Budding banker steals Bryan Adams’ show in Nepal

KATHMANDU - When Bryan Adams rocked Kathmandu in Nepals first international concert Saturday night, it was neither his team members nor the three popular Nepali rock bands sharing the stage with him who shared the limelight.

Instead, it was a 27-year-old budding banker who found herself a celebrity overnight with her face in the major newspapers Sunday.

For Brinda Singh, an executive with the Bank of Kathmandu, it was the icing on the cake. Her greatest joy was on being chosen by the Canadian rock star - from among nearly 20,000 cheering fans at the Dasharath Stadium - to walk up on the glittering stage and croon with him.

Adams, who flew in from Dhaka, where he had sung at the inaugural programme of the 2011 World Cup, set Kathmandus crowds cheering during his nearly two-hour concert by beginning with American rock singer Bob Singers 1976 hit, “Katmandu”, and later, introducing himself by saying, Hello Nepal, I am Bryan Adams.

After the spellbound audience chorused with him through his other hits like “Everything I do” and “18 till I die”, he beckoned to the crowds, saying he wanted female accompaniment for the 1990s chartbuster single, “When you are gone”, originally sung with Melanie Chisholm.

As the fates would have it, his eyes fell on the waving Brinda, who had arrived at the stadium almost five hours before the show, eager to hear live the man whose songs she had been singing through her school and college days.

The 51-year-old star chose the 27-year-old struggling singer and when Brinda clambered up on the stage breathless, still not believing her luck, asked her her name and what she did.

I am a banker but I can rock, she reportedly said and sang along with immense poise.

Brinda, the daughter of well-known Nepali singer Bijay Singh Munal, had been trying to break in on the diverse and competitive music industry of Nepal for four years, finally taking up a banking job as an optional career.

Saturdays performance gave her the break she was seeking but never expected to find from her childhood idol.

Its unbelievable, Adams said after watching the enthusiasm of the audience. I think we have become friends tonight.

He also said he and his team members were extremely proud to be the first international band to perform in Nepal.

May this first become a way to many other bands to come and perform here, he added.

The crowds behaved beautifully, showing the authorities security concerns as exaggerated. Nearly 5,000 police personnel as well as a private security company had been deployed to ensure the concert went off without any untoward incident.

The surveillance was beefed up especially after Adams show in New Delhi was cancelled due to fears about security.

It was a triumphant moment for Nepals tourism authorities who said the show would send out the message to the world that Nepal was a safe destination and boost its Tourism Year 2011 campaign to fly in 1 million tourists.

The crowds not only featured youngsters and expatriates but also eminent banks. Also seen queuing up at the gate were Radhesh Pant, chief of Kumari Bank, and Anil Shah, CEO of the newly started Mega Bank.