Peter McDonough: Nepali Tunes of a White Man
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DREAMS got in touch with the 28-year old to talk about his take on Nepal and music among a million other things. Here is an exclusive version of our skype rendezvous: |
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Okay, first of all I have to ask you. How come you speak Nepali so well?
(Laughs) Well, I came to Nepal for the first time when I was seven-year old. My parents were working on a development project in rural Nepal. Growing up, I got a first-hand experience on learning the language. We stayed there for five years. I went back to Nepal when I was 21 and travelled to the Far-west. I guess exposure equals to interest. I kept my interest and made lots of Nepalese friends. My fiancée, Anita is also Nepalese. |
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"I LOVE NEPALI MUSIC. SOME SONGS ARE JUST SO BEAUTIFUL. SO I DID COVERS OF MORE POP SONGS WITH SUBSTANDARD RECORDING EQUIPMENT AND A NOT-SO-GOOD GUITAR. SURPRISINGLY, THEY WERE WELL RECEIVED."
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So, tell me about how you got into music, especially singing Nepali songs on YouTube?
I have always liked music – listening, singing and playing. I don’t play in a band or anything as such but jamming together with friends is fun too. Let’s just say that I have a random passion for singing. About four years ago, I uploaded a video of me singing a Christian song on YouTube. I love Nepali music. Some songs are just so beautiful. So I did covers of more pop songs with substandard recording equipment and a not-so-good guitar. Surprisingly, they were well received. So, I have been singing songs that I like and putting them up on YouTube since then. |
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What kind of music do you listen to? Are there any artists that you look up to?
I like Nepali and Hindi music a lot. (hums) Tujhse naaraz nahin zindagi is actually one of my favorite songs! I find myself listening to Rohit John Chhetri, Bipul Chhetri, 1974 AD, Nepathya and Mantra quite often. I also like Coldplay and Jack Johnson. I like a lot of random songs. Of late, I also have been listening to Israeli music although I don’t understand the language. I find Idan Raichel to be a very good artist. Apart from dazzling thousands of people on YouTube, what do you do? I am actually a University Research Laboratory Technician at The Ohio State University. I am studying Agricultural Science. I plan to do a Master’s degree in Environment Science but that’s a long term plan. Let’s see where the road leads. |
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"I MISS THE RELAXED PACE OF LIFE IN NEPAL.
HONESTLY, LIFE HERE IN THE US IS ALWAYS HURRIED. EVERYONE WANTS TO DO EVERYTHING NOW. I LOVE THE LIFE IN NEPAL." |
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Tell us about your experience in Nepal. How did you like it here? Are there things that you wish you could change? I absolutely love Nepal! There have been a few setbacks on my trips to Nepal. A bus once broke down and there was a roadblock that took hours to clear up. And of course, load shedding is kind of annoying. But other than that, I find Nepal to be very comfortable. One of the funniest incidents that turned out was when I went to a far-off village by myself. Some people around were talking about me calling me khaire (an informal language used in Nepal to indicate foreigners in white colour) wondering where I came from and the likes. I spoke to no one and just sat there listening. After a while I talked to them… in Nepali. And they were shocked! I still get a laugh out of it sometimes. |
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| Photo Courtesy: Soyeta Photography | ||
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"I AM A HUGE FAN OF BUFF MOMO BUT YOU DON’T FIND BUFF HERE. I HAVE TAUGHT MY AMERICAN FRIENDS ON HOW TO MAKE MOMOS AND WE HOLD MOMO PARTIES SOMETIMES. BUT THERE IS NOTHING LIKE NEPALI MOMO!"
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Is there anything you miss about Nepal? Of course! I miss the relaxed pace of life in Nepal. Honestly, life here in the US is always hurried. Everyone wants to do everything NOW. I love the life in Nepal. Everyone is friendly and there is this feeling of unity about being with friends, family and community. Anita misses Nepal, too. In fact, we plan to move to Nepal in a few years. We want to work with developmental and environmental work. We want to do things that will help poor people. Another thing I miss about Nepal is the momo! I am a huge fan of buff momo but you don’t find buff here. I have taught my American friends on how to make momos and we hold momo parties sometimes. But there is nothing like Nepali momo! After the heartfelt talk about momos, we decided to call our little rendezvous off. In case you are wondering, yes, he talked Nepali the whole time, which felt weird and awesome at the same time! If you still haven’t heard him sing, I suggest you visit his YouTube channel this very moment! |
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| For more videos of Peter, check his YouTube Channel here. | ||
| Words by Aayesha Rai Gurung. To read more by Aayesha Rai Gurung on DREAMS, click here. Follow Aayesha on Twitter @AayeshaRgurung Banner Photo Courtesy: SunJ Mukhia |
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Tags: American singing Nepali song, Peter McDonough, Youtube Singer
Categorised in: Arts
Peter I’ve watched ur almost all cover songs. I found you are a great motivated person who is loving Nepal and its music and culture too. Hats off to u…. Keep Singing and Keep Loving Nepal.
I love buff momo tooo Peter
I like you so much. I almost watch the cover songs. your dreams is so good. your feeling was so goods. keep loving the Nepalese people & music. your are heart touching man. I always inspire from you. U54Y