The news portrays a man’s emotions and his love for flowers. Rakesh is preparing to release more of his songs soon. “Ultimately, I don’t particularly like to come out into the public. There are personal reasons too. I want to emerge later,” Rakesh Luwagun expressed in a WhatsApp conversation last Monday evening, speaking in the Darjeeling/Sikkim accent. He was speaking from Namchi in Sikkim, and the topic was the song ‘Seto Phool’ (White Flower).
‘Seto Phool’ is a song that was released about a month ago but has since become a sensitive story. The question arises: who sang this song? Who is the singer? What is he like? There is absolutely no information available. The same ambiguity can be seen in the reactions on social media. But who decides this? This song moved some listeners to tears and made others more emotional. Because this poignant song, even though it touches on subtle matters, has the power to lift one’s spirits and take them elsewhere. It has the ability to evoke sweet pain by submerging the listener in memories. Rakesh did not expect to receive such widespread popularity. A source from the UK even called him to congratulate him. Messages of congratulations poured in on social media as well. Until a few months ago, he would merely hum tunes in solitude. He disliked the artificiality of the city and preferred to spend time alone, enjoying music.
He used to spend days immersed in playing the harmonium, enjoying the tunes alone. It was an experience of silent delight with his own voice. Prakash Basnet had the opportunity to observe this self-enthusiasm up close. Prakash is known for his sarcasm on social media but he is a profound individual. ‘Seto Phool’ is his creation. Prakash wrote the lyrics and the storyline for the music video. That is why Rakesh stayed in the background, which was his personal wish. Rakesh and Prakash have been friends for a long time. Rakesh calls Prakash his ‘brother’. They met during an artist search about 8-10 years ago. Rakesh used to run an event company and organize various programs while Prakash was skilled in acting and event management. They even worked together as far as Delhi, India. Prakash had often heard Rakesh sing. Despite having a good voice, Rakesh hesitated to be in the spotlight, something Prakash did not like. Prakash wanted Rakesh to come forward and repeatedly encouraged him to release his songs. One day, he said, “I will raise you up; until then, you cannot go ahead of me.” But Rakesh kept avoiding it, making excuses about running a café or studying. Still, he couldn’t escape Prakash’s persistent urging.
Rakesh sang for the first time in Prakash’s one-year-old short film ‘Nasunine Aawaz’ in the song ‘Timibatai’. But that song was not widely known. Later, Prakash brought the initial lyrics of ‘Seto Phool’ wanting to create a good song. His desire was so strong that Rakesh couldn’t refuse. Then Rakesh started composing the tune. Weeks passed: one week, two weeks, a month. When the day to record a demo came, Prakash was not satisfied with the tunes. Taking a partial tune, he went to DN Studio, where he met Dinesh Dahal, the studio owner and an excellent composer. Prakash played the tune for him, and Dinesh worked hard on it. Together, they collaborated to finalize ‘Seto Phool’, which became Rakesh’s second Nepali song registered officially. According to Prakash, the song expresses a man’s feelings for flowers. This can be seen in the video as well. Must a boy choose death to receive flowers? This question was raised at the initial stage of writing the story, followed by the song’s lyrics.
They wanted to convey that boys also love flowers and can immerse themselves in their beauty. ‘Seto Phool’ is Rakesh’s favorite flower. The song narrates a story of flowers, love, and memories, and its music video is extremely impactful. The white flower is always peaceful and pure. It carries deep sensitivity, strength, and tenderness. The song expresses profound emotions; listening to it pierces the heart and breaks it. Even after so much discussion, will Rakesh remain silent? He is gradually opening up and plans to release several songs he has already prepared, one by one. Yet he will always keep humming:
“Flowers of memories, I gather your memories
Even if my love is far, carrying memories
As a drizzle of clouds, I will wet you
When you walk alone, flowers will return my memories again
The moments we cut together, those tears will fall again
These flowers bloom again
Pick these flowers to decorate in poetry
If my memories come, offer me white flowers
There is still love to share
You come, and I will return there
Flowers of memories to you, and white flowers to me.”
