Musician Robin’s legacy of blues rock in Nepal

Rockstar and actor Robin Tamang is no more with us. Born in Singapore in 1963, he leaves behind a legendary era of blues rock music in the Nepali music scene at age 60.

Blues rock, having roots in African-American culture, is a music genre directed by improvisation and stretched jamming sessions. The music is mostly played by a company of musicians on instruments such as electric guitar, electric bass guitar, and drums; sometimes with keyboards and harmonica. The company has a vocalist who sings on varieties of themes — political and social, mostly based on dissent, and spiritual, among others.

Tamang was inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Deep Purple during his school days in Singapore. Over the years, he formed a band — Tamang, while studying at the University of Toronto in Canada and performed at multiple places in the mid-1980s.

He came to Nepal for the first time in 1996, where he officially began his musical voyage of taking on contemporary socio-political events by forming a blues rock band — Robin N’ Looza. 

As quoted in a 2007 interview with The Himalayan Times, his music is usually about anti-establishment, social issues, and topics that people usually don't talk about.

The band recorded three albums — Nepal, Bhulma Bhulyo, and Aadhunik Aaganma. They produced at least 26 songs in Nepali and English languages, including renditions of Arun Thapa’s Jati Maya Laaye Pani and Danny Denzongpa’s Chiso Chiso Hawa Ma.

However, the band was dismantled in 2005 and Tamang formed a new band — Robin and The New Revolution. The new band recorded four albums — Keta Keti, 13000, Hamro Desh, and Muglan, and produced at least 17 songs in Nepali and English, including a rendition of the popular Hindi song Dum Maro Dum.

Besides, Tamang had a 10-year-long brewing career in acting. He took up his first role, as Chewang, in Chhadke in 2013 followed by Mukhauta (2014), Naakaa (2018), Baadhshah Jutt (2020), Teen Jantu (2021), Chiso Ashtray (2022) and Chhadke 2.0 (2023).

Similarly, he played the role of Yama Nadu, the antagonist, in a 2021 Indian-Hindi web series — The Last Hour.

On July 4, Tamang was found dead at his residence in Budhanilkantha. He was born to Nepali parents, who served the British forces, as the fifth and young child. He was brought up in various countries across the globe — as per his father’s posting — such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Brunei, Malaysia, and the UK, among others.