WELLINGTON:- The Nepali folk-rock band Nepathya was welcomed by the indigenous Maori community in their traditional powhiri style the day after arriving in New Zealand.
According to a press release issued by Nepalaya, the kapa haka group of the community extended a spiritual musical welcome to the visiting artists.
Nepathya later performed on Sunday evening at the Due Drop Events Centre in Auckland, where more than two thousand people gathered.
Nepathya’s Auckland concert marked the band’s second performance in New Zealand after a gap of nearly a decade.
The concert opened with the song ‘Koshi Ko Pani Yo Jindagani.’ Lead singer Amrit Gurung told the audience mid-performance, “If you love us, we will keep coming,” prompting loud cheers from the crowd.
Local organiser Rohan Bhattarai of Lakhe Events said months of preparation went into the event. “As it was our first experience organising a Nepathya concert, we also enjoyed it as audience members,” he said.
On stage, Amrit Gurung was supported by Dhruv Lama on drums, Subin Shakya on bass guitar, Niraj Gurung on guitar, Shanti Rai on madal, and Dineshraj Regmi on keyboards.
Following the New Zealand concert, the band is preparing to return home. Nepathya has already announced its next performance in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, scheduled for June 1.