Kashish Das Shrestha

Kashish Das Shrestha (born 16 May, 1982) is a journalist, photographer, events manager and an activist form Nepal. [ [http://www.nepaliaawaz.com/faq.php Nepali Aawaz FAQ] ] Currently the founder editor of the international bilingual newspaper [http://www.NepaliAawaz.com Nepali Aawaz] in New York, he has also served as the editor of [http://www.wavemag.com.np/issue/article712.html WAVE] magazine in Nepal and worked on the radio for over 3000 live hours. He has worked in print media since 1997. Over the years he has extensively reported on youth culture in Nepal. Having started as an arts and entertainment reporter he reviewed artists and music, both Nepali and international and also covered issues of music copyright, royalty and plagiarism in Nepal. Since 2002, he has also frequently reported on social issues and the Maoist movement of Nepal.

In 2004, he filmed and produced a [http://www.vibes.com.np/productions/jana_andolan/index.htm short documentary] on the "movement against regression," the pro-democracy movement in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 2003, he also helped establish the non-profit organization [http://www.futurefunds.org.np Future Funds] .

When the violent student unions affiliated to the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) started physically attacking private schools in 2001, he organized a creative dissent against the politicization of eudcation and disruption of education in Nepal, one of the first such protest at the time led by a member of the civil society for which the event earned much coverage in the Nepali press. The short- lived group was called Students and Youth For Peace and managed the website Peace.org.np which had later briefly attempted to work with American students against the [http://www.ciponline.org/facts/soa.htm School of Americas/ Western Hemisphere Institution for Security Cooperation] in 2003.

When as a young musician he found it difficult to find concert stages, Kashish decided to start his own events management organization [http://www.Vibes.com.np Vibes] in 1999. Through it, he has produced and managed several non-profit events, and many small and large scale concerts including [http://www.wavemag.com.np/wavemusicutsav WAVE Music Utsav] , the largest outdoor music festival ever in Nepal. It lasted through 5 evenings and hosted over 25 groups and aritsts performing over 5 genres of music from folk to punk, Nepali hip-hop to blues and rock. The event was co-organized with Kathmandu Utsav- Everest Exhibitions. Vibes also regularly scouted upcoming contemporary singers and groups in Nepal. His work on the radio and print media allowed him to also promote some of these signers and groups.

Kashish produced the single [http://www.hitsfm.com.np/downloads.php Ma Sandhai] with long time friends singer Axata Singh and rock band Xmarica in 2002. While Kashish had worked with Axata as a promoter and a fellow band member for several years, he was the keyboardist for Xmarica for a year. On Ma Sandhai, written by Xmarica's guitarist Bhaskar, Kashish also plays the piano. The song was never officially released in the market but was distributed to local FM stations. It was nominated for the Best Female Vocal Performance- Pop at the [http://www.hitsfm.com.np/2059_nomiwinner.php Hits Fm Music Awards 2059]

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