Khadga Garbuja, a native of Marang, Dhaulagiri-6, Myagdi, dreamed of becoming a Lahure. His parents wanted him to become a Lahure. He tried hard to join the Indian and British armies. Sometimes his studies did not support him, sometimes time did.

Kancha, the youngest of five children, has three sisters and one brother. Initially, his parents put forward his brother Tek Prasad to become a lahure. There was talk of enlisting, but one day, Tek Prasad fell from a tree while cutting grass and became disabled, and his dream of becoming a lahure was dashed. 

Then, at the age of 15, Khadag went to India to become a lahure. But he was unsuccessful. At that time, teams would come from village to village looking for young people to recruit in the British Army. ‘I also reached Myagdi Galeshwor, and I passed the first round,’ says Khadag. ‘After reaching Pokhara, the finals would take place, and I was asked to come after a month for that.’

In the meantime, he too fell from a cliff and was injured. He was 16 years old when this incident took place on 8 Pus 2034. ‘I couldn’t get treatment easily, I didn’t even know that my parents needed to be taken to the hospital,’ he says, ‘I couldn’t get better without getting treatment for my spinal cord injury.’ After that, neither my brother nor I could become a slob. His lower back is immobile. He uses a wheelchair to move around. 

Khadga’s mother Ulmati, who was busy taking care of him, also lost the use of her right leg and arm due to high blood pressure. ‘My mother would sleep inside and I would sleep outside. I couldn’t go with my mother, nor could my mother come near me,’ he recalls, ‘My mother would sit inside and I would cry outside.’ After hearing on the radio that people with disabilities could eat, stay, and study for free in Kathmandu, he begged everyone from the Pradhan Panch to the district dignitaries to be taken to Kathmandu, and he carried them to Beni several times.

Pension camps had opened in Beni and Baglung Bazaar. They played the Mahuri bazaar and sang songs there. Then he flew to Kathmandu from Balewa Airport with the dream of singing for Radio Nepal. Later, he completed his studies up to the proficiency certificate level at the Saints Xavier's Social Service Ashram in Jhamsikhel. While staying here, he also passed the voice test from Radio Nepal in 2047.

In 2047, he brought out his first album of songs, 'Dukhko Bhumari', from Music Nepal, which contained stories and pains of his own life. His brother and father used to hum the Salaijo song while going to cut grass. He had been listening to it since he was a child. 'When I was young, the Salaijo song sung by my father and brother kept coming to my mind,' he says, 'Then in 2053, I brought the Salaijo song to the audience for the first time in my own words and music.'

That Ranivanko Tirtire Dharao Salaijo

The tiger drank the water...

The song that was recorded by Music Nepal. At that time, many artists released song albums. But Salaijo songs were not included in the album. ‘It was customary to collect village folk songs in songs, and this was a song sung only in limited places,’ he says, ‘It was not sung everywhere like now, you can hear from the elders that Salaijo songs started in the Dhaulagiri region.’ 

Earlier, the Gurung community used to live in a village. ‘But in the Magar language, a village is called an okhara,’ he says, ‘The Salaijo song was born when the young men and women of the village gathered in a house in the evening after finishing their work and sang in a fun gathering.’

Salaijo songs are about love and romance. He says that this is not a song for any special festival but is sung throughout the year. ‘Whenever it is sung, the theme of the song can be anything,’ says Khadga, ‘Talks about poverty, becoming a lahure, farmers, shepherds, love can all be raised when singing Salaijo.’ Now, especially in Salaijo, there are a lot of things about love and love. 

‘Salaijo is a language created by our ancestors, and subsequent generations have followed it,’ he adds, ‘Folk music also began at the same time when humans were created on earth.’ He said that Salaijo is the oldest of the various folk music.

‘Each community has its own customs, and it is said that Salaijo developed from the Magar community,’ he further clarifies about Salaijo, ‘In the Magar community, when you say Sali jyu, it means Sali jo.’

