that's something I'm not in a rush to do," admits multiple Grammy award winner Norah Jones who majored in jazz piano at college. In spite of all the perfect notes and steps on or off stage, many might lag the most essential element - the soul the music has. To judge any artist picking up strings or clashing cymbals, in jazz it would be the idea he/she projects and portrays through their instrument. The point of the music would be to do something and carry on doing it for the rest of your life. And despite the hard work and never ending rehearsals jazz musicians go through, at the end of the day the camera angles and the crazy stage lights - what matters the most seldom shines down toward these musicians.

In Nepal, musicians of all standards and ability have often come together for numerous occasions to perform jazz music at different venues. It's also the listeners who prefer to go to a more chic jazz show with musical horn sand off beat drums energetically, flaunting their signature styles. Call it a leap of faith or the attraction towards the comparatively new and low profile sounds of jazz, the Nepali crowd seems to have built a strange, yet deep relationship with it. The audience applauding vigorously to jazz at many instances might seem strange. Has the Nepali audience really adapted to jazz music? Matters get more complicated when you chat away with a bunch of musicians gulping down multiple glasses of local aaila. The words of wisdom they utter then are nothing more than jazz. That is very jazzy.

More Jazz

Since the days of its initiation, jazz has traveled grounds merging with different styles and cultures. Sub genres of jazz, like New Ore land's sound, spreading notes through Latin America and to other subcontinents have emerged with tunes swaying in various styles using numerous musical instruments. The effects of the genre were not just limited to the musical scenario in its hay days.

Even daily newspapers of immensely reputed standards did not spare the genre, or at least the word "jazz". Use of the word was often seen in the headlines despite the vague meaning it portrayed. For instance, a headline in the New York Times published a story that claimed jazz to be the cause of death of a celebrated orchestra conductor - Ureli Corelli Hill. The actual cause had nothing to do with Jazz. A fatal heart attack, a natural cause, was how the conductor had died. This shows the influential effects of jazz from its very beginning in avenues other than music.

According to music legends of the yesteryear, jazz has had a very close relationship with its musical counterpart -  blues music. Blues guitar player and living legend BB King explained the connection between jazz and blues saying, "Jazz is the big brother of the blues. If a guy;s playing blues like we play, he's in high school. When he starts playing jazz it's like going to college, to a school of higher learning". There are musicians who claim the two genres as being an integral part of each other. With an essence of European and African traditions, both jazz and blues are a fusion of similar elements and both emerged from the American south, Afro-American community to be more distinct.