Prem Dhoj Pradhan

Prem Dhoj Pradhan
Prem Dhoj Pradhan in 1973
Background information
Birth name	Prem Dhoj Pradhan
Born	(1938-06-06) 6 June 1938 (age 79) Sindhupalchowk, Chautara
Genres	Nepali, Nepal Bhasa Regional Playback
Years active	1944–present

Prem Dhoj Pradhan (Nepali: प्रेम ध्वज प्रधान) is a Nepalese musician, born in 1938 in Chautara, a small town 28 miles east of Kathmandu. He is a singer, composer, and a regional playback singer. He sings in the two major languages of Nepal, Nepal Bhasa and Nepali. He is also known as the Golden Voice and King of Romantic Melodies of Nepal.

Prem Dhoj is known for being the first to perform with a guitar in Nepal. He was also the first Nepali singer to sing with Indian playback singer Usha Mangeshkar for the movie Maitighar in 1965. In 1985, he sang duet songs with Asha Bhosle for the movie Mayalu in Bombay, India. Prem Dhoj has varied his musical style throughout his career and recorded approximately 700 songs on Radio Nepal, including live broadcasting and recorded songs.

Prem Dhoj Pradhan is a Nepalese musician born in 1938 in Chautara, a small town 28 miles east of Kathmandu. Brought up by his mother at a time in Nepal when music was synonymous with meaningful living, Prem Dhoj grew up to love it. His mother, Pran Devi Pradhan, taught him his first lessons of music. He learned basic classical music in 1954 from the late Mr. Ganesh Lal Shrestha for fifteen months. It was from Nepal’s laureate of music that Prem Dhoj learned the fundamentals of classical music. However, for the most part, Prem Dhoj remains a self-educated artist because for him music is both discipline and relaxation in a constant journey of self-expression.

1950's
In 1952, Prem Dhoj was barely sixteen when he participated in a voice test sponsored by Radio Nepal. The first song he sang was Yad Kasaikko Aairahecha Yo Andheri Ratama. He enthralled audiences with songs like a maun nisha ka tara ho, Magmagaundo Basana yo phoola ko hoki timro ho, Niraba Ratma Aanshu bhahai, O chhu galli thow chhu galli, and Rajamati kumati. Prem Dhoj became the most sought-after artist by organizers of cultural programs in Nepal. It seemed as if his songs had lent self-expression to the turbulent inner urges of a whole generation of Nepalese youth. The young artist was, however, searching for a fitting style and technique that would help in the flowering of his musical talents. By 1957 he was still wavering between patriotic songs (led by songs like yo Nepali Shir Wuchali (this was the first Nepali (patriotic) duet song with Tara Devi ever recorded on Radio Nepal.) and between romantic melodies of lost love.