Music - Linking the Myths

January 14, 2023

Decoding Nawaj Ansari: Lost in the Serengeti

This track “Lost in the Serengeti” is taken from the Album “The Retribution”, performed by Nawaj Ansari. If you know this legend and have purged your soul with his lyrical hymns, then I needn’t say more about him. If you haven’t even heard about him, then I doubt if you really live on the same planet as I do. But as I always used to say, it’s never too late to start praying. Morning is when you wake up (unless, of course, you wake up in the afternoon or as Nawaj Ansari puts it—when “the sun’s going down”. Now that you know about him… Welcome to the Club.

Lost in the Serengeti…

The title itself is self-explanatory. Serengeti is derived from the Maasai language and the term refers to “endless plains”. For your information, Serengeti is located in north Tanzania in Africa. But in this song, Serengeti signifies basically our life. Life is like the Serengeti and we are lost in it. Lost in a vast ocean or an endless plain of life. What we lack most in the modern world is a sense of a larger purpose to our lives.

All of a sudden and out of nowhere, I remembered Albert Einstein and his “Theory of Relativity” while listening to this song. Einstein said that everything in the universe is relative. And this song is full of theories of relativity in one form or another, especially in the first verse. For instance… Different lives, love or hate, wrong or right. It all depends on how you see these aspects of life. There are over 7 billion people in the world, and each of them has individually different experiences of their own. They have the lenses through which they see the world around them and form perceptions about it. In fact, it is not the reality itself but the perception of reality that counts. Einstein must have been really proud of Nawaj Ansari to see this extension of his “Theory of Relativity” into the Music field, particularly in the rap genre… Did Einstein live to listen to rap music back in his days?

January 8, 2023May 7, 2023

What happened to the Atomic Bush?

Most of the 90s kids had the privilege of growing up listening to Atomic Bush in their teenage years. They started out as an underground progressive rock band in Kathmandu and soon became more popular than the other mainstream bands. This legendary band was formed back in 2005 and went on to set the bar high in the progressive rock music genre in Nepal. While the rest of the world was tuning up to Hip-Hop and Electronic Pop Music, Atomic Bush was experimenting with rock music to give it a completely new meaning. Even though the band is no longer active, the milestone set by the Atomic Bush still continues to inspire generations of music to come within the country and beyond. By the way, do you know what happened to the Atomic Bush? Let’s find out!

Is Atomic Bush Getting Back Together?

Click here to know more about Atomic Bush Reunion →

NEW UPDATE on Atomic Bush!

Atomic Bush is definitely getting back together, this time for sure. They are working on the comeback album, and Bibhushan Basnet even played a few lines from the song “Jhilimili” as treat to the fans.
Need a Proof? Thank me later!

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**Ballad of ‘Sano Prakash’**

Atomic Bush hit the underground music with its groundbreaking, head-banging epic progressive ballad ‘Sano Prakash’. The song keeps you mesmerized for the complete 7 minutes and 20 seconds with everything you want in progressive rock music. The first 60 seconds is the legendary riff played in ¾ beat that transitions into another 25 seconds of lead before opening up with the first verse. The lyrics are profound in meaning. If you have contemplated the lyrics of the song, you would feel it. The second lead starts around 03:15 which sets the mood for the next verse of the song to reach the climax. The final lead is the most amazing part of the song.

If you have been to the live performance of ‘Sano Prakash’ by Atomic Bush organized by ktmRocks, then you must know what I mean. Bibhusan Basnet, the lead vocalist of Atomic Bush plays the second solo so smoothly and then makes the crowd go crazy as he starts to shred and do vocals for the outro part. It just gives us goosebumps. Back when Rock and Metal Music were trying to grow up and get recognized in Nepal, ‘Sano Prakash’ by Atomic Bush set the standard for the genre. The guitar solo of ‘Sano Prakash’ is the most sought-after guitar lesson in Nepal. It is one of the best guitar solos ever created in the history of Nepalese Rock Music.

In a sentence, ‘Sano Prakash’ is the anthem of Nepali Rock Music.

January 8, 2023January 18, 2023

Decoding Bohemian Rhapsody

“Bohemian Rhapsody” made it to the theaters in 2018 and took over the world as it was a much-awaited biopic about Freddie Mercury. The lead vocalist of the British Rock Band Queen, Freddie Mercury is largely regarded as the greatest singer in the history of rock music. But more than that, “Bohemian Rhapsody” was the song that shook the world and changed forever the face of rock music. Even after 45 years since its first release, Bohemian Rhapsody stands out to be one of the greatest rock songs for generations to come. However, decoding the meaning of “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a closely guarded secret.

No doubt, Bohemian Rhapsody is the most iconic song in the history of rock music. More than just a song, it sounds to be a timeless piece of art with an opera-like effect. This is the song where music comes alive: Capella. Ballad. Hard Rock. Opera. Perfectly knitted together into one whole six-minute song that shook the music world.

