TAAMISHRA: A Tale of a Front Woman

Manisha Kayastha approaches the stage, looks around—my, my people did turn out for the show—nods her clue to the rest of the band mates and waits. One-two-three-four—here it goes!         

When she starts to sing, it’d be wise to say that, Manisha Kayastha brings out her rebellious part to the forefront. While most of the girls of her age—at 21—would have preferred something ‘mellow’ and would not venture 500m close of a metal arena, she took it to one step further: she hopped into the staged, grabbed the microphone in her hands and sang it!         

Manisha Kayastha is the lead vocalist, ‘front-man’, for TAAMISHRA, a Kathmandu-based death metal band. TAAMISHRA has been playing in underground concerts in Kathmandu for over two years, rocking scores of metal diehards with her crooning. While not practicing with the band and playing concerts, this management student also works as a "singer" at a hotel bar. In a male-dominated scene, where almost all of the band members and concertgoers are boys, she stands determined against cynics and stereotyping doubters, battling to make an impact in the scene and setting an example.

Metal band is a rarity and death metal is even rarer in the underground scene of Kathmandu. Even so, female vocalist growling in a death metal band is something unique that has happened in the scene. And not too soon. 

- Rishi Amatya, photo story editor, V.E.N.T! Magazine