Ram Prakash Pokharel, aka, Prakash Slim an International Artist, Educator and Ambassador of the Blues was born on June,17th, 1980. It was during the rainy season, of a small village called Lamatar, in the Lalitpur district, of Nepal. The village saw its first electric bulb in 1983 and its first motor car only in 1995. He was raised by a loving, loyal family that had very limited means. His father passed away at the age of 29, leaving his mother with three children to raise, One elder brother, a sister & Prakash. What food they could manage to obtain was earned by their mother, who worked in their neighbors’ fields. He went to a public school where instead of desks and benches, they had mats made of straw. When asked what his ambition was when young, Prakash Slim replied, ‘Ambition was a privilege for rich kids back then. The only ambition I had was sustaining life.’

He has been interested in music since he was a child. He'd play music by drumming against a water gallon where he'd sing songs all day.  Music drew him to it's world. When it called out to him he couldn’t resist. His most prized possession back then was a bicycle that his sister gifted him after she landed a job. Prakash wanted to learn & play the guitar but he didn't have the money to buy one. He confesses that he bought his first guitar by selling his bicycle, telling his family that a friend had taken it for a few days. He learned guitar with a local teacher for a few months in 1998 and started practicing himself.  He recorded his first pop song in 2000 and started performing on the stage.

For two years, Prakash gave up everything else, to search for a mentor who could teach him everything he needed to know about music theory. He finally found a teacher, a legendary musician named C.B. Chhetri, though he lived 10 km away from Prakash's own home. His passion for music was so enormous that he never missed a lesson. Whether it stormed or rained, he always arrived, ahead of time, and ready to learn.

For years, after learning a working, journeyman's knowledge of the guitar, he accepted his mentor (C.B. Chhetri) ‘s offer to join his band and gigged in a circuit of restaurants playing rock blues music and instrumental. At the same time, he started teaching music in schools and institutions.

In 2008 he participated in a workshop entitled Teaching Music Effectively"  conducted at Kathmandu  Jazz Conservatory by the US  Cultural Embassy envoy; Dr. Gene Aitken. It had been fine playing in Rock Blues and Instrumental Bands all those years, however, Prakash's thirst for musical knowledge, and deeper musical experiences, couldn't be quenched. He would listen Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton. When he first heard B.B King, he became thirsty to learn his magical intervals; 6th, 9th, major 3rd, and minor third. But when he heard Charely Patton, Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Fred McDowell, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Blake, and many other country blues artists he knew this would be his main style as he felt in his heart.

Overwhelmed by what he heard, he began researching more & more about Blues music & its history. He also took much of his existing repertoire and started experimenting by adding Blues licks & Blues grooves to them. There he gradually learned more expanded theory and a deeper understanding of how chords and progressions are formed both physically and numerically. From 2003 - 2015 he kept busy playing lead and/or rhythm guitar, and bass as well as a vocalist for various bands throughout Nepal. (From 2003 - 2010 he played in "The Sound of Music" band, from 2008 - 2010 in the "Black Hawk Nepal" band and from 2012 - 2015 in "The Plus" band) .
 
In 2015, he received an invitation to attend a musical retreat at Walden School of Music, San Francisco, California, USA. A major earthquake though hit Nepal in 2015. Buildings crumbled down to dust and Prakash's hopes too were also shattered as he was unable to attend the retreat. The devastation hit him hard and personally. For the next several years an insurmountable fear and pain were a constant in his life. The Blues became his solace and his very best friend.

In February 2017, he fell sick and was advised bed rest. While he was scrolling through his news feed aimlessly, he came across a Facebook page named “Acoustic Blues Pickers”. He was intrigued by seeing a world of blues lovers like himself. There he listened to Robert Johnson’s “Me and the devil blues”. He practiced playing it for a week and shared what he played on the page. A Facebook friend name called Fred Love from  USA on seeing his post on the page, offered to help him and magnanimously sent him a resonator guitar and some slides.
 
Prakash Slim has not only been playing and doing research in Blues but has also been teaching BITS, aka, Blues In The Schools. He does Blues exhibitions for his school in Nepal. No doubt... he's committed to playing forward BITS programs, and hence, is living, by example the axiom "keeping the blues alive." in Nepal & beyond.

