Another solo concert this year

by Mahes PERERA

A music lover remarked the other day that when Dalreen get's on stage to sing, her style, her exuberance in putting over a song is captivating. How true that is! And maybe that is one of the reasons why she is contracted over and over again to entertain audiences in Australia. Dalreen returned home last month after a series of gigs in Melbourne and Sydney.

"So far 2009 has been good of me. I started the Sinhala Avurudhu with concerts in Melbourne and Auckland. Annesley Malawana and Bathiya 'N Santhush were also featured. I delayed coming back because I wanted to be with my Mum for her birthday", expresses Dalreen. Her Mum is none other than Decima Kelaart who was a successful singer in the early years singing for radio shows and concerts with her sister and thy were known as the Kelaart Sisters. Now you know from where the talent was inherited!

Dalreen has had an exciting musical career in Sri Lanka. She was a familiar figure on stage at a very young age launched off by her mother Decima.

Later as she clues us in she started off with Fireflies, moved over to the Spitfires sang with Amazing Grace and perhaps the highlight of her career was with The Savages led by Raj Seneviratne, which took her to Vietnam at the height of the harsh and cruel war.

"The Spitfires learnt a lot being in Vietnam and entertaining the forces during those crucial times. Back home it was X'Periments, then High Energy with Duliup Gabadamudalige and Chris Dhason and then, Rendezvous with Derek Wickramanage.

Now I free lance and I find that it suits me better", Dalreen fills in more information.From 2007 you've been out of the country performing at many shows, now that you are back are you working on any plans?

"Yes, I am. I intend to stage a solo concert later this year in October. At the moment I'm finishing my CD and hopefully I will launch it at the concert. This time my Life of Song is going to be spectacular and different. I'm not only featuring contemporary Western pop but also Oriental songs.

"The music scene in Sri Lanka I hope will improve now that the dark clouds have moved away and soon things are bound to change. Musicians can look forward to better times I'm sure," Dalreen comments with emphasis.

"In Australia, Sri Lankan singers and musicians are popular because somehow songs of the 60's, 70's, 80's are popular with Australians including the Sinhala songs especially by the Sri Lankan community. They want to hear the original singer who made the song a hit. Now my song Tiki Tikiri which was composed by Sarath Dassanayake is sung by other artistes but I found that they want to hear me perform it and that makes me feel good."

Did Michael Jackson's music make an impression on you?

"To me he's the greatest we've ever had. There was no one like him. His style, his singing, his dancing and his choreography was unique. I was really depressed watching the memorial for him, on TV. His songs will be remembered and sung even ten years from now, I'm sure. I sing his songs, my favourites are You Are Not Alone, Whose Loving You, We're the World."

A touching tribute from one singer to the icon lost to the music world.