Hurdles of a female singer in Nepal

Somea Baraili, a self-taught vocalist, liked singing since her childhood and used to actively participate in school programs. However, she began her singing career professionally in 2013.

After high school, she started doing gigs after which she got an offer to sing as a playback singer.

Every song of the Anmol KC starrer movie ‘Dreams’ was sung by Baraili. She is also the singer of the popular Nepali song ‘Jaalma’.

Though the songs she sang gained a lot of popularity, her name isn’t known much. “I am okay with not gaining popularity right now”, she says. “I haven’t written my own songs till date. I would be happier if the audience loved my songs and I gained fame through it”, she adds.

Currently she is also a vocal teacher at Knack Nepal, a music institute and recording studio. “I like to teach my students by creating a friendly environment which would help them to grow”, she says. She is taking classes in western music too.

While Baraili could not pursue music/singing for her Bachelors level due to lack of institutes, she hopes to release her originals in between Dashain and Tihar this year.

For her new release, she is focusing on singles rather than an album. “I would like for my singles to get hits before I come up with an album”, she says. She is working in collaboration with Sojal Basnet, another upcoming artist.

Lockdowns played a huge role in the delay of the singer’s singles release. “I would have already recorded my songs if the lockdowns had not happened”, she says.

Reminiscing about her teen days, Baraili says, “I was scared to travel back home after my late night gigs.” However, her family and friends have always been supportive of her career and choices.

The Jaalma singer plans to work on herself as a singer and plans to get better as a songwriter. “Giving up should never be an option. Never let you down by the fear of not getting support or by what others might say”, she says. “Just do what you love, keep on practicing and don’t ever think that you’re any less than others”, she adds.