Little did he know, he would be a sensational singer one day. Nepal-born Curtis Waters, who goes by the real name, Abhinav Bastakoti ‘s single ‘Stunning’ has been streamed million times on different platforms including Spotify and Tiktok. Thus, he easily realized that the music industry no longer rents a gatekeeper as they used to in bygone days.
How did he go for music despite his family yearned to excel in academics? Why is he grateful for TikTok which influenced his song, ‘Stunning’ into loads of online streams? Now, how much is his net worth? Let’s get them here all along:
Loves music dearly
At 14, he downloaded FL studio and began making his own beats on the laptop. He followed the trails of notable artists- Kanye West, Ian Curtis, and Frank Ocean while learning digital audio procession. Waters became a regular visitor of a digital workstation, arranged clips from a different section, and merged them to create his own music in the end. Instead of spending time with school mates, he opened up a YouTube tutorial for making a beat and selling them online.
When his family moved to North Carolina in 2017, he suddenly urged to crave his name in the music industry. He stayed up to 3 AM, learning, clipping, and consequently selling his beats. Moreover, he wrote lyrics that deviated from his own experiences. For example, he wrote a song, ‘System’ that tells a story of police brutality, military cruelty, and capitalism, which he witnessed in the US and Canada.
It’s the single, ‘Stunnin’ which made him a sensation young star in April 2020. Plus, TikTok videos of him grooving on the intro of the same song that caught the sight of million views. After all, he made several TikTok videos, while ‘Stunnin’ had its beats on the background. And one morning he woke up to 150K views on Tiktok instantly. No doubt, he shall be soon gathering sponsors, endorsement deals, and bulky net worth from the debut album, ‘Pity Party’.
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Why did he choose the stage name, Curtis Waters?
His stage name, Curtis Waters pays respect to his most beloved artist- Ian Curtis and Frank Ocean. Also, he desires to get noticed for his talents. According to the young sensation, Waters, if brown kid names himself an identity of an old and white person, people tend to get inquisitive and set an eye on them. So, Abhinav Bastakoti went for the stage name that pokes the crowd with curiosity.
Where was Curtis Waters born?
He is originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. When he was young, the ‘Bastakoti family’ moved to Germany, then again relocated to India and Canada respectively. Along with his brother, Albert, he resided in Calgary, Alberta but at 17, he put down his roots in Cary, North Carolina, where he sorted out his musical dream. Hence, he is also labelled as a ‘Cary’ musician. In short, he has dual nationality- Nepali as well as Canadian.
The combination of ‘Stunnin’ and TikTok has accumulated his admiration and support around the globe. He is glad to find solace in his hometown Nepal where he dreams of being a health advocate.
Initially, his family wasn’t ready?
Waters’ parents disapproved of his passion for music at first. They dreamt of their son taking higher studies and excelling academically like a typical Asian Family. So, he began making beats secretly in his room. Somehow, his father unknowingly improvised his musical diligence when he showed Waters a few clips of the late Nepalese rapper, Yama Buddha. At the moment ‘The Bastakoti family’ is proud to witness their son’s success, who signed a contract with BMG.
21 years old ‘Curtis Waters’ was born on 5 December 1999. He doesn’t’ see himself as a rapper or a singer but more of a music producer following the hard work of six years. Yes! he didn’t step back at all, while he is also balancing between his job at the Tropical Smoothie Café and student time at the University of North Carolina.