It is also said that the maternal uncle’s daughter has the first right for love and marriage. ‘In this way, it is also said that while teasing the sister-in-law, it has been corrupted into Salaijo,’ he says. ‘Since it developed in the Magar community, its singing differs according to the place.’

In the Magar community, when a death occurs, after the funeral, people stay awake all night to wait for the deceased. ‘You can’t just stay awake, electricity and water (alcohol) are arranged for food,’ he says. ‘After that, songs of Salaijo, Yanimaya, and Khyali dialects are sung, and that was the custom of spending the night.’ 

Recently, the custom of singing bhajans during the wait has increased. ‘After birth, everyone dies one day, and bhajans are sung using words that give comfort,’ he says. 

There are thousands of branches in the whole tree of folk music, one of which is the Salaijo dialect. ‘In this, Kauda, ​​Tamang Selo, Maruni, Deuda and other dialects are branches of folk music,’ he says, ‘In the Salaijo dialect, boys sing songs and girls play the Rani (cover).’ When he learned this, in the villages, boys would start Salaijo and girls would cover it. Recently, the new generation of singers have been recording their village words exactly as they are and including them in Salaijo. 

Due to which he feels that Salaijo has been revived. ‘At one time, it was on the verge of extinction, and I recorded the Salaijo dialect in 2053 BS, saying, ‘If you keep going, you will fill up a cassette reel.’

He has sung around 50 Salaijo songs, including those he composed himself. He has also composed Sorathi and Kauda songs. Earlier, Salaijo was played to the rhythm of the madal in the villages. He said that now any instrument can be used in a well-equipped studio. 

Salaijo Bhaka is more preferred in the Dhaulagiri region. That is why Dhaulagiri and Salaijo Bhaka have become synonymous. ‘It is very popular in the community here, all castes sing, like it, and there are also audiences who like the song depending on the place,’ he said, ‘When you reach the Tamang community of Kavre, Sindhupalchowk, and Dhading, Tamang cello is more preferred, while in Gandak Province, Salaijo and Yanimaya Bhaka are more preferred.’

He said that you can express your feelings when you sing in the Bhaka you know. He said, ‘Even if Salaijo Bhaka is not Madlai, you can sing in this Bhaka. Singing in this Bhaka is also fun. It is also an excuse to tease. Songs and music are also a kind of meditation.’ 

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‘Yanimaya’ Bhaka also differs in lyrics and rhythm. He says that this is also a twelve-month-old language. ‘In Yanimaya, children have always sung in the form of a couplet, and this also often involves love and affection,’ he says. ‘In this, if an unknown woman and man are singing a song together, the idea of ​​introducing each other through the song comes up.’ He argues that this is also believed to have originated from the Magar language. 

‘This is a couplet, you never know where the theme will lead you while singing,’ he says. ‘In Magar language, Yani means give, so Yanimaya means give love.’ Yanimaya language is slow. ‘Those who don’t understand it feel sleepy, those who understand it are very interested, there is a charm to the language in it, and the words are attractive because it is sung with a soft voice,’ he says. ‘The language itself is touching, and stories can also be told through songs.’ 

From happiness to sadness to love and affection can be expressed through songs. This song is sung during weddings, weddings, and marimarau. Khadga is considered the king of singing in Salaijo and Yanimaya Bhaka. Most of his songs are in Salaijo, Yanimaya, and Thado Bhaka.

Again, Salaijo Bhaka is very popular in the Gandaki region. Singers at fairs, festivals, and cultural programs cannot be happy without singing this song. The song that made him famous is 'Herdaherda Kanchhile Sole Danda Katyo Mayale...'. This song was recorded in 2057 by Rima Recordings. 

The more you eat, the sweeter the water of the river 

The flowing river, the dying chola, is like this, my child...

This Yanimaya song sung with singer Tika Pun also garnered a lot of attention. ‘I am currently preparing to release a song in the Yanimaya dialect. Those who like Yanimaya will also like Salaijo,’ he says. ‘Those who like Salaijo will also like Yanimaya.’ He says that there are fewer people who listen to and understand Yanimaya than Salaijo.