Abhaya Subba

Abhaya Subba Weise

Abhaya Subba during a local concert in Kathmandu
Background information
Birth name Abhaya Subba
Born June 11[1]
Darjeeling, West Bengal, India[1]
Genres Progressive rock, pop rock, soul, rhythm and blues[1]
Occupation(s) Musician, singer-songwriter[1]
Instruments Vocals, Keyboard[1]
Years active 2003–present[1]
Labels 360o Records, Yuva[1]
Associated acts Abhaya & The Steam Injuns, Parikrama, Red Skywalkers, Punchtatva[1]

Abhaya Subba (Nepali: अभाय सुब्बा) is a Nepalese singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the front woman of the rock band Abhaya & the Steam Injuns. She is a former RJ of Times FM and Hits FM, and is famous for her progressive music and social initiatives.[1]

Personal life and career

Born in Darjeeling, Abhaya completed her LLB studies from St. Xaviers, Mumbai. She worked as RJ in Times FM in Delhi and later with Hits FM in Nepal.[1][2] She started her music career with a local band Parikrama back in India, and was involved with it from 1993 to 1995. She was also affiliated with other Rock bands, Red Skywalkers and Punchtatva, respectively, before making it big with Abhaya & the Steam Injuns. She claims that her inspiration and the driving force is her father, who got her interested in music since her childhood.[3]

She later collaborated with the Image Channel as a producer and the judge of a local talent program, Sprite Band Challenge—Freedom to Rock[4][5][6] Her music is influenced by Led Zeppelin, Blondie, The Clash, Steely Dan and Green Day.[2] She has a son with her husband, Kai Weise, who is a local architect in Nepal.[1]

Mainstream success

Abhaya claimed the commercial and critical success with her current band, Abhaya & the Steam Injuns. The band was formed on January 2, 2003. Initially they were involved in playing live gigs in hotels and lounge bars. It was essentially an acoustic blues band before it kicked off as a rock outfit. Abhaya Subba, the lead vocalist, is also the founder member and manager of the band.[1][7][8] Darjeeling has always been famous for the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways. It was the very tiny steam engines that chugs around the hills of Darjeeling that motivated Abhaya to name her band "Steam Injuns”.

She has produced a rock band competition called Sprite Band Challenge—Freedom to Rock, and has judged it along with fellow Nepali musicians Robin Tamang and Dev Rana, where underground rock bands compete for an ultimate prize and a music contract.[9]

Concerts & Tours

Abhaya has participated in numerous concerts and international tours with her band, and other associated acts. She appeared in the concert, Women In Concert (WIC) VII, which took place on May 21. 2012, organized to celebrate the success of womanhood in the Nepali music industry, and to pay tribute to Vidhea Shrestha a core member of WIC who died in 2011.[10][11][12]

Discography

Abhaya and the Steam Injuns Live at Women in Concert

Other works

Abhaya during a local protest program, along with Shreedeep Rayamajhi (Activist)

In May 2011, Abhaya participated in Nepal Unites via Facebook, an event organized to warn politicians about the statute drafting within the stipulated time frame, with musicians like Nima Rumba and Aani Tschoing Dolma.[14][15]

She, along with Lamp Lights, organized Let there be lights, a protest-concert in Kathmandu, in February 2012, to solicit unity against the government's move on increasing load shedding.[16] It was hosted by Chirag Bangdel, RJ and famous painter. It was attended by the famous activist Shreedeep Rayamajhi[17][18]

In a post-program interview, she responded:

Our leaders made a pledge that power problems are going to improve within five years, but it never happened. So, here we are giving a wakeup call to all CA members to stop the blame game, and start taking actions as we have to bear the brunt of darkness and pain. [19]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Abhaya & her life". Wavemag.com.np. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  2. 1 2 "Online profile of Abhaya Subba". NepaliSite.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  3. ↑ "Profile of Abhaya & the Steam Injuns". Online Sahitya. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  4. ↑ "Biography of Abhaya Subba". DownloadnepaliMP3.
  5. ↑ "Insight on the Rock band Abhaya & the Steam Injuns". DarjeelingTimes.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  6. ↑ "Local rock star talent hunt in Nepal". Ekantipur.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  7. ↑ "Discography of Abhaya & the Steam Injuns". Last.fm. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  8. ↑ "Abhaya makes her first international music appearance". BlogSpot.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  9. ↑ "Sprite band Challenge- Local Talent Hunt". CyberNepal.com.np. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  10. ↑ "Women in Concert, Female rock concert in Kathmandu". Facebook.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  11. ↑ "Abhaya makes her appearance in a concert". ECS.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  12. ↑ "Women in Concert: Tribute to Vidhea Shrestha". MyRepublica.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  13. ↑ "Discography of Abhaya & the Stam Injuns". Babbal.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  14. ↑ "Nepal Unites via Facebook". NepaliBlogger.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  15. ↑ "nepal Unites via Facebook". NepalUnites. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  16. ↑ "Let there be Lights on Facebook.com". Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  17. ↑ "Let there be Lights". Blogpost.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  18. ↑ "Archive of Let there be Lights". Retrieved 2012-07-31.
  19. ↑ "Abhaya protesting against the government". MyRepublica.com. Retrieved 2012-07-31.

External links


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