When the song Kutu ma Kutu crossed the 40 million view mark on YouTube on Tuesday, singer Rajanraj Siwakoti was in Nepalgunj, performing to a full-house audience.

Siwakoti, one of the in-demand singers in the country’s concert circuit, is currently on a nationwide tour.  Siwakoti performed in Dhangadi on Thursday and will perform in Kathmandu on Friday,  Butwal on Dec 28, Baglung on Dec 29, and in Pokhara on Dec 31.

“In the last ten months I have performed not only in Nepal but also in Dubai, Australia, Hongkong, and Korea,” Siwakoti said.

Along with Kutu ma Kutu, Siwakoti has hit numbers such as Surke Thaili and Purba Paschim Rail under his belt.

“What pleases me about the new musical atmosphere in Nepal is that the market share of Bollywood songs has lessened to some extent, people have finally begun to appreciate the works created by Nepalis,” Siwakoti said.

Siwakoti is also a lyricist and composes songs on his own. “What drives me to write the lyrics is how I grew up in the village and I try to incorporate the motifs from life in the countryside,” he said. “A song should be original and touch upon the arts and heritage of the places we grew up in. Only such songs can capture the imagination of the audience.”