Nevertheless, Bohemian Rhapsody is also the least understood song, mainly due to the complex persona of its writer and singer Freddie Mercury. Almost half a century since it was released, but the actual meaning of the song continues to evade our understanding. In fact, Freddie wanted it to be this way. He described it rather simply as a song being just about relationships. But it’s not that simple.

Interpreting “Bohemian Rhapsody”

Going through the lyrics of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, it seems like Freddie is confessing something through the song. As one of the greatest performances of his life, he is telling his own story: How different his life could have been and how happy he could be if he has just been himself.

Reading between the line, it appears that he’s confessing his sexuality as being gay. He killed who wanted to be and instead he is trying to live a new life. And he is lamenting for the people he has hurt in his life, forever being haunted by the regret of what he had done.

Final Words

“Bohemian Rhapsody” is undoubtedly a masterpiece in the music industry and it is the legacy which The Queen and particularly Freddie Mercury have left behind. Once you hear this song, you can’t just stop listening to it. Bohemian Rhapsody might be just a rare case in music history that made Queen and Freddie Mercury a Legend.

January 6, 2023January 18, 2023

Reviewing “Rahar”: The Most Awaited Music Collab

Better late than never, “Rahar” is officially out now. For those who have no idea what I am talking about, embrace yourself and prepare to get enlightened. They are among the best in their respective domains, and here they come together with this rare musical masterpiece. It’s like one of those mythologies where different worlds come together for a moment and something extraordinary happens. Let’s call it one of the instances of “Linking the Myths”, hence this blog. Let me take the opportunity in reviewing “Rahar”, the most awaited music collab between Subani Moktan, Nawaj Ansari, and Vyoma. I couldn’t “not” write anything about this song. Plus, we have easy-to-play chords for those who want to get Subani’s melody on guitar strings. Read now. Thank me later!

January 6, 2023January 18, 2023

Decoding Nawaj Ansari’s “Hazaar Quitaab”

During the time when most artists are following the trend of releasing singles, there are few of them who are willing to take the high road with studio albums. I remember Eminem doing that with his album “Music to Be Murdered By” back in 2020. And if there’s another name that comes to my mind… that’s Nawaj Ansari! By the way, did you check out his latest album, “Hazaar Quitaab”?

If you are one of those enlightened who have followed Nawaj Ansari since he started from the bottom, you know what he is made of. Nawaj and I went to the same college, the same alma mater. He had the rhymes ready every time we got up on the stage. From Lose Yourself and No Love to Young, Wild, and Free, and his own dope verses as well. Good ol’ days!

As of now, Nawaj is doing what he always used to do. Before Hazaar Quitaab, Nawaj released an epic EP “25-In The Rain”. Although based in the USA for almost half a decade, his lyrics, music, and composition still hit directly to the heart of most Nepalese music lovers. Like he says in Django Blade: “Ma Nepal ma chhaina tara Nepal ettikai hallaxa ( I ain’t in Nepal, but I can still pull strings there)”. I won’t deny that. Change my mind!

So What Exactly Is Hazaar Quitaab?

Like Linkin Park’s “A Thousand Suns”, Hazaar Quitaab literally means “A Thousand Books” in English. “A Thousand Suns” has its reference to the Bhagavad Gita later popularized by J. Robert Oppenheimer in 1945 to describe the atomic bomb, the deadliest weapon in the world. In a similar line, “Hazaar Quitaab: A Thousand Books” might refer to something as powerful as an atom bomb, but in terms of knowledge and wisdom.

In Nawaj’s own words, Hazaar Quitaab features a mixture of braggadocio and emotional lyrics, with a hint of nostalgia for his past life in Nepal. He further elaborates by touching on topics like romance, relationships with friends and family, sex, narcissism, alcohol, hustle, and ambitions.

There are two sides to Hazaar Quitaab, with 16 songs on each side. Mathematically, that amounts to a massive track list of 32 songs. Each of the songs is like a separate chapter in the book. I would love to write about each of them like I did last time with his “Lost in the Serengeti”, but that would make this post so long that the internet might just break down. Let’s save the best for the later because I can’t get enough of listening to the beats and lyrics. They are simply dope. Once is not enough. And with every replay, something new comes to my mind. I would write what I think of his songs in the upcoming post. Almost every single song deserves a separate post to perfectly decode Nawaj Ansari’s encrypted “Hazaar Quitaab”. Respect bro!

Bottom Line

“Hazaar Quitaab” has been out for a while, and I may have been a little too late to write this post. But better late than never. I hope Nawaj understands.

I have known Nawaj for more than a decade, and he is a real gem in the Nepalese music industry. If you haven’t purged your soul yet with his down-to-earth creations, you better do it now. It’s never too late to start listening to Nawaj Ansari.

See you soon!