MONMOUTHSHIRE musicians will line up to perform a musical evening on Saturday 16th May at the New Court Hotel in Usk to raise funds for victims of the Nepal earthquake.

Following the terrible earthquake that struck Nepal last month, Usk musician Maya Burchell-Haslett is organising the fundraising event with the support of local artists and the New Court Hotel.

Maya only returned from Nepal earlier in April after three months working for the charity Restless Development in a remote village east of the capital Kathmandu where she worked alongside Nepali volunteers in the village school and lived with a local host family.

Maya said: "I've now heard that all my Nepali co-workers are safe although living in tents in the streets and running short on essentials; but there is still no word of the fate of my host family. The village where I was based, Kabre, is located in the remote Dolakha district where reports say that up to 90 per cent of buildings have been badly damaged – naturally, I'm extremely concerned and want to help by raising much needed funds".

Maya added: "I'm really grateful to my fellow musicians for kindly agreeing to perform and to the New Court Hotel for hosting it, and I'm sure that lots of people will turn out to support the event".

As well as Maya, other performers include local artists Mansel Davies, Owen Firminger, Silurian, and Stormus, so it promises to be a great evening of entertainment.

Pictured right: Maya Burchell-Haslett (left) with her host family and co-workers in Nepal in April before the earthquake.