Seturam Shrestha () (1891-1941) was a Nepalese musician, singer and composer. He was an important figure in the development of modern music in

Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...

at the beginning of the 20th century, and has been hailed as an

Ustad Ustad, ustadh, ustaz or ustadz (abbreviated as Ust., Ut. or Ud.; from Persian language, Persian ''ustād'') is an honorific title used in West Asia, North Africa, Central Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is used in various languages, incl ...

. In addition to songs of love, Seturam sang songs with messages of social reform. In 1908, he became the first Nepalese artiste to record a song on

gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

disc. Among the songs he recorded in a studio in

Kolkata Kolkata, also known as Calcutta ( its official name until 2001), is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary ...

, India was the iconic

Rajamati ''Rājamati'' () is a 1995 Nepali film made in Nepal Bhasa. The first Nepal Bhasa movie is '' Silu'', released in 1987. ''Rajamati'' is about a luckless Newar girl named Rajamati from Kathmandu who gets involved in a series of failed relationships ...

. Janak Lal Shrestha, proprietor of Bhadrakali House, the main record store in Kathmandu then, sponsored the recording session. Seturam has also been credited with pioneering

ghazal ''Ghazal'' is a form of amatory poem or ode, originating in Arabic poetry that often deals with topics of spiritual and romantic love. It may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss, or separation from the beloved, and t ...

music in Nepal. Ghazal is a poetic form with origins in ancient Arabic verse that expresses the beauty of love.

Early Life

Seturam was born in

Asan Asan (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 400,000. Asan is known for its many hot springs an ...

Kamalachhi,

Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...

to father Krishna Dhar and mother Hari Devi

Shrestha Śrēṣṭha () is a Nepali surname, which means "most excellent” or "great” in Sanskrit. It is one of the eponym surnames used by those belonging to the caste of Shresthas who own Bogati and Damais and are at the epitome of status prior to ...

.His father, Krishnadhar, was also musically inclined. From a young age, Seturam showed an exceptional talent for music, learning the harmonium and vocal techniques informally at home.

Career

In 1965BS, Seturam traveled to Kolkata (then Calcutta) to record music at the Bhadra Kali House. Among the pieces he recorded was a gajal written by Motiram Bhatta titled: "यता हेरियो यतै मेरा नजरमा राम प्यार छन्" (''Yeta heriyo yatai mera nazarma Ram pyara chhan''). This marked one of the earliest formal recordings of Nepali music. He recorded more than 30 songs across genres, including Ghazals, Bhajans, Jhyāure (folk) and Newari songs. His popular songs included: *

- ''राजमती'' * ''Ae aama sanima fulko thuga khasyo''- ''ए आमा सानीमा फूलको ठुँगो खस्यो पानीमा'' * ''Jhaljhali maiya''- ''झलझली मैया पथाली बोलाउँदा बोल्दिनौ''

References

1891 births 1941 deaths Musicians from Kathmandu 21st-century Nepalese male singers {{Nepal-singer-stub