High up in Kathmandu with the backpack 2.0

Felix Groteloh is a guy who is up for any adventure - but only with his camera in his luggage. We get an insight into where, according to him, he has already "dragged our brand new backpack through the mud". Since we know what the new hybrid canvas can withstand and how easy it is to clean, Felix didn't mean any offense.

Kathmandu, mystical and exotic, but a dirty city - as he says. Nevertheless, there are unexpected gems to be discovered in the capital of Nepal. Hardly any other city has so many UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Above all, the extremely friendly and courteous people, who treat guests like gods and make you feel at home, are worth a few pictures. A dream for any protrait or street photographer.

As we discovered, the compagnon backpack is not the first cultural asset from the Black Forest to make it to Nepal. According to Felix Groteloh's reports, however, it is certainly an absolutely reliable, robust item that should not be missing on trips like this.

A very special highlight of his trip was the Katjazz International Festival. How did it come about? A man with a passion for Nepal's nature and its inhabitants, a few trips to the Himalayan country and a chance contact with the Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, where he was allowed to teach as a guest lecturer. Jonas Winterhalter. A visionary who, even in one of the poorest countries in the world with many political changes, does not allow himself to be stopped from starting a unique cultural project under difficult circumstances.

The Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, which was founded in the early 2000s, is an extremely important project here. The school is financed entirely by donations and has set itself the task of training young Nepalese musicians. This year, the first students completed their two-year course with a diploma. The school is also committed to the musical education of children from all social classes. Together with the Consevatorium, the idea of the big band visit was born in 2017. Bringing 18 professional musicians from Switzerland, France, the USA and Germany to Kathmandu for almost two weeks to teach and play on a voluntary basis is a unique project in the history of the conservatory. The trip was also a unique experience for the members of the Big Band. The direct exchange with the Nepalese artists and the immersion in the unique culture of the country made a deep impression on everyone and hopefully led to a long-term partnership and many friendships.

Read for yourself what Felix writes about it:

'For 14 days I accompanied the Jonas Winterhalter Big Band. It was my first time in Nepal and what can I say: take a look at the pictures and maybe, if you haven't been to Nepal yet, you can imagine what I experienced.

The pictures speak for themselves, but I want to give you some information about the general conditions and who, how and what. Nobody should leave the house naked: the Jazz Conservatory in Kathmandu invited the JWBB (20 musicians and a photographer) to give concerts, workshops and individual lessons at the KAT JAZZ FESTIVAL 2019. In addition to the actual festival, we also had the opportunity to give a concert at Kaalo.101, a free artists' collective, and at a school for street children. An incredible experience!

I'm delighted to have had the chance to expand my horizons by a few millimeters. I met a lot of great people and I'm not writing this lightly. Really, the Nepalese are a very hospitable people and, despite the great poverty, have a lot of joy in life - sometimes I thought: there are more grumpy people here than here.

Namaste.