Prakash has worked as a music teacher in the schools and institutions in Nepal for a long time  ; he worked in Vidhya Sanskar School (Chelsea International Academy) for 13 years,  kalanidhi Indira Sangeet Mahavidhyalaya for more than 15 years. He worked in Rato Bangla School, Premier International School as special guitar teacher. He has been giving private music lessons.
He's a recognized, internationally affiliated Artist/Performer and Educator of the Blues with the Mt. Zion Memorial Fund (Executive Director Dr. T. DeWayne Moore) in Mississippi, USA since January 2019. Prakash is also active in a Blues mentorship program with T.J. Wheeler, a long-time pioneer, advocate, activist teacher/performer of Blues, Jazz & related music, and educator from the USA. He is a member of the International Singer and Songwriters Association, Georgia, USA.

Prakash is honored with an "Ambassador of the Blues" of The Golden Gate Blues Society, Berkeley, California.
Prakash Slim is honored with "International Ambassador of the Blues" from Sacramento Blues Society, California.
Prakash has been nominated for the "World Artist Of The Year" for Josie Music Award, USA.
Prakash is honored with "Blues Ambassador and Keeper of the Music Tradition" from the Granite State Blues Society, USA.
He actively participated in 8th Annual International Conference on the Blues hosted by Delta State University, Mississippi in Oct. 2021.
Prakash has been featured with American Blues Merchandise Wang Dang Doodle Tees, https://wangdangdoodletees.com/prakash-slim/  Illinois, USA.
A major Paraguayan newspaper ABC Color referred to him as a “Nepali Robert Johnson”.

He has performed at the Juke Joint Festival, Clarksdale (Mississippi) and at the Blues On The Range Festival in New Hampshire. He performed sold out show as the headline set  at The Monkey House, Berkeley, California. Prakash performed at some of the best venues in the East Coasts Jamey's House of Music and at The Fire in Pennsylvania. He played at  Woman's Club and Annapurna Curry & Grill in New Jersey.
He perfomed  at Southern Saratoga Arts, Crafts & Vendor Fair and  Other Brewing Company in New York.
Prakash played at the Historic Riverside Hotel in Clarksdale MS, on the same porch where so many legendary blues artists performed.  Prakash performed at The Porch and  Ailaa Bar in Massachussets.  He played at Froggies Barbecue restaurant (Virginia), B-Side Bar (Memphis), Gas Station (Downtown Issaquah WA)....
 He played duo with his blues mentor, blues jazz pioneer Mr. TJ Wheeler at Multiple venues of New Hampshire.
Prakash shares that "he is honored to perform solo sets at great venues such as Edgewood Center for Rehab and Health Care (Portsmouth, NH), Action Senior Center (Alton, NH), Keene Public Library (Keene, NH)".
Prakash was as a popular guest on Greaseland Studio Live with Christoffer Andersen aka Kid Andersen in California. He opened for the legendary Rick Estrin and the  Nightcats band at Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz, California. Kid Andersen is the lead guitarist of the band Rick Estrin and the  Nightcats, owner of Greasand Recording Studio which received "Keeping The Blues Alive" award from The Blues Foundation. Christoffer Lund Andersen has produced numerous recordings that have won and been nominated for Grammy Awards, as well as a number of awards specific to the “Blues Music Industry”.

Prakash served as an opening act for Johnny Burgin, played together with him and performed solo set. Mr. Johnny Burgin is a 2023 Blues Music Award Nominee for Best Traditional Blues Artist and a Delmark recording artist. Mr. Burgin is constantly touring and has performed some 250 shows across the United States, Europe and Asia.

