These days, Kismat is a musician who has the respect of the music community and the achievements which vet him (including multiple radio hits and “Band of the Year” for the rock band Albatross and multiple awards with reggae band Joint Family International) but there was a time when he was a young metal drummer. When a friend suggested to him that he volunteer at the Jazzmandu Festival (Kathmandu Jazz Festival) to mingle and network with artists from around the globe, it seemed like a good idea. Although he admits to not fully understanding the language of jazz at the time, it led to his enrollment at the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory. Both his talent and his drive led to an invitation for Kismat to join the teaching staff at KJC upon his graduation; a testament to both the instructors’ belief in his abilities and his education sensibilities. Shrestha taught both piano and drums at KJC. His embrace of both is yet another attribute which causes his musicality to stand out. He notes, “Piano and drums are both considered percussion instruments. While piano is also called a string instrument, I see both drums and piano not just as percussion instruments but as melody instruments as well in the sense that both the instruments can be considered as catering to the harmonic side of music as well. Hence bridging the gap between these two instruments further changed my perspective on music as a whole. Learning piano allowed me to hear what I played as well as see what I heard. While reading sheet music, I could think percussively but also know where the music is going melodically…what changes are happening throughout the song and so on. This gave a “musical” perspective to my drumming ability as a whole and this trait in Jazz is considered a positive rarity. Some of the drummers who exhibit this well are Ari Hoenig, Peter Erskine, Brian Blade, and many others.” Discussing how he personally applies this to music and performance, Kismat states, “The musical skill I would say that I possess is that I can apply to both piano and drums would be my ability to hear the nuances of where the music is flowing to, both rhythmically and melodically in a simultaneous manner. Drummers tend to be just drummers and pianists tend to be just pianists in the sense that they are confined to one instrument. It would be safe to call them just instrumentalists rather than musicians. In order to be a musician however, one needs to have the ability to bridge the gap between rhythm and melody. What better instruments to bridge this gap than drums and piano? The application of rudimental skills learnt in drums in piano and the understanding of the melody and harmony of a tune through piano helps to take the understanding and outcome of music to a higher and more complex level.”
Shrestha would impart this knowledge to students under his tutelage as well as to other musicians when applicable. Combining academia and street smarts, Kismat formulated his own very musical approach to drumming and music. While he performed and recorded as a pianist with ensembles at KJC, his work in the private sector was still largely based around his drumming abilities. Excellence such as this resonates and inspires. Sunita Shakya (Coordinator of the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory) proclaims, “Kismat is not just a terrific drummer and musician but is also one of the nicest human beings you’ll ever meet. As administrator of the KJC where Kismet learned and later taught, I could not be more proud to see that Kismat has become one of the finest drummers in our country. His talent and success have become an inspiration for all of the budding drummers here.”
Shrestha achieved his first international exposure performing with the KJC Urjazz group under the direction of Maraino Abello at the World Village Festival in Finland. It wasn’t long before Kismat was fielding offers from groups to join and tour internationally. Beyond the previously mentioned groups, Kismat has shared the stage with the famous jazz singer form NYC Sachal Vasandani, Natalia Calderon, Tito Puente Jr, Grammy Winner Marlow Rosado, Dario Eskenazi, Jamie Baum to name but a few. The pull between constantly learning and practicing your craft is what makes for a great musician; it can also make for conflict. At one time, Kismat was close to attending the famed Berklee College of Music in Boston but was unable to attend because of a major tour with the rock band Albatross. While to some, attending even a prestigious school like Berklee might seem to be a step back when one already has a thriving career, Shrestha had trouble turning away his dream school. A moment of clarity revealed itself while on the tour as Kismat recalls, “While in Boston we had played at Hard Rock Cafe and the sound engineer was a drum major and a Berklee graduate. I had a chat with him about this situation. I told him how I had received the initial fee waiver in the application and needed to go to Mumbai for auditions. Right around that time is when Albatross invited to me to join their band and travel the world with them. I was presented with a very tough decision to choose between Berklee and Albatross. I ended up choosing Albatross because I wanted to be in a great band and travel the world. Had I chosen Berklee I’d have had wished to do the same after studies but in this case the opportunity presented itself to me right then on and I took it, happily. Hearing my story, the sound engineer Anthony smiled and said that I had made the right choice. I asked what he liked most about studying in Berklee and he replied that the contacts and friends that he made with people from around the world was the most important. Other than that he felt the same as I did about learning. It was a pivotal moment for me. I understood that I had actually become the musician I’ve always wanted to be; it just took someone else to communicate this back to me.”