He led a very tough life. Orphaned at the age of one and losing his eyesight due to a serious head injury, he lived with his grandmother, who would do menial work or beg for survival. It was music that gave him solace and later a flourishing music career in Nepal.

From singing on the streets to get goodies to traveling and performing in 21 countries, Prakash Timilsina, 33, has come a long way. Today to his credit, he has four music albums, various awards, and recognition.

Though, COVID-19 has put a stop to his flourishing career, he is not disheartened as he feels that music has pulled him through a much difficult time in his life.

“Ever since I was a three-year-old boy living in abject poverty in Dharan, music was my only companion. As I grew older, it was music that gave me whatever little recognition I enjoy today, some money and plenty of opportunities to travel and experience the world,” Timilsina was quoted by The Kathmandu Times.

“Of course things are tough now but instead of worrying, I am focusing more on bettering my craft and also working on new music. Music has pulled me through much more difficult phases in my life and I know I can rely on music to pull me through this one, too.”

Timilsina was a year old when a flood swept away his village in Sunsari district, near Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve. He survived, but he lost his parents. A serious head injury left him blind.

It was pure luck that he was saved, the singer said.

A fisherman found him, rescued him, and raised funds for his treatment.

His grandmother raised him. But it was not easy for them. She worked as a domestic help to earn money and begged on the streets when there was no work

“It was a very difficult period in my life,” he recalled.

The first time, he heard a song playing on a cassette player was when he was three years old. And thus began his love affair with music. By the age of nine, he was determined to become a singer.

“From very early on in my life, music became my only company and my solace,” he was quoted by the newspaper.

As he was blessed with a good voice, people would ask him to sing and in return would give him goodies like biscuits and other eatables – things his grandmother was not able to afford.

“Being able to give my grandmother nice things to eat made me so happy because even though I was blind I was very well aware of how hard things were for her. When I was old enough, I started demanding a rupee for every song but this deal wasn’t very hit among people because people continued to pay me in biscuits and candies,” he added.

In 2008, Timilsina released his first music album.

The album flopped. But in 2008, Timilsina found fame as one of the two singers representing Nepal in a singing TV reality show South Asian Superstar, which was held in India. Apart from Nepal, the show had two singers each from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

“One of the singers representing India in the competition was Bollywood’s famed singer Neha Kakkar. I secured fourth position in the competition and the judges really liked all of my performances,” he added.

By the end of the competition, Timilsina had won many hearts and became very famous.

In 2010, he came out with a hit song ‘Priya Timro.’  That same year,  he bagged the title of best debutant male artist at Kalika FM Music Award and also won the best new male singer at Annapurna FM Music Award.

This established him as a well-known name in the Nepal music industry. He was at the peak of his career and was recording an average of two songs a year.

Since then, he has traveled to 21 countries to perform, launched a total of four albums, and recorded more than 60 songs.

Three years ago, he also started performing as a singer at a casino of a five-star hotel in Kathmandu. Things were looking up for him. But, then COVID-19 happened. The casino closed, putting a stop to his music career, and also touring.

However, he is not worried. For a boy, who would sing on the streets to get goodies, he feels he has come a long way. And for now, he is happy he has his music for solace and survival.