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| Sunday, 15 January 2006 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Happenings / People Storm at the Mix by Mahes Perera
When he performed at the WTM in the Trinidad - Tobago stall, last year, S. W. Storm had no idea whatsoever that he will be in Sri Lanka for the New Year Eve celebrations at the Taj Samudra. He was met by the GM of Taj Samudra Veer Vijay Singh and contracted to play a month gig at The Mix. Now his soca music with bangra, Bollywood and rock influences is drawing enthusiastic and appreciative audiences to The Mix, Tuesdays through to Saturdays. S. W. Storm and his two dancing and harmony girls perform two acts - one at 10.30 p.m. and the other at 11.30 p.m. Don't miss out - it's unusual but great. Speaking with the friendly S. W. Storm we learn that this three piece is a part of his soca band Island Fury which he formed in '95 and the whole band plays for festivals etc., the two dancers are front line with him. He has released seven albums on his own label so far, and has toured Germany and France. Finds Sri Lanka wonderful."My ambition is to play my own music, I don't want to be a cover band. I want to create music that people enjoy, spread the word of unity and peace and push hard the message of peace. The mix is a powerful thing in your hand and through my music I am confident I can get the message across. I am fascinated by your baila rhythms and I intend incorporating it in my next compositions on my forthcoming CD. Born and based in London, his father an Indian and his mother a Portuguese, S. W. Storm was singing when he was a toddler and wanted to be a singing star one day. In school he was in the school band and when he left he learnt modern dancing, indulged in boxing and kick boxing at championship level which he did for glory! His love for soca music made him record his first CD called Island Fury which was released in Trinidad and spawned a single titled Nice. Now Soca has come to stay with him and like bangra will get bigger in show biz. So experience his catchy melodic act at The Mix. You'll make returns. Expressive saxophonist
Nothing gives him greater pleasure than to be back in the land of his roots and be a part of the exciting music scene in Colombo. Ricky Senn flew in on Christmas Day, to enjoy the traditional festivities with his mother, sister and her family. He was also featured with Phase 3 at the New Year's eve celebrations at Il Ponte. "A New Year's eve night in Sri Lanka is something special - nowhere in Europe does it happen like in Sri Lanka" Ricky Senn endorses emphatically. And he should know, 'cos he's been in the showbiz scene here for some years playing a dynamic saxophone and singing too, before he left for Norway to join the Colombo Gems led by the popular Sri Lankan pianist Adrian Ferdinands. Adrian's Combo was a hit at the Blue Leopard then. "Colombo Gems was a six piece dance band and we played at leading hotels. I stayed with them for something like seven years and then moved out to join the Norwegian Sunntal Big Band. It was interesting working with this band because music is something big in Norway and the motivation was great. Their repertoire is jazz and popular melodies," clues in Ricky. Here in Sri Lanka he's been meeting up with his musician friends blowing a powerful and expressive tenor sax with Boomerang at Clancy's and at the nerve-centre night club Rhythm and Blue's not forgetting the jazz session organised by Jazz Unlimited last week. Over these years his tone has evolved along with his music, warm, broader, more resonant and driving. He has the knack of making a tune come to life, be it a jazz standard or a pop tune. We need saxophonists like him to inject vitality into our music scene. "I'm in touch with music. I play with a be-bop and progressive jazz band called The Little Band. Its part of the big band and comprises piano, electric bass, sax, drums and a male and female vocalist. We play at Soderberg. Then I'm a member of the Dixieland band called Safari, a seven piece one with piano, guitar, sax, tuba, bass, drums and vocals: The jazz scene is big in Norway. The government through the Cultural Department supports the annual jazz festival at Molde where a long list of international jazz musicians perform. Molde is well known for its jazz and roses! While Haugsund is known for its dixie jazz," enthuses Ricky. Will he be back soon? "Yes, I have an idea I hope it works this year," concludes Ricky a musician at heart who also runs a music workshop for wind instruments in Norway. MP Chinese New Year celebrations The Chinese New Year considered the most important celebration in the calendar begins on January 29 and festivities continue for about fifteen days. The Galadari Hotel will be celebrating the Chinese New Year in style from Friday, January 27-29. At the Stix, Chef Wu Lin and Chef Sanath will team up to bring you the best of Chinese cuisine at the Gong Xi Fa Cai food promotion. While at the Coffee Shop dinner will include a wide range of Dim Sum and delicacies like Peking style roasted duck with classical trimmings, Shanghai fried prawns, steamed crab and much much more. At the Emperor's Wok, Hilton Colombo you can celebrate the Chinese New
Year from Saturday January 29 to Saturday February 4 to a set dinner menu
with all the Chinese classical delights and accompanying trimmings. |
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