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| Sunday, 15 June 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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No biz like showbiz! : Desmond celebrates 40 years of it with a mega show at BMICH by MAHES PERERA
Yes... they all came in droves to hear and see their hero back in high action at the sold out concert at BMICH on Saturday, June 7. The older fans to savour the event and listen to their favourite songs, while the young eager to enjoy, maybe for the first time, Desmond Live in Concert - a concert with an unexpected difference. It was also a night for the elite in the music world, theatre, fashion and society - sure they were not going to miss out on this extravaganza and Desmond's acclaimed showmanship. Seven o'clock came... and seven o'clock went. The anticipation began to mount and so too the murmur of voices which echoed the question "What's the delay for?"... And then a 'sound of hush' in the auditorium as the compere Vijaya Corea from backstage announced in the star and the Gypsies struck the opening chords for the fabulous Paul Simon's hot latin favourite "Late in the Evening." It was an ideal opener for the concert and as Desmond de Silva made his entrance down a flight of steps with a backdrop in green and purple, the thunderous applause from the audience must surely have warmed his heart.
He picked up the song with his usual finesse and supported by a harmony threesome that were spot on with their vocals, plus the powerful backing from the Gypsies, which included a percussion solo, 'Late in the Evening' changed all the anxious moments into musical happiness. From then on Desmond with his usual charm was in the high life again. He moved swiftly into an uptempo "I Can See Clearly Now" and rounded off this short set with his (tour de force perhaps?) Yaman Bando and had the audience with him clapping and singing as he swung the baila in his inimitable style, complete with his characteristic dance steps. A thank you to the audience, a short speel about how he was nurtured in music in his home at Matara and the dedication to his grandfather the song 'Danny Boy' which was powerfully taken away from its conventional music confines by Desmond. More covers followed and it didn't matter to the audience whether they had heard the songs many times over. This was an evening they waited for. They lapped it up. They cheered lustily. There was 'Mack the Knife' associated with his early years, Pretty Woman, La Bamba, Mama Told Me Not To Come, Call Me Al, Bridge Over Troubled Waters - which had a distinctive concert introduction and then broke into a surprise hard driving reggae rhythm; Ob-la-di which saw Desmond's colleagues in the early years Dalreen, Mignonne and Sohan, as invited on stage by Desmond, joining in on the choruses; Green Green Grass of Home, The Great Pretender and more.
The versatile showman that he is, Desmond's duets with the three members of his harmony group the 'Antoinettes' (as titled by him!) endorsed the elasticity of his repertoire. 'Something Stupid' with Antoinette, 'You Need Love Like I Do' with Ashanthi, "Summer Wine" with Nevanthi the blues "Sometimes We Cry" with Sunil and 'My Girl' with the Revelations were some of the other highlights of his performance. In the early years of his musical career Desmond was popular for the many impersonations of famous singers and it was a delight to see and hear him act out in one set, Louis Armstrong - 'What A Wonderful World,' Bee Gees - 'Smile', Dean Martin - 'I Can't Give You Anything But Love' - a swaying Dean Martin after a heavy drinking session of alcohol and Elvis Presley - 'Hound Dog' with a quick mime of receiving his cloak from the second keyboardist! Mention must be made of the dynamic backing from the Gypsies with the music direction and arrangement by the accomplished keyboardist Cumar Pieris. Kudos to them. No concert by Desmond is complete without his bailas and he mentioned a day before the show that his programme would be a balanced one. True to his words he interspersed his act with something like nine infectious bailas which left the audience in a happy mood thirsting for more. They included Dev lova deviyani, Ennadi Rakamma, Yanna Ratawate, Polkatu Hande, Mamma No Pappa No, Ravana and Chuda Manike. The finale was a fitting one. - 'As Time Goes By.' Forty years in show biz a milestone in Desmond's career, which his wife Lilamani was determined to celebrate, proved to be a roaring success. A memento to mark the occasion was presented to Desmond by Ravi Karunanayake Minister of Food, Commerce and Consumer Affairs. Desmond Live in Concert will surely not be a forgotten occasion in the years to come. |
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