C.M. Paul

Reflections : A book of poetry by Kened Pradhan or popularly known as ‘Ken P’ originally from Darjeeling is a poignant pick of poems reflecting life from a variety of moments and moods. The book released in January is published by The Print Master Darjeeling.

Ken P switches with ease from topics as varied as divine themes like goddess, to nature themes such as monsoon, road, journey, leiothrix bird, swan, ropeway, shadow, sunrise, and to a very mundane topic like underwear, and tribulation. The booklet contains 15 poems in his mother tongue Nepali and 10 more poems in English.

Ken starts his reflections with a poem on goddess – just four very short lines in Nepali. However, his longest poem running into eight stanzas of 33 lines is the longest poem in this collection and is entitled The Underwear.

Being a Jesuit product, Ken P says, “I write songs, music and poetry for charity and endeavours to educate and inspire the younger generation through his poetry and music.”

With a touch of semi-jazz feel leaning on the sentimental edge, Ken’s songs and music are a far cry from the mainstream Nepalese pop-rock and folk fare rendering his music easily hummable with bewithingly haunting melody and striking chordal arrangements.

Ken made his debut in creating film music while studying at Fergusson College Pune and doing freelance assignments as background music composer for the Film and Television Institute graduates.

Before settling down in Sydney some 16 years ago, Ken worked in high profile schools in Delhi and Thailand.

In Australia he runs his own small scale sound hiring and recording Studio christened Garage 24 Production, the proceeds of which Ken donates back to the community to charities especially helping people who are sick and ailing.

Master of guitar and piano Ken hopes to share music and poetry with younger generation with a firm belief that ‘to be enlightened of one’s awakening is the path to moksha.’