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| Sunday, 30 March 2003 |
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English, Sinhala, Hindi and Arabic is what the Trio of the Year-"Aanjali and the Rhythm Knights" play. Music from around the world. Performing at the Airport Garden and the Ceylon Continental Hotel the trio comprises Nilantha and Lakmal on keyboards and guitar alternatively while singing together with Aanjali. Summing up the Golden Clef in one word "Superb" Aanjali describes getting an award in it as "A new beginning". "It's giving recognition to us musicians. My guys are new to the western music scene. Winning something like this has encouraged them a lot. Given us confidence". So what was it like when they announced their group as the winner? "I have no words to express what I felt. When they first nominated our group I was happy. When they chose us as the winners I was just surprised. I lost control and screamed". Describing the crowd in the show as superb who enjoyed it and showed it, Aanjali says the show was good as it was but perhaps it should have had an award for the most outstanding show biz personality. "We have a lot of new talent in the country. It must be exposed. Having something like this helps. It recognises new talent and exposes it to the people". Having won the award Aanjali will push her band further in the future and hopes to have more work in the field. Having been in the music field for more than twenty five years, performing with bands such as The Pioneers and the Gaylord Revival as their main female singer Aanjali was promoted and introduced by Mr. Malcom Andre. She later had her own band called The Blow Up which was a five piece band. Then doing a lot of guest artiste numbers with groups such as The Experiments, Mirage, Kardinal Outburst and many more Aanjali decided to form a duo of her own. She took Nilantha. Finding him by consulting a couple of musicians and seeing he had talent Aanjali took the then nineteen year old guy. Six months later deciding to add another asset of a guitarist into the band Aanjali took Lakmal, a then solo musician who had been performing with other bands. "I heard him singing. Saw his talent and decided to have him with me". So what started as a duo two years ago became a trio in six months and "Aanjali and the Rhythm Knights" came into being. Taking "Aanjali" as it was her name and deciding to have"Rhythm" for music has a lot of rhythm in it, the trio decided to become the "Knights" of rhythm. A down to earth, positive, live and let live person who doesn't grumble is how Aanjali describes herself. As for her singing, Aanjali says "I'm blessed to have the talent to sing. I enjoy what I'm doing. It makes me happy and makes the people happy". Singing is something she says which clears away all your troubles and adds sunlight into a blue day. "When I'm on stage with the mike I forget everything and sing. My mind clears and I am at peace". Finally describing her band as a great team, happy with who they are, Aanjali says they have got offers to go to Korea and the Maldives but have refused. "My band is still new. I don't want to take such a responsibility. I want to make sure we do good on our own here before venturing out of the country. A lot of bands come up and then leave the country, which is a disappointment to the people. I have had a bitter experience over in the Maldives in the past with an ex-band, as my two accompanists were not co-ordinating. I hope that singers who go out of the country in the future go to show their talent, work hard and do their best". |
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