We are Project Baja, a team of enthusiasts focusing on traditional music preservation and knowledge transferring. Project Baja is a self-driven joint mission to preserve local music of Nepal. Baja is musical instrument in Nepali/Newari language. Firoj Bajracharya, practitioner of both classical and modern music, initiated Project Baja in May 24, 2018. Currently there are 7 active members who are directly contributing in communication, documentation, research, recording, video capturing and post production work. Though the project began from local communities of Kathmandu valley, it is not limited to single area, religion, tribe or music.
While the project leader was wandering around the world with his friends playing guitar, his heart kept on calling me back to roots. More he explored the world, much he was drawn to the original Nepali music that still is played in corners of communities. Some are documented while others are passed on from generations, traditional Nepali music has a lot of tell but not only in scripting. One has to be part of the whole process for the deeper understanding of music that has lived from the time long ago. Firoj chose this path which is mostly found uneasy by people these days. Passion and patience are the key to view age old music with new perspective. It is even harder to gather likeminded team players to multiply strength without expecting quick result.
The major concern that bothered us was fading away of local music along with senior generation. Even though the younger ones wanted to own old music, lack of standardization has hindered the teacher and student both. It is never late to start anything good. We all began sitting with musicians in their own premises, started recording them with deeper interest and wider network. The need of standardizing particular music became necessary for as we found variation of same chanting in every next community. Variety is the beauty of any locality but bonding it with notation would make it accessible worldwide. This is how Project Baja is born.