By Binju Sitaula, Zhang Jianhua

    KATHMANDU, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- What Nepali youngsters really do in the conservation of the native folk music seems to be beyond what the seniors and the specialists have expected.

    Nepali specialists sometimes complain that the new generation have forgotten their cultural folk music. They say the Nepali traditional music and folk songs have been abandoned by the youngsters who are more attracted to western music, and they have been changed into some kind of modified versions.

    However, some teenage Nepali girls, at least, are proving them wrong, in the International Folk Music Festival held in Nepali capital Kathmandu since Wednesday. They are doing their part to conserve the traditional music.

    "I listen to western music and I enjoy singing Indian songs butI love my own tribal music most," said 15-year-old Jyoti Thapa.

    Jyoti, who hailed from Tanahu district, some 110 km west of Nepali capital Kathmandu, has come to Kathmandu to participant "International Folk Music Festival 2008".

    With traditional costume and ornaments and perfect make-up in her face, she shined and the shyness in her face furnished its beauty more.

    Jyoti, studying at grade nine in her own village, is representing western region of Nepal in this festival.

    Altogether there are 23 participants in Jyoti's group, among which 12 are girls who performed "Kaura Nach" (traditional folk song and dance practiced in Magar community) Wednesday evening. They will be performing Kaura Nach throughout the four days.

    She challenges elders who think new generations are forgetting native cultural identity. She believes that her effort of following elders will help to preserve indigenous cultural music that is being extinct in her community.

    She is not alone, 11 more girls and boys of similar ages are with her.

    "There is no institute to teach me and my friends about Kaura Nach", said Jyoti. "I came to learn it by myself, watching my elder sisters and mother sing," she added.

    Four-day cultural musical festival has begun in Kathmandu from Wednesday. This festival is the first one of such event in Nepal which draws both national and international artists to promote folk music and instruments that reflect the rich and vibrant cultural traits of different countries.

    Altogether 150 artists are performing in this folk music festival representing five different countries besides Nepal. Artists from Norway, India, Malawi, Palestine and South Africa will be performing alongside Nepalis representing five developments regions of Nepal.

    Nepal Music Center (NMC) has take this initiation to organize this four-day international musical-cultural festival in Nepali capital Kathmandu. The organizer also thinks research and conservation of Nepali cultural music is necessary to preserve cultural identity of Nepal.

    "We are organizing this cultural musical festival as huge numbers of youths are being attracted toward modified version of folk and modern trend," said Santosh Sharma, co-coordinator of the festival.

    Sharma who is also the president of NMC and managing director of Music Nepal (first private music company in Nepal, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary at this time), said in his welcome speech on Wednesday that, "time has come to conserve our folk tradition to hand over these cultural values to the coming generations."