Why I Love Playing Sarod: Rupa Neupane

In conversation with Rupa Neupane, Nepal’s only Woman Sarod Player

What kind of instrument is Sarod?

Sarod, for me, is like the pathway to my soul. It is a beautiful classical instrument, sitar-like extended dreadnought shaped with around 25 strings, a set of thinner strings and main larger thicker strings designed to fit in. It is commonly made up with Rosewood that gives it the quality to last longer.

When it comes to history, from what I’ve been taught by my teachers and instructors, and from a book given to me about Sarod by my instructor Suresh Raj Bajracharya, I found out Sarod was brought to Nepal by Tandukars. It is believed that, before that, the Nepali instrument ‘Tungana’ was taken to Afghanistan, and there, it was recreated to Sarod. It was then sent to India, and then brought to Nepal by Tandukars.

How did you start playing Sarod and how long have you been playing it?

In the beginning, I started learning to play harmonium with Sambhadev Sapkota who, looking at my vocal skills, encouraged me to learn vocal. So, I started learning vocals and absolutely loved it until some problems came up that obligated me to move on to the artistry of other classical instruments.

One day, I was at this program organized by Narayan Sangeet Pratisthan, where I met Atul Prasad Gautam. As I was confessing to him about the thoughts I was having of quitting music and moving on to other service programs, he managed to change my mind and started encouraging me to learn Sarod since no other Woman in the country knew how to. He warned me of how challenging this complicated instrument can be, and it may take years to learn this, but he believed in me, that I can, in fact, be able to take on this challenge and, with my hard work and dedication, learn to play Sarod. And so, I did. He introduced me to more institutions and more instructors who could teach me how to play this instrument. And right then, my journey began.

 

What is it about Sarod that inspired you to keep learning it?

Growing up, I always knew I will find something to live for, and I will be able to succeed in that. With Sarod, I felt like I finally found that ‘something’ to devote my passion to. 

The first thing I learned was how, in comparison to the local and modern music today, classical music is much harder. Maybe that is why it is so rare and treasured in the present. Even back then, I noticed how there was a very small group of people who were into classical music or playing classical instruments. That also fascinated me and helped me push myself to learn and explore more about the world of classical music and the role sarod plays in that world. A sense of enthusiasm grew inside me, I devoted myself even more to learning this and being able to show myself that one day I can also help give justice to the beauty of this instrument.

Also, back then, classical music was really loved by the Royal family too and I used to watch my instructors go play for them, receive awards from them. And I used to dream about one day being able to go and play for them too, with such honor. Although that dream of mine still remains a dream, just the thought of it back then motivated me to keep learning to play Sarod and try to be better at it every day. I stepped into this world with the intention to know more about classical music, little did I know about how far the world of music really expands to.

 

What are the challenges you faced when it came to learning this instrument?         

I think the first thing that came up, being raised in a Nepalese society, was my family support. Although they were generally supportive from day one, people don’t normally consider learning music as a ‘career’ or something to frame one's life with. It is a path that is often overlooked and underestimated when it comes to how much talent and hard work it really needs. They always encouraged me to learn thinking it’s just a hobby, rather than a career.

When time came, with constant practice, as I started going to perform in events, there were objections. Especially when it came to musical programs, as they tend to begin during evening to night time, as a woman, it was a challenge to ask permission to go as well. Surprisingly, back then my daughter, when she was a little girl, always stood up for me and made me go perform despite what my family thought. And that’s how my career with Sarod began. Eventually, I succeeded to prove to my family that I was able to build a life out of this hobby and gained more support and encouragement to move forwards.

Being a woman, I try to balance out my responsibility as a wife and a mother with my passion for Sarod. For years, I used to wake up at 3 am early in the morning just to practice Sarod in closed doors without disturbing anyone or letting it come between my other work. As of now, I consider myself to be extremely lucky for the love and support I get from my family, my now grown-up kids especially.

 

What is it about classical music that you admire the most?

Classical music, for me, has more power to please. I could listen to the same tune for years and years and yet never get tired or never run out of the joy it gives me. Our instructor, Sambhadev Sapkota used to explain to us by associating music with honey. Music is just like honey, he used to say, it goes through so many procedures, from extraction from the hive to continuous refinement processes, and what we receive is just an artificially cultivated version. The pure taste of honey can only be tasted straight from the hive. The true essence of music can only be experienced from the historical, classical tunes.

Playing Sarod is probably one of the best decisions I’ve made for myself, and every day, I feel more grateful that I continued to learn it through all these years and still am learning something new every day. The art of Sarod is as massive as the ocean, and I feel proud that I got the chance and the willingness to even experience just the shore of that ocean. I have so much more to explore, one step at a time. The feeling I get when I am playing, as the tune of the strings travel through me, I feel at peace.

 

Lastly, is there something you would like to say to the young musicians out there who are also trying to build a career in this industry?

No matter what you are or where you are in life, never forget that family and the feeling of home you’ve built with your family is the most important part of it all. To me, I feel like if I wanted, I could start doing more things, going more places with my music. But I try to keep my life simple and family oriented as my family is what keeps me grounded and gives purpose to my existence as well as to my passion for playing and learning more about Sarod.