He has interviewed/featured by prestigious blues publications & websites and other medias such as Blues Matters Magazine (UK), American Blues Scene magazine (USA), Blues In Britain magazine (UK), BluesNews magazine (Germany), No Border Blues podcast (Sponsored by Chicago Blues Network) USA, Blues Letter magazine (Washington Blues Society USA), Twoj Blues magazine (Poland), Blues.Gr (Greece), Blues & Co magazine (France), ABC Color (Paraguay), Living Blues (USA), Jazz Blues News (France/Armenia), Lazie Indie magazine (India/France), Down At The Crossroads (Ireland),  Crossroads - Never Established  (France), Grateful Web (USA), Blue Monday magazine (USA), Blues In The South (UK), WUMB Radio Network (university of Masachussets), KZSU 90.1 FM (Stanford University, CA, USA), KMRE 88.3 FM (Bellingham, WA, USA), Blues Radio International (USA), Global Blues Radio (USA), Radio Memphis (USA),  WEVL FM 89.9 Memphis (USA), Nashville Blues & Roots Alliance, The WAYO 104.3 FM, (NY, USA), Hard Rock Hell Radio UK, WUSB 90.1 FM (NY,USA), The cat 107.9 FM (UK), The Phoenix Radio (USA), The Sterling City Radio (Scotland), Plastic EP Live TV (Australia), Nepali Times (Australia), ENepalese media (USA),  Kalakarmi Media (Nepal), Khasokhas Media (USA), Yuwa Hunkar (Nepal)...

Prakash's first Album "Country Blues From Nepal"  was released on Devil Records Europe in Feb 2022
Vocal and Music by Prakash Slim, Lyrics by Prakash and Henry D Jones, USA
Harmonica by Fabrizio Poggi, Italy
Recorded by Jay Tamang - Kalanidhi Digital Studio, Nepal
Produced, mixed and cover design by Carl Wyatt, France
Mastered by Yves DeVille at Studio D, Luxembourg
Cover Photos by Adam Kennedy, UK

His Album reached #12 in the Top 40 Blues + Albums of the year 2022, Blues Blues UK.
His single "Corona Blues" reached #35 in the Top 40 Blues + Singles of the year 2022, Blues Blues UK.
Prakash's debut album "Country Blues From Nepal" was out on DeVille Records, Europe on February 4, 2022.
His album reached #19 on International Blues Chart - Australian Blues and Roots Airplay Chart, Australia, February, 2022.
He album got #21 on Top 40 most played blues album chart of UK Independent Blues Broadcasters Association (IBBA), February 2022.
His tune Blues Raga was #18 at The Final 2020 Top 25 Charts on Radio Guitar One, USA.

Prakash's debut album has got  wonderful reviews from some blues publications; Blues Blast magazine (USA), Living Blues magazine (USA), Blues Matters magazine (UK), Blues In Britain (UK), American Blues Scene USA, Twoj Blues (Poland), Blues News magazine (Finland), Down At The Crossroads (Ireland), Blues In The South (UK), La Hora Del Blues
(Spain), Philly Cheeze's Rock & Blues Reviews (USA), Blues/Blues UK, BLUES ROADHOUSE (USA).
Prakash Performed virtually at some of the major international blues festivals during pandemic.
He performed for Festival International Queretablues, Mexico on Dec 17, 2021.
He performed for 6th La Ruta Del Blues Festival Mexico on 22 October 2021.
He performed for CAN'T STOP THE BLUES, USA on 13 Dec 2020.
He performed for the 1st International Obregon Sonora Blues Festival, Mexico in Feb, 2021
He represented  Nepal in the International Blues Festival of Lima, Peru, and published his biography in Almas Raices Productions, Lima, Peru.   
He played for the Crossroads Confined Countdown Festival (France)on 4th June 2020.
He performed for the 5th Posadas Blues Festival, in Argentina, on 6th November 2020.  
He played for Seventh Blues Festival En El Rio, Argentina.
He has played for “Blues for a Cause” in Nepal.
American Blues Scene magazine mentioned him as “a living history of the blues” while premiering his instrumental track “Blues Raga” in November 2020.

He represented Nepal in the “World Unity Open Mic” virtual event hosted by The Fire – a legendary live music venue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on 18 May 2020.
He was featured as an international blues educator in Central Iowa Blues Society for the month of February 2020 in the Where in The World: A Blues Ambassador’s Travel series.  
His quote "B.B. King globalized the blues" is mentioned by the Phenomenal Scholar, Author, and Storyteller Diane Williams in her new book presentation - The Life and Legacy of B.B. King at Mississippi Department of Archives and History - 22 January 2020.