entertainment

Dal off to India

By Mahes Perera

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Off next week to India on an invitation for a recording contract will be Dalreen who came back home from Doha with two months left to complete her contract. “I came back early because I wanted to be with my daughter who had her second baby girl. I’m thrilled so are all of us.”

The music scene in Doha Qatar according to Dalreen is good. “From the Orion at the Ramada, Plaza I went on to perform at the Champagne bar The Bubbles in February this year, while Benjy and Aquarius were asked to handle the hotel’s disco called The Cube.

It’s a big disco and it holds about three thousand people. They had to get two Philippino singers as I was not in favour of singing hip hop music”, says Dalreen. Dalreen was singing at The Bubbles with an Afro-American keyboardist/singer Man Ritchie.

“It was a wonderful experience for me as it was the first time I worked with a musician like him who sang all types of music ranging from Jazz to rock, soul to Blues to country. We Sri Lankans musicians are well respected. The cosmopolitan audience appreciate our acts because to them we look different, our act is different and we look foreign.

But it’s hard work, we have to work every day of the week. I had Sunday off to go to church. When I return from India who knows I may be off on a tour,” Dalreen springs the surprise flashing that entrancing smile of hers.

Concert with a difference

By Mahes Perera

To the living legend Mignonne Fernando, the twenty fours in a day just flies past fact when she is involved and engrossed in arranging and producing music. Her years in Hong Kong as the leader of the Sri Lanka trend setting Jetliners, for an unbroken period of seventeen years, which is a record in itself, gave her the opportunity to give expression to her unusual and rare talent in music for which she was oft overwhelmingly applauded.

Today here in Sri Lanka, this distinguished musician will be one of the hosts at the much awaited concert Edged in Gold which will go on boards on Saturday, September 6 at the BMICH commencing 6.45 p.m. The other host will be Noeline Honter.

Edged in Gold is presented by Ceylon Biscuits Limited in association with DK Promotions. The media sponsors are Sunday Observer, Daily News, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and SLBC.

Apart from these two singers who will be celebrating the Golden Years of the late Donovan Andree and his son Malcolm will be a galaxy of others like Annesley.

Indrani, Corrine, Ronnie, Sohan, Keerthi Pasquel, Mariazelle, Saman de Silva, Priyantha Fernando, Angeline Gunathilake, Anil Bharathi, Lankika and Chanaka, Jean van Heer, Noel Ranasinghe, Maxi Rosairo, Antoinette de Alwis, Myfanwy de Silva, Derrick Junkeer, Denzil and Bosco, Derrick and Priyanka, Merry Ann Singers, Damayantha and Rohan de Lanerolle. Musical backing will be by Marians.Of course quite naturally there will be a special, special appearance by the icon Eric de Selfa and Neri Fernandez.

To meet up with Mignonne was quite a task but we managed to do so to have a quick pow wow with her.

You started recently being a host for concert performances. When did it all happen and are you not singing at this show?

“I am singing at the concert. I’m enjoying being a host at concerts. When I look back I think the Architect dance which I compered brought me on to the Sri Lankan stages. When my band was in Hong Kong I got involved in hosting many events. Here in Sri Lanka the sing-a-longs resulted in a marvellous rapport with the audience. Actually I don’t have a problem in presentation, I’m enjoying it. This show is going to be something different”.

Could you comment on the music scene during Donovan’s time and later with Malcolm?

I used to live next door to Dr. Guli (Gulasekeram) and Eric de Selfa was big then. She used to come for rehearsals at Dr. Guli’s with the FGG Trio (Frosty, Gazzali and Guli).

We used to look forward to her coming there and I remember her for the song “Oh my Papa”.

Donovan was an impresario. He brought many acts to Sri Lanka like Holiday On Ice, The Platters, Duke Ellington and his Orchestra, Dave Brubeck and many others. Tony Fernando my late husband was responsible for the ‘sound’.

In relation to the time this music was of a high standard. However Jetliners were responsible for introducing the Shadows sound! Malcolm was responsible for launching singers in both languages some of whom are still on the scene.”

As a keyboardist/arranger your expertise has always been high Why don’t you perform to give happiness to others?

I must have a good band with members who can read music. I need an environment to continue. I travel a lot and the band will be left back.

I’d like to arrange for a instrumental quartet with a few guest artistes. I’d like to arrange for say three voices, something different”.

Excellent performance

Sogni Romani (Roman Dreams) the all Italian Choral Concert presented by St. Cecilia’s Choir of St. Joseph’s College turned out to be an evening of delightful good singing by a very young choral group comprising sopranos, altos, tenors and basses. Rev. Fr. Ignatius Perera if he was alive would certainly have been proud of the choir’s performance.

The indefatigable efforts of the choir director Francis D. Almeida and Rev Fr. Joseph Indika paid off when the choir sang their programme of Italian and Latin compositions with a lot of soul verve and enthusiasm which we are sure will be long remembered by the audience.

It was announced at the concert that the Choir has been invited to perform in London by the Head of the Royal Schools of Music. We hope it becomes a reality for the Choir. The programme contained familiar, compositions by Mozart and Verdi, Palestrinas and well loved Neopolitan and Italian songs.

All were sung with finesse which proved how dedicated and disciplined the choir was in its performance. Va Pensiero, the Anvil Chorus, La Donne Mobile and La Virginie by Verdi, the Sanctus, Hossana, Laudate, Voi Che Sapette and Ave Verum by Mozart, Funiculi Funicula, La Montenara were some of the compositions sung by the Choir. Mention must of the young soloists who created an appreciative impression with the audience - namely Ryan Lord, Minesh Dissanayake, Sachintha Wijegunasekera, Daniel Ferdinandusz, Lakshan Perera and Warren Hakel.

We spoke to Shehan Dias after the concert who conducted the choir that evening with a fluidity of movements that was quite amazing. A Grade 8 pianist who is a bass voice, Shehan said that he had to step in for the scheduled conductor who was indisposed.

He had done it previously for the concerts Rhapsody in Blue and Adoremus Te and confessed that he found conducting interesting and is indebted to Francis Almeida for the training he received. All in all the St. Cecilia’s Choir has to be congratulated for a fine performance and hope that they will keep up the good work. Our music scene needs high standards, for development.

M.P.

Allegrettano

A fund raiser concert Allegrettano for the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children will take place on September 12 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre at 7.30 a.m. The concert is presented by the Menaka Singers directed by Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu and the programme will be of semi classical content.

According to Menaka the programme will include well known arias from Bizet’s Carmen. Other classical composers featured will be Mozart and Schubert.

Besides these works there will be selections from Broadway musicals like My Fair Lady, West Side Story, Les Miserables and Porgy and Bess. Also the choir will sing interesting arrangements of Sinhala and Latin American favourites.

The music for the evening will be provided by flautist Surekha Amerasinghe, acoustic bassist Maxie Pietersz, Shem Darius - drums, P. L. N. Hemantha and Ajith Kodikara - violins, Tamara Holsinger - cello and Menaka Sahabandu - piano.