Musical phenomenon, the De Lanerolle Brothers
Deviating from the beaten track of post-modernist ideas, in this
week’s column, we examine the musical phenomenon of the De Lanerolle
Brothers and how Rohan and Ishan De Lanerolle have carved out a pivotal
niche in the contemporary Sri Lankan music scene, reviving the interest
, particularly, in the golden oldies with its rich music legacy.
Although based in Sri Lanka, Rohan and Ishan have already established
themselves as much-sought –after performers in international music
arenas such as The Weill Recital hall, Carnegie Hall; The Asia Society –
New York, The Altadena Open Air Theatre – Los Angeles, The Shady grove
concert Hall – Washington DC, St Paul’s Church – Chicago, St John’s
Smith Square, The Sheldonian Theatre, The Adrian Boult Hall, The
Solihull Arts Complex – UK, The Kamani Auditorium – India, The Bentley
Music Auditorium – Malaysia and The “Princess Diana Room” of The Castle
of the Angers – Germany.
Interestingly they are known as ‘The Pear of the Indian Ocean’ among
many fans. Apart from many foreign tours, they constantly visit
Australia, Singapore and Maldives. One of the prominent feature of the
duo is their willingness to collaborate with a gamut of masters in the
field and diverse orchestras. Among such fruitful collaborations are
performing with pianists Rohan De Silva - USA, Dr Jonathan Clarke – UK,
Michael Nikolov and Bant Pushmann – Austria and Dhilanthi Fernando – USA
and Orchestras such as The Sidcup Symphony and The Christ Church
Festival Orchestras - UK, The Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra
and the Youth Orchestra’s of Sri Lanka.
Brothers in music
The Lanerolle brothers came into being in 2009 and the duo held their
first concert in March 2010 at the Waters Edge. A significant feature of
the De Lanerolle Brothers’ concert is their innovative approach to
concert culture in Sri Lanka. For instance, the duo has been able to
bring a theatrical element into Dinner show with a virtual package,
creating an ambiance for a complete entertainment.
What is important to note is that they have created a niche market
within the Sri Lankan music scene for a quality entertainment which is
backed up by a group of sponsors who appreciate high quality popular
culture and an increasing number of fans. Since the Lanerolle brothers’
concerts are of international standards, they are being attended by a
cosmopolitan audience in general and youngsters in particular. It is
noteworthy that the duo, by attracting the youngsters and teenagers to
their concert, has virtually created a novel culture in the contemporary
Sri Lankan music scene. One of the important aspects of such a vibrant
music culture is that it has contributed to uplift the public taste
particularly in the segments of the population that appreciate
occidental music and constitute a major share of concert-goers.
Diverse repertoire
The De Lanerolle Brothers stand for their rich and ever-changing
repertoire of songs. The diverse repertoire ranging from Classical,
Sacred and even Pop enable them to share the stage with “Aaron Neville
Branford Marsalis” in New Orleans, Four-time Grammy Winner “Olivia
Newton John’s” Sri Lanka Concerts as part of her Asia Tour 2012 and also
at The “Platters Concert” featuring the Legendary “Monroe Powell”.
Their repertoire is so broad as to include Operetta to Opera,
Broadway to Ballads capturing the styles of Il Divo to the Tenors and
the all time favourites from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s.
For instance, their signature sell-out March 3 Anniversary Concert is
made up of the Pop Songs of the 60-80s period. The March concert will
follow a series of concerts with a mid-year Classical / Light Classical
/ Broadway Concert collaborating with an internationally acclaimed
Pianist or Singer from overseas and conclude with their own Christmas
Concert. Apart from marking Sri Lanka on the international music arena,
the duo has successfully marketed their bran of Ceylon Tea which is
served at the Banquet Luncheon of the “Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth for
the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations”, 2012.
The Oldies which constitute the bulk of the De Lanerolle Brothers
repertoire marked a watershed in the evolution of popular music in the
West. A significant aspect of the Oldies is that they are still
immensely popular and appreciated by all segments of the population. The
duo’s innovative approach to the oldies is not to sing them as solos as
they were originally sung by masters but to sing them in harmony which
is, indeed, a rare feat.
The term golden oldies refers to music exclusively from the 1950s and
1960s and dominant artistes of that era in the genre includes artists
such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The
Supremes, The Four Seasons, and Sam Cooke and musical movements and
genres such as as doo-wop, rockabilly, rock n roll, early rock music,
Motown, British Invasion and early girl groups, surf music, teen idol
singers, teenage tragedy songs, and bubblegum pop.
Some of the artistes, whose songs are included in the rich repertoire
of the De Lanerolle Brothers, are Engelbert, Humperdinck, Tom Jones,
Elvis Presley, Olivia Newton-John, Sir Cliff Richard, Glen Campbell,
Everly brothers, Righteous brothers, Bee Gees, Roger Whitacker, Frank
Sinatra, Tony Christie and Lionel Ritchie.
Apart from the rich repertoire, the De Lanerolle Brothers stand out
for their wider tonal range and perfect harmony in performance. Perhaps,
the most noteworthy contribution of the Lanerolle Brothers is to
introduceto the contemporary Sri Lankan music scene the rich European
concert culture such as West End and Broadway in the domain of popular
culture.
|