If this (refer below)is true, then there will be many cases of visa denial for Nepali singers/bands wishing to perform in the US. Thanks to Raju Lama and many others who have abused the system.
Source:www.fursad.com
Rajesh Payal Rai
has been in the news recently for more reasons than one. If not for his
strong public relation skills, forever smiling face, easy going nature
and devil may care attitude, one would think that he should have gone
into depression long time ago. Besides other things, weather his awards
slipping away from his hands at a recent award ceremony held in the
capital or his reconciliation with musician
Sambhujeet Baskota after years of not working together, or for his latest trauma at the American Embassy,
Rajesh Payal surely has his hands full lately.
According to a survey done by us here at
fursad.com a couple of months back,
Rajesh Payal
topped the list of having traveled abroad to perform the most number of
times on foreign soil in history by any Nepali artist. So, it came as a
huge surprise when we were informed of the American Embassy in
Kathmandu refusing his visa application to the US. He was scheduled to
perform at New York along with
Indian Idol Prashant Tamang on the 5
th of January 2008. Apparently, a rather ‘heavy’ lady behind the desk had askedif he knew about the whereabouts of
Raju Lama of
Mongolian Heart, to which he answered that he did not. The lady then pulled out a poster from the drawer and showed it to
Rajesh Payal. The promotional poster was of the event that he was scheduled to perform in which also included his photograph along with
Prashant Tamang and
Raju Lama. Poor Soul! He was not even aware of
Raju Lama
performing at the event because he had not been informed by the
organizers about it. There you have it. He was asked to leave. In spite
of having performed more than three dozen times
abroad, surprisingly,
Rajesh Payal has never toured the US. If a well known artist like
Rajesh Payal
is denied a visa to perform in the States, I doubt any artist worth
his/her salt stand a fair chance of doing so in the future. Dear
friends, be prepared for rejection.
In another related news, Rajesh Payal has begun once again working with Sambhujeet Baskota after a long gap of ten years. The last time he sang to Mr. Baskota’s music was for the film ‘Basanti’.
Things turned sour between the two shortly after and the two
heavyweights had not collaborated ever since. Now that they have joined
hands, we wish them all our best!
