Sajjan Raj Vaidya
Sajjan Raj Vaidya (Nepali: सज्जन राज वैद्य) is a Nepali singer, songwriter, guitarist, composer and producer. He released his debut single, "Aaja Matra", in 2014[1] and rose to prominence after the release of his singles "Hawaijahaj" (2016)[2][3][4] and "Chitthi Bhitra" (2018).[2][5][6] One of his most widely known singles is "Hataarindai, Bataasindai".[7][8] His most recent release, titled "BLYHL", was released in February 2020. His recent song, "Phutki Janey Jovan" released on 16 May 2020 shows various clips of people during the COVID-19 pandemic all around the world, with a specific emphasis on Nepali people.[9]
Sajjan Raj Vaidya | |
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Vaidya performing live in New York City | |
Background information | |
Origin | Kathmandu, Nepal |
Genres | Acoustic, pop music, indie, electronic |
Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, guitarist, composer, producer |
Instruments | Vocals, guitar, piano, bass, keyboard |
Years active | 2014–present |
Website | sajjanrajvaidya |
Early life
Vaidya was born and raised in Kathmandu, Nepal.[2] He was introduced to music by his family and credits his style, influences and musical development to his family: “My story with music began with my family. My mother taught me how to sing, my father taught us to listen to music in all its forms and my brother taught me to evolve with music. So any style or influence I have is constituted by parts of what I learned from my family. My continuity in music comes from the sheer love I have for it.”[2][10]
Vaidya's early influences include various genres with artists such as The Eagles, UB40, Linkin Park and Karna Das among others. He started performing live during his school days and later began publishing his work through Facebook.[8][11]
Career
Vaidya's first major release was "Aaja Matra" (2014).[8][11][12] His next single, "Hawaijahaj" (2016) was a breakthrough.[2][3][4] The music video for the song was produced by Fuzz Factory Productions.[13][14] He later (re)released "Mooskaan" (2018)[12] and "Anountho Mutu" (2018).[1] On 1 January 2019, Sajjan released a single titled "Hataarindai, Bataasindai". The screenplay features a straight couple and a gay couple, and the video depicts a gay couple kissing, which is uncommon in Nepali media.[7] Vaidya is one of the very few Nepali artists to represent the LGBTQ community through the video's release.
"When I wrote Hataarindai, Bataasindai, it was independent of the video concept. We decided that the under representation of the LGBTQ community in Nepal was an important issue that needed to be addressed and that is how the video came about." [8] The 2019 single has been adopted by the LGBTIQ community of Nepal as an anthem, featuring the song during the first pride parade of Nepal that took place in July 2019.[15]
Katha
Katha is a video series started by Vaidya in 2018. The series debuted in the artist's YouTube channel.[16] The video series features a live, acoustic rendition of a song published by the artist or other artists, and also includes a section discussing the origin and the composition process of the song.
Episodes
- I: Nothing In My Head Besides Timi
- II: Mellow
- III: Marijau (featuring Bikki Gurung)
Discography
Singles
- "Aaja Matra" (2014)
- "Hawaijahaj" (2016)
- "Mayaloo" (2017)
- "Chitthi Bhitra" (2018)
- "Anountho Mutu" (2014, re-release: 2018)
- "Mooskaan" (2014, re-release: 2018)
- Nothing In My Head Besides Timi (2018)
- "Hataarindai, Bataasindai" (2019)
- "Pahaar" (2019)
- "Kurakaani" (2019)
- "Somebody Else" (2020)
- "Sukumbaasi" (2020)
- "BLYHL" (2020)
- "Phutki Jaaney Jovan" (2020)
Recognition
References
- "Sajjan Raj Vaidya Releases New Version of 'Mooskaan'". NeoStuffs. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
- Poudel, Ashish. "Sajjan Raj Vaidya [PARTYNEPAL Exclusive Interview] – Party Nepal". partynepal.com. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- Productions, Fuzz Factory. "Sajjan Raj Vaidya: Hawaijahaj". Fuzz Factory Productions. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- "Hawaijahaj by Sajjan Raj Vaidya with lyrics". etcNepal.com. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- Kathmandu Tribune (26 January 2018). "Current top 10 musicians in Nepal". News, sport and opinion from the Kathmandu Tribune's global edition. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
- "Chitthi Bhitra by Sajjan Raj Vaidya with lyrics". etcNepal.com. 14 February 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- "A new music video breaks social taboos and presents a poignant homosexual love story". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- "Himalayan Times". epaper.thehimalayantimes.com. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
- https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/mycity/news/sajjan-raj-vaidya-releases-phutki-jaaney-jovan
- "SONGS THAT SOOTHE with SAJJAN RAJ BAIDYA". TNM. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- Nepal, WOW Magazine (30 June 2019). "Everything that happens is from now on… Sajjan Raj Vaidya". WOW Magazine Nepal. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- "The New York based singer Sajjan Raj Vaidya releases a song "Mooskaan"". musicwire. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- "Nepali music videos are striving to break new ground and reaching for new heights, but there is a long way to go". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
- "Rohit Shakya: Fostering Creativity With Fuzz Factory Productions". TNM. Retrieved 8 January 2019.
- "Kathmandu's LGBTIQ community celebrates their queerness". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- "Katha: Episode II". Sajjan Raj Vaidya. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019.
- "Radio Kantipur honours year's outstanding musical talents". kathmandupost.ekantipur.com. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- "Here Are All The Winners From The Radio Kantipur National Music Awards 2074". Nepally. 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
- "Radio Kantipur's National Music Awards 2074: Complete List of Nominees". NeoStuffs. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 8 January 2019.