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| Sunday, 2 October 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Bathiya and Santhush tour Germany by Mahes Perera
The highly sensational original and successful youth group Bathiya and Santhush along with Ashanthi flew into Germany yesterday, Saturday, October 1 for a series of concerts until their departure on Monday October 10. Prior to their German performance B & S were in New York for a concert on September 27 and from there, they flew to Toronto for a much awaited concert to mesmerize the many Sri Lankans domiciled in that country. Bathiya and Santhush revealed that their performances would be on the same lines as the shows they had at the BMICH before they left. Tracks from the new album Nethara plus their other hits of from earlier albums will be contained in the programmes the group will be performing on the stages of Germany. Channa Wijewardena and his dancers, the acclaimed leading choreographed dance troupe in Sri Lanka are now an added exciting component to the B&S concert presentations with their colourful costumes and modern Sri Lankan dancing to fusion and hip hop. Randhir Vithana joined B&S in Germany yesterday. A quick spool back to one of the concerts of Bathiya & Santhush held at the BMICH before they flew to the States saw an unbelievable audience packed to capacity of young fans screaming and dancing their feet off to the songs performed by the group. The favourites were there - like Na Na Ne Na, Kiru Kodu which that day was sung by Ashanthi, Umadine, Re Pura, a re-arranged Master Sir, Paradeese, Ethnic Woman with Jananath and Cilent Project, Angel from Ashanthi, Sangabodhi, Neththara, Life, Manusath Kule and the whole concert brought to a fever pitch climax with Denna Denno. The show flowed from one song into the other with no gaps or hesitancy. It carried a remarkable stamp of professionalism which showed that Bathiya and Santhush have worked relentlessly towards achieving it. The lighting enhanced the visual impact of the show. Time stood still - the show ended well past midnight. Here's wishing Bathiya and Santush success at their concerts in Germany. ############## Fashion Designer of the Year 2005-Semi Finals by Aditha Dissanayake
Calling all amateur fashion designers, who applied for Chula Nanayakkara Ariyaratna's Fashion Designer of the Year contest! Please present yourselves for the semi-finals of the show which will be held at the BMICH, Block 4, (entrance lobby), on October 7, 2005. Those who could not apply may come with the coupon on this day to take part in the semi-finals. Hailed for her "evergreen" looks, Chula is happy to revive the fashion event she held in 1984, with the collaboration of the Sunday Observer and the Daily News, this December. The event will be in memory of her dance Guru, Mrs. Sujatha Jayawardena from whom she had learnt oriental dancing. Chula has also worked as a designer and a consultant at Velona and held many fashion shows abroad as well as taking part in stage plays. A past pupil of Visakha Vidyalaya, Chula wishes to donate half the proceedings of the fashion show to the Old Girls' Association of her alma mater. The entries will come under four categories; Morning wear, evening wear, office wear and sari wear. "Gentlemen as well as ladies are encouraged to take part" says Chula. "We will also be selecting the best dressed lady, the best dressed teenager and the smartest guy from the audience. Fashion Designer of the Year 2005, is scheduled to be held on December 19, at the main auditorium of the BMICH and is Sponsored by Singer (Sri Lanka). ############# Percussion his obsession
Back home in Sri Lanka after twenty-five years of playing at many international stages and recording sessions, is percussionist Ray Pereira, very much into the new wave in percussion of expression in the western African styles, as against the Brazilian and Cuban styles. What triggered his interest in percussion was when he heard Santana perform in Melbourne. "This was in 1974. I left Sri Lanka in '69 and when I heard the band I became obsessed with percussion drumming and I was determined to learn everything about traditional drumming. I went to New York, studied timbales under Ray Cruz, learnt under Mongo Santamaria and Amando Peraza. I spent some time in Cuba and learnt the Cuban style from master drummers. Now I have schools in Melbourne, Ghana and the Ivory Coast. I'm here with some of my students and will be doing a workshop at the school of Aesthetic studies with Piyasara. I'm looking at the possibility of working a clinic here on a longer scale," says Ray Pereira when we met up. In Australia percussionist Ray Pereira has played and toured with all the famous Australian musicians. He played African drums for Ricky Martin and Isaac Hayes for TV assignments and has released three CDs - Zebra Crossing a CD of African music, Asian Jazz focusing on Vietnamese instruments and a CD on Sri Lankan fusion music with a group Maha Bera. Now he is keen on passing his knowledge to aspiring percussionists and maybe setting up a school in Sri Lanka. M.P. |
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