[Music]

Dinesh wins APRA award

by Mahes Perera

Back home in the land of his roots is Dinesh Wickremeratne to enjoy and savour the scenic beauty of his homeland; which he says he missed for a long, long time. His parents migrated to Sydney, Australia when he was young and it is now their home.

Early this year Dinesh Wicks and his business partner in music Adam Gock were awarded the APRA award, �The Most Performed Composers for Screen� by the Australian Performing Rights Association.

�I formed my music production company the DA�s Office in 2005 with my business partner Adam Gock and we had immediate success, in Australia and even worldwide composing music for the TV series Masterchef, The Apprentice, Sea Patrol, Compass, Farmer Wants A Wife, The Biggest Loser, Minute To Win It and many others. By 2009 the DA�s Office was the most successful music for TV production in the Southern hemisphere�, says Dinesh.

Dinesh was destined to follow a musical career. He started playing and writing music when he was just 14. Very soon word spread around that he had unique abilities in this field and he gained employment at a local recording studio where he used to work after school, producing pop and rock bands.

A multi-instrumentalist, his main instruments being keyboards and guitar Dinesh said �I had no formal study in music, I can�t read music, yet I�m a prolific in composer. I studied Law at the University of Sydney but didn�t continue. Two years into my degree I decided that music is where my real passion lay and I left University to pursue a career in music.�

His unique career in music saw Dinesh becoming not only a writer/record producer but also a remixer for labels such as Central Station Records and Ministry of Sound which resulted in a huge hit in Australia and the UK with the song Faith by Bliss Inc which he said he wrote and produced.

While producing songs for groups and singers Dinesh branched off to writing music for television advertising and film. He was responsible for creating the score for the Discovery Channel Series, One Step Beyond and also the re-versioning of Channel 9�s legendary Cricket Theme.

With such a long list of credits behind him we hope Dinesh will return to Sri Lanka to extend his expertise to our aspiring musicians.