Did You Know? MLTR

FROM ISSUE # 191 (November 2011) | IN THIS ISSUE
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1. MLTR is a Danish band that sings English songs.

2. MLTR has been around for over 20 years. They came together as a band in 1988

3. Asia has the most devoted and largest numbers of MLTR fans.

4. MLTR has sold over 11 million records worldwide; mainly in... you guessed it...Asia!

5. Their single 'Take Me to Your Heart' was awarded 'Most downloaded single of the year 2006' with 6 million or more paid downloads.

6. In 1988, Jascha Richter, Kåre Wanscher, Mikkel Lentz, Søren Madsen, recorded a demo tape intended to be sent to the competition 'Rock Grand Prix' in their hometown Aarhus, and had to hurriedly come up with a name before posting it, resulting in Jascha inscribing the words 'Michael Learns to Rock'. In an interview Jascha admitted that it was named after Michael Jackson:  "Sure, I've regretted calling ourselves this many times since, but we were successful so quickly we had to stick with it and over time I got used to it."

7. They are renowned for their simple songs and squeaky clean image. And in singing in English as a Second Language (sic).

8. I'm not an actor I'm not a star and I don't even have my own car But I'm hoping so much you'll stay
that you will love me anyway This, from one of their most popular songs, The Actor, displays just how simple and uncomplicated their lyrics really are. 

9. For many Asian men, MLTR is the band of choice... as background scores for some and for others, the soundtrack for their romancing, wooing and bedding attempts.

10. Despite being branded simplistic, easy-listening, down-right cheesy, banal or even naive by many, Michael Learns to Rock are adamant that these are the very qualities of their lyrics and music which have found favour with Asian music listeners.

11. On being asked as to what constituted a good song, Jascha Richter is said to have replied, "Well, you got to have a chorus and a verse".

Jau sathi by Lumbini Groove

Tsering Choden

The name Pravin Chettri might not ring a bell till you learn of his longtime association with what started off as a three piece band, Cadenza, that is now a respected and admired Jazz collective. Pravin has finally released his solo album, Jau Sathi under the moniker Lumbingroove. With styles ranging from Funk, African rhythms and Jazz harmonies the result, if not treated carefully, could sound scattered. Add to that, taking on the challenge to not only play all the instruments on this album himself, he has also composed, recorded and mixed the album. It could have gone awfully wrong except it doesn't.

A total of 10 songs, with an Intro and Outro, you are immediately drawn to the album with the first full track, a breezy Pari Gau followed by the title track Jau Sathi kicking up a storm. Ramro Ho Ki is an easy favorite. It raises questions of an adolescent mind racked by confusion between right and wrong. After a laid back track the album picks up pace with an aptly titled feel-good song, Joom.

While listening to it one can literally imagine dusk settling on an evening beach party while a silhouette of people groove to the music. Track six, Jaga Jaga mellows it down to a funky sway with the sound of the alarm at the beginning of the song indicating a wake up call. There is reference to the selfish nature of humans with lines like Kutha na taana, Afna matra na sochera and Jaaga unnati piche aba laaga. Then comes another instant favorite – Maanisa. Lyrically this track follows in the heels of Jaga Jaga. There's only one line in the entire track but it pretty much says it all - Maanisa le Maanisa ko chusi sakyo blood. Nefro takes it down a notch with the emerging vocals providing a haunting yet soothing effect. While some musicians tend to take themselves too seriously, which reflects in their work, Pravin presents his music in a casual way and the colloquailism in his lyrics is actually appealing. He gets away with lines like Maanisa le maanisa ko chusi sakyo blood in Maanisa as he does in the eighth offering Mangalay. The album switches gear from track seven to light, humorous lyrical content. Track nine is Come Dance, a booty shaking number calling on everybody from all parts of the world (this could be taken as a message to the Nepali diaspora, of which he is one himself) to come together. Jau Sathi winds down with yet another soothing track titled Esmile. The tempo picks up, although short-lived, in the Outro.

Jau Sathi's musical style might not be palatable to all but it will appeal to a wide audience because the music is matched with his simple, colloquial Nepali lyrics thus creating what is easily turning out to be Pravin's signature sound. He has the ability to completely localise his music despite the various musical influences and that is what will make this album work. What's also worth mentioning is the order of the tracks - you don't realise when one track finishes and the other begins. The music on the album spans various continents and is yet largely a Nepali album.

ABOUT  THE ARTIST

Pravin Chhetri, longtime member of the band Cadenza started as a bass player.Later he started playing the guitar and also moved on to trumpet, sax and different percussive instruments.While growing up in Darjeeling, India he was influenced by Indian rhythms, rock, heavy metal and pop music.After moving to Kathmandu, Nepal he started getting into a lot of Jazz, Fusion, Latin and African music. Presently in Hamburg, Germany he has many stories of music and experiences to share.

What's on my ipod

In the words of G. Santayana "Music is a means of giving form to our inner feelings, without attaching them to events or objects in the world", so keep it playing. Every song
counts in making a change.

Jigme D

As Picasso once said "Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth", I feel the same about music. The type of music may vary from individual to individual depending on the rhythms we want filtering through our eardrums and favoured genres but it always helps us find the 'truth'. For me, it has always been the up-beat beats in Hip-Hop and Rap and the soul in R&B that tell me stories of pleasure, pain, hatred, jealousy, excitement and passion- stories which are largely lies yet filled with much truth. 

On my ipod, I have two special playlists; true music and good music. I guess every artist has true music in which he/she expresses a moment which gives you chills running down your neck and, in which he/she pours out all the pent-up emotions that keep you wondering in awe for hours. And good music is music which gets your head nodding, feet tapping, heart running and makes you lose yourself inside the song. 

So in 'True Music' I've got songs like Sooner than later- Drake, Stan-Eminem, Many Men-50 cent, Suicide-Tyga, Best day Ever-Mac Miller, Something-Drake, I was your Superstar-C.O.D, Saathi-Yama Buddha, Yaatri-Manas, Part of the list-Ne-yo, Juicy-Notorious B.I.G, Everyday life-Dorjee, Mirror-Lil Wayne and the list keeps going to include hundreds of songs.  

And in 'Good Music' I've got, In the club-50cent, Grind Mode-Nipsey Hussel, Raat Bhari-Gx soul, Lay it down-Lloyd, In the morning-J. Cole, Black and yellow-Wiz Khalifa, Shwatty-Infamous, Forget you-Cee lo Green, Cry-Dream, Exit Row- Wiz Khalifa and this list runs longer than the one before. 

Music, like all forms of art, is part insanity, in which a poet writes his thoughts and then experiments it on different beats, sounds and melodies to tell a story which might help or make the listener think he's crazy. 

Music has always been a daily process to me so I always keep a check on Nephop and Nepal has got great artists, and on that note do check out Superstar Ent.