Abhaya Subba ( ne, अभाय सुब्बा) is a Nepalese singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the front woman of the rock band Abhaya & the Steam Injuns. She is a former RJ of Times FM and Hits FM, and is famous for her progressive music and social initiatives. She is the founder of Women in Concert that gives a platform and creates a safe environment for upcoming female artistes.

Personal life and career

Abhaya completed her

LLB Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the China, People's Republic ...

studies from St. Xaviers, Mumbai. She worked as RJ in Times FM in Delhi and later with Hits FM in

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

. She started her music career with a local band

Parikrama Parikrama or Pradakshina is clockwise circumambulation of sacred entities, and the path along which this is performed, as practiced in the Indic religions - Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism. In Buddhism, it refers only to the path along ...

back in India, and was involved with it from 1993 to 1995. She was also affiliated with other Rock bands, ''Red Skywalkers'' and ''Punchtatva'', respectively, before making it big with ''Abhaya & the Steam Injuns''. She claims that her inspiration and the driving force is her father, who got her interested in music since her childhood. She later collaborated with the

Image Channel The Image Channel is a private television channel in Nepal. It is owned by Image Group of Companies, which also run FM station and located in Lazimpat, Kathmandu. It produces several kinds of news programs, talkshows, entertainment shows, teleser ...

as a producer and the judge of a local talent program, ''Sprite Band Challenge—Freedom to Rock'' Her music is influenced by

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...

, Blondie,

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

Steely Dan Steely Dan is an American rock band founded in 1971 in New York by Walter Becker (guitars, bass, backing vocals) and Donald Fagen (keyboards, lead vocals). Initially the band had a stable lineup, but in 1974, Becker and Fagen retired from live ...

and

Green Day Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...

. She has a son with her husband, Kai Weise, who is a local architect in

Mainstream success

Abhaya claimed the commercial and critical success with her current band, ''Abhaya & the Steam Injuns''. The band was formed on 2 January 2003. Initially they were involved in playing live gigs in hotels and lounge bars. It was essentially an acoustic

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...

band before it kicked off as a rock outfit. Abhaya Subba, the lead vocalist, is also the founder member and creator of the band. She was judge in the rock band competition called Sprite Band Challenge—Freedom to Rock, and has judged it along with fellow Nepali musicians Robin Tamang and Dev Rana, where

underground Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground (S ...

rock bands compete for an ultimate prize and a music contract.

Concerts & Tours

Abhaya has participated in numerous concerts and international tours with her band, and other associated acts. She is also the founder and creator of Women in concert. A concert conceptualized to support rising Nepali female singers and musicians.

The Voice of Nepal

Abhaya was one of the judges in the first edition of The Voice of Nepal.

Discography

*The Steam Injuns (2005) *Nayan (2008)

Other works

In May 2011, Abhaya participated in ''Nepal Unites via Facebook'', an event organized to warn politicians about the statute drafting within the stipulated time frame, with musicians like

Nima Rumba Nima Rumba is a singer, lyricist, musician, and actor from Nepal. Some of his popular songs are ''Block Hill'', ''Huri Bataas'', ''Samjhera Ti din Haru'', ''Aau Aauna'', and ''Preeti Basyo''. Personal life Nima was born in Subarnapur, Parsa ...

and Aani Tschoing Dolma. She, along with Lamp Lights, organized ''Let there be lights'', a protest-concert in Kathmandu, in February 2012, to solicit unity against the government's move on increasing load shedding. In a post-program interview, she responded:

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Subba, Abhaya Living people 1979 births Nepali-language singers from India 21st-century Nepalese women singers People from Darjeeling Nepalese rock singers