Entertainment

Electronic music from Extremes

By Mahes Perera

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Extremes T n T is a new team on the music scene. It is a brother and sister combination who have pooled their talents together to record a new CD titled “Focus”. Thusitha Thanthirige a singer is also a keyboardist and composer while his sister Thushara supports him with her vocals.

“We started off our music career in 2000 with an original called Miracles. We sing Folk, Rock, Hip hop and pop, but we sing originals, as far as possible. However our repertoire is in the Sinhala and English medium. What I hope to do is to release the CD with a concert at Elphinstone Theatre soon.

With the two of us I have seven members in the team - playing keyboards, lead guitar, drums and octopad. Some of my originals on the CD are Sundari, Ahastale, Distance, Forgive Me, Nadira, Mata Himi Nathi, Nimanathi Aale to name a few” reveals Thusitha.His live experiences last year were at Navarangahala and at St. Andrew’s Hotel Nuwara Eliya and as he claims, a performance this year at Town Hall.

A product of Ananda College, Thusitha was an active Cadet and he formed a band with Cadets. He later became an Electronics teacher. There is another side to his life - that of “inventing”. When he was in college at the age of 12 he invented a telephone and this spurred him to create other innovations in electronics.

An all rounder he was the award winner for the Top Most Outstanding Younger Person - 1997, The Most Outstanding Citizen Award - 1999 and Best Young Writer in Sri Lanka in 2000. Electronic Innovator as he claims himself Thusitha won the Commonwealth Asia award for his excellence in youth work 2000-2001.

Creative by nature Thusitha believes in miracles. “For those who believe no explanation is necessary. For those who don’t believe no explanation is possible” voices Thusitha.

Kaleidoscope - a colourful event

By Mahes Perera

As the name implies Kaleidoscope a variety Charity concert to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the YWCA will be held on Saturday May 10 at the British School Auditorium in Elvitigala Mawatha, commencing 6.30 p.m.

A variety of Sri Lanka’s best artistes will extend their co-operation to help the organizers to achieve their financial targets. The programme features the award winners in choral harmony “Revelations’ who in the recent past have held many concerts to give music lovers a special kind of treat to enjoy their professional harmony.

Also on the same stage will be “Soul Sounds” who under the expert guidance of Soundarie David achieved international award winning status in Wales and literally have not looked back in their music career. Antonio’s Dance Circle well known for their dance sequences be it Latin, Ballroom or Modern will be there to enthral you with their dance moves. That’s not all - there’s more!

Sri Lanka’s leading female flautist Surekha Amarasinghe will be spotlighted in a flute and piano recital for those classical music lovers and a duet on two pianos by Dilip Seneviratne and Yohan de Alwis for those who enjoy light classical music.

Of course for the pleasure of both young and old will be the dazzling Fashion Show by Darshi Keerthisena winner of the 2008 Young Fashion Entrepreneur of the Year Award.Entrance for this charity concert Kaleidoscope on Saturday, May 10 is by programme which is available at the YWCA Colombo.

The Girls Friendly Society (Green Path) and the British School. As the pioneer women’s organisation in Sri Lanka and an approved charity by the Government of Sri Lanka, many young girls, women and children have benefited from the YWCA’s social service projects.

That special Maya sound...

The Maya Azucena Band from the States was in Sri Lanka last week for two successful performances at the Galle Town Hall and the Colombo New Town Hall presented by American Music Abroad and The American Center Colombo. Workshops with school students and musicians were also conducted by the band.

An informal performance at the residence of US Ambassador Robert Blake was held on Tuesday April 29. Here Maya Azucena is seen singing through a sparkling performance of Hallelujah. On guitar was Christian Ver Halen, on drums was Ivan Katz and on piano - Bruce Mack.

Creative expression

Now that the holiday season in the cool climes is over, its time to meet the musicians who will gather today to rapport with one another exchanging creative chords at the CR&FC from 1.30 p.m. onwards. This is the only opportunity they have to display their impromptu creativity.

The opening set at 1.30 p.m. will see singer Carryl Rosairo in a bossa nova set supported by Dilukshi Sirimane - piano, Basil Paiva - bass and Royle de Andrews - drums.

The featured band will see bassist Ray Gomes leading his now acknowledged group in action with Revel Crake - guitar, Rodney van Heer - sax and Chris Dhason - drums. A lot of Latin, blues and fusion sounds are on the cards.

French poems in song

The Embassies of France and Italy will present tenor Joe Fallisi who will be singing French poems with his own musical arrangements. He will be accompanied by the Italian pianist Marino Nahon.

The concert will be at the Russian Cultural Centre on Tuesday May 27 at 7.00 p.m. Fallisi obtained a degree in vocal chamber music and is a winner of several national and international competitions and has sung the lirico, lirico-leggero repetoire and chamber and sacred music at important European theatres, festivals and concert halls.

High Scorer’s Concert show piece of excellence

The High Scorer’s Concert and distribution of Awards conducted by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music London will be held on May 11, 5 p.m. at the Bishops College Auditorium.

This is the annual show piece of excellence where the young high achievers display their magnificent standards of musicianship in singing in playing the piano, violin, cello, flute and recorder.

In town to evaluate the performance of the students is Tim Arnold, Director International Operations. The ABRSM Sri Lanka Representative Mano Chanmugam and his team Neomal and Pam de Alwis have arranged a tight schedule of events which includes a discourse with teachers to acquaint them with the latest developments and techniques employed by the Board to achieve the highest consistent standards in assessing musicianship. Tim Arnold is accompanied by Sarah Berman, Tours Co-ordinator for Sri Lanka.

The Associated Board provides vocal and instrumental exams and assessments, publications, professional development, on line services. The staff of ABRSM London donated a considerable sum of money to enhance musical education in the Matara environs after the devastating Tsunami of December 2004.

The Director and Co-ordinator of Healing Hands Children Trust and some of the recipients of the musical scholarship programme will meet Tim Arnold this month. The ABRSM is the world’s premier examining body of Western Music and has over the years has encouraged high standards of performance by students who have enthralled audiences the world over.