Bachchu Kailash was born on Shawan 15, 1995 BS in Kathmandu. On the 13th day, his mother Krishna Kumari expired and his father Karna Bahadur Basnet went ahead and married another woman soon after. Then on, life was never the same for him. Whenever he was feeling down and low, he preferred to sit alone and cried his heart out. He never looked for comfort in the presence of others and instead started writing songs and singing them. This was how he used to console himself. By the time he was five years old, he was already deep into music.
Music used to cheer him up however, his maternal aunt and uncle and other relatives never appreciated it. They didn’t like him indulging in music but this did not deter him. He was popular among friends as a good singer and when he was studying in class eight, he went to Radio Nepal and sang a song “Nirash Nahau Saathi, Aasu Aasumai Dubey Ko Cha Jiwan, Nadarau Saathi”(composed and written by him). This song was so popular then that the respected Master Ratna Das Prakash after listening to the song, started looking for him and finally met up with him. On the day, he was so happy to meet him that he realized the reason for his being. Though he was not able to spend more time with his mother, she was always close to his heart. He has always missed her presence and she still exists in his being.
He excelled in music and was equally a good music teacher. He has taught music to poet MBB Shah and composer G Shah among others. There was a period when learning and doing music was not considered a good vocation. However, he continued in his endeavor and was proud to be associated with music. During that time, he also used to perform at the rangamanch and whoever heard him sing, they were simply in awe of him. No wonder, Bachchu Kailash went on to achieve greater heights. Nepali people anywhere in the world adored his voice and his songs. He is among those few singers, who wrote songs and composed his own music. He devoted his life to singing Nepali songs for tentatively 15 years and it is definite that he will always be remembered for years to come.
These days, he is leading a happy and contented life away from the limelight. He still prefers leading an isolated life. He has been married twice and is the father of two children. He does not speak much but is a good listener. He leads a peaceful and quite life and tries to be happy…always. We might not be seeing him more often but shall always remain in our memories.
by
Narendra Raj Prasai
Nepali to English
Translated by
Dipti Sherchan
