Moti Digital Studio: A YouTube Channel Keeping Village Teej Songs Alive

Kathmandu: As Teej approaches, social media feeds, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, fill with songs. Many of them are flashy, urban, and often criticized as vulgar. They draw attention through likes, shares, and views, but also face backlash for overshadowing authentic traditions and cultural roots.

Yet, amid this flood, there are still voices that echo the original rhythm of Teej, women in red sarees, gathered in village courtyards, singing their joys and sorrows to the beat of a single madal. These songs preserve culture and keep tradition alive, untouched by the chase for quick fame. One YouTube channel, Moti Digital Studio, has become home to hundreds of such original recordings.

At first glance, the channel looks like the product of a big music company. In reality, it is the effort and vision of Sushil Adhikari, a photographer and videographer from Kaski and Tanahun, who turned his profession into a cultural preservation campaign.

A Journey That Began as Marketing

Born in Syangja, Adhikari has spent the past six years running Moti Digital Studio. Initially, his idea was a simple marketing plan for his photography business. Traveling from village to village to film weddings and festivals, he came across women singing original Teej songs.

“I used to go to the village to shoot weddings,” he recalls. “Once, I saw a group of women singing the original Teej language. I thought, if these songs could be recorded and broadcast before Teej, their art would reach others and at the same time, it could help my marketing.”

Teej songs are seasonal, played mostly during the festival. Even when uploaded online, they were scattered and unorganized. Sushil decided to professionally record and archive them. His own village was his first target, but people were skeptical. “At first, they thought I was just trying to make money from their songs,” he says. “But seeing my genuine passion, they slowly began to trust me.”

He started visiting mothers’ groups with his camera, recording their songs, editing them, and uploading the videos on YouTube, often for free if the location was nearby.

From Business to Passion

This mission was born not just from business but also from a personal experience. Years ago, Sushil had tried to take portraits of elderly villagers so families would have proper photos for tributes after their deaths. But even then, villagers misunderstood, thinking he was trying to profit.

“Whenever someone passed away, I was asked to make tribute posters,” he recalls. “Often, people only had their citizenship photo, which didn’t even resemble them anymore. That’s when I realized we were losing more than just photos, we were losing memories and culture.”

That realization drove him to document bhajans, ratauli, dohori, and panchebaja. Over time, his YouTube channel grew to host more than 1,500 videos and attract over 200,000 subscribers.

 

Shooting the Songs

According to Sushil, his team currently includes his brothers, Yuvraj Adhikari and Govinda Lamsal. They often travel to villages to film different community events, where he also introduces his idea to local women’s groups.

“I meet the mothers’ groups whenever I go to shoot videos,” he explains about his process. “In the beginning, I had to convince many of them. Now, after understanding the importance, they contact me on their own.”

Once a group is convinced, they start preparing. They select melodies, compose songs, and the village echoes with original Teej music. Sushil then films the performances with care and creativity, archiving them on his YouTube channel.

So far, Sushil has filmed Teej videos of 18 women’s and mothers’ groups. He uploads them during the festival season. “I use three cameras for filming,” he says. “Two are set on stands, and one I carry myself. Sometimes my brother helps with the shooting. After that, I edit the videos myself and upload them to YouTube.”

Sushil does not charge for programs held nearby, but if the event is far away, the organizing group covers the expenses.

“At present, YouTube doesn’t generate much income. I have to close my studio and travel for shoots, which interrupts my other work. The gadgets we use also come at a cost. That’s why, if it’s far, the group manages the expenses. But if it’s close by, we don’t charge any fee. So far, except for two, all the videos I’ve filmed have been local,” he explains.

Challenges Along the Way

Sushil’s journey hasn’t been free of challenges. Some groups assumed he was making big money off their performances. “Once, I had to share my YouTube screen on Messenger to show them how little income came in compared to the effort and equipment cost,” he says.

Another major challenge is copyright disputes. Sometimes, a group sings a song that turns out to belong to another creator. After facing controversies, he now warns every group not to copy anyone’s work directly.

Recognition and Reach

Sushil’s work has begun to gain recognition outside his own district. Recently, women’s groups from Chitwan and Parbat invited him, covering his travel expenses, to record their original songs. In Parbat, participants even prepared for a week, buying matching sarees for the shoot. “It was so heartening to see that,” he says.

TikTok has also boosted the reach of Moti Digital Studio, as old videos resurface and go viral during Teej. But it has also created frustrations, with others uploading his full videos without credit. “It was never my goal to make millions,” he says. “But when others re-upload my videos, it reduces viewership on my channel. The credit for my hard work often goes elsewhere.”

Preserving Culture Through a Camera Lens

Despite setbacks, Sushil takes pride in how his work has helped promote both his photography business and Nepal’s cultural heritage. “The greatest satisfaction,” he says, “is when families hire me for weddings or engagements after first seeing a Teej video I filmed in their village. What started as a marketing idea has now become a mission to preserve culture.”

 

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: भदौ ५, २०८२ ११:५४

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