Nepathya Sets Dubai Concert After Massive South Korea Show
Nepali folk-rock band Nepathya will perform at Dubai's The Agenda on October 4, pledging a portion of proceeds to flood victims following a packed arena concert in South Korea.
Nepali folk-rock band Nepathya is scheduled to perform in Dubai on October 4, marking its fourth appearance in the United Arab Emirates city as Dashain approaches.
According to reports from Onlinekhabar and My Republica, the concert will take place at The Agenda, an indoor venue in Dubai Internet City. The band previously staged its three Dubai concerts at the Al Nasr Leisureland ice-rink complex, but organisers and the band's management company, Nepalaya, opted for an upgraded venue and improved sound production to cater to Nepali diaspora audiences.
Organiser Anil Lamichhane, managing director of the US- and Dubai-based Easy Group of Companies, told Nagarik News that the event is being hosted alongside the Non-Resident Nepali Association (NRNA) National Coordination Council UAE and other diaspora organisations. Lamichhane added that 20 percent of net proceeds from the concert will be donated to support single women and educate children orphaned by recent catastrophic flooding along the Bhotekoshi river.
The UAE stop follows a major concert by the veteran ensemble in South Korea on September 26 during the Chuseok holiday. Kathmandu Press reported that thousands of Nepali expatriates packed the Kintex exhibition centre in Goyang, near Seoul, overflowing nearby transit routes and prompting lead singer Amrit Gurung to urge the crowd to step back from the stage barrier for safety.
During that two-hour performance, Gurung highlighted the threats posed by climate change following destructive monsoon flooding along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli rivers in Nepal, appealing to attendees to donate to the Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund, Kathmandu Press reported. Nepathya previously contributed proceeds from its 2015 Dubai concert to the disaster fund following the Gorkha earthquake.
More than 700,000 Nepalis reside in the UAE, making it the third-largest destination for Nepali migrant workers in the Persian Gulf after Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Onlinekhabar reported. Organisers expect attendees from across the Emirates, including Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ras Al Khaimah.
Nepalaya announced that Gurung will perform alongside longtime band members Dhurba Lama on drums, Subin Shakya on bass guitar, Niraj Gurung on guitar, Shanti Rayamajhi on madal, and Dinesh Raj Regmi on keyboard. Following the Dubai event, the band plans to tour seven cities across Nepal, stage a performance in Sikkim, India, and embark on an Australian tour later this year.