Mukti & Revival - Kalankiko Jam | Music

Mukti and Revival has come to set us free, musically. One of the musicians of the earlier lot, Mukti has satisfied his thirst, and that of his fans, with this new album - his first - Kalankiko Jam. Kalankiko Jam is a smart album.

The Album
Kalanki - the way-in to the capital city Kathmandu. Kathmandu as a giant magnet attracts all bad and good, and they all enter through Kalanki. There's always a jam in Kalanki. "Customs office there, the crowd of people pushing in from everywhere, all these make Kalanki an interesting place. Environmental pollution, political pollution chiefly, come in from there," Mukti explains. So Kalankiko Jam is a satire on political pollution and power centralization.

Among other songs in the album, Nahera Malai is the one Mukti wrote while he was in Spain. Basanta Udayo is a love song from his Elegance days. Dalli Resham is a folk song remake. Kanchhi Nani Blues is the song most concert goers in the valley should be familiar with. It has become a Mukti trademark song. Newar Medley is the Newari number in the album, which is smartly compiled. It's one of best numbers in the album. Mukti and Revival's tribute to Late Arun Thapa, the remake of Saanjha ko Jun Sangai, is one of the best among all Arun Thapa remakes. "We used to play together," Mukti, who has been in the music scene for more than two decades now, remembers about Arun Thapa.

The Band
Mukti Shakya began his musical journey in 1979 with Radium band. In 1982 Elegance was formed. After Elegance disbanded, he began playing with Mukti and Revival. In 1996 when the original members of Revival dispersed, the present line-up happened with the members of Newas band. Newas was originally formed in 1991 and had a self titled album in 1995. Its members who are now in Mukti and Revival are Roshan Kansakar, Bobin Shrestha and Binod Shrestha.

Since its formation Mukti and Revival has been playing in and around Thamel. The reason for not coming out with an album till now, they say, is "because we thought time was not right yet. We have been preparing for this album for a long time now." They now feel the time is just about right. "Nepali pop music scene is much better now," they say.

There is one thing that Mukti and Revival are not satisfied with in the present music scenario. "The distributors' work is not satisfying. They have not been able to market the music properly. There is no proper distribution."

Well, with a little hard work, proper networking, timely distribution, quality production and right promotion, this venture by the band led by an experienced front-man can surely burn the charts.