Happenings / People

Flamboyant percussionist

by Mahes Perera

Flamboyant in the expression of his conga rhythms and equally adept at the acoustic drums, Clarence Corea, performs three nights a week at the Club Bossa DC Washington with the Jake Harper Trio. "I'm enjoying myself. the music is just up my street - Latin" Clarence reveals to us when we asked him how his music career was faring in Washington DC. His regular job is with the hospitality trade.

A first time meeting with him, and you wouldn't think he could get an omelette out of the frying pan in one piece, or for that matter turn out a fine dinning dish. But the fact is he can do it and with a lot of finesse!

"The Jake Harper Trio is great. It's a keyboard, acoustic bass and acoustic drums combination with me on percussion. Playing with them brings back memories of my moments in Sri Lanka playing with musicians of the many bands I was associated with. Hussein Jiffry was in DC recently, he was on tour with Yanni.

I took him home and he enjoyed a typical Sri Lankan meal cooked by me" expresses Clarence with his usual enthusiasm.A popular fiery, high-energy percussionist/drummer Clarence Corea's dramatic latin slant in his playing never failed, when he was in Sri Lanka, to bring audiences to their feet, applauding.

He thrives on stimulation and no matter how many times his fans listen to him, he has that uncanny knack to make his audience go berserk when he starts building up on a percussion beat and rocketing off to a high. His versatility doesn't remain with Western drums, it extends to Sri Lankan drums as well, and often he never fails to introduce the rhythms when he solos in free expression.

"We are hoping to fly down to Sri Lanka before Christmas. My son Shawn will be getting married and I'm looking forward to meeting up with my old pals and those I'm constantly in touch with. So spread the word I'd like to gig around!" concluded Clarence before he trailed off to work.

Acknowledged for his Latin percussion, Clarence when he was quite young joined Gabo and Breakaways and acquired extensive Afro beat expression. This was the time Santana was upsetting the global charts with his distinctive sounds. Prior to joining Gabo, he was just sixteen when he joined the Junior Rhythmaires, a remarkable young beat group in the tradition of The Ventures and The Shadows.

After Gabo, Clarence tells us there was Sohan & the X'periments, Harsha Makalande and Khrome, Cecil Rodrigo Trio, Divya with Dilukshi Sirimane and with Antoinette and the New Dimension. Such a lot of drumming in different schools of music.

Now in Washington he has carved a Latin niche for himself 'cos music is his first love and with a supportive and understanding wife Darleen, he couldn't ask for anything more!

Fashion Designer of the Year 2006

Never one to give up her obsession with fashion, international fashion designer Chula Nanayakkara Ariyaratna will be holding the Fashion Designer of the Year contest this year too, in association with the Sunday Observer and the Daily News.

Scheduled to be held on November 30, 2006 at the main auditorium of the BMICH, the event is sponsored by the Singer Fashion Academy.

Hair and make-up is by Ramzi Rahman. "Age is no barrier" says Chula, who is a designer who aims to give the fashion conscious ones exactly what they need in their lives, through her designs.

Watch out for the coupons in the Sunday Observer and the Daily News in the near future.

Concert of Sacred Music

The Colombo Philharmonic Choir conducted by Manilal Weerakoon presents a programme of Sacred Music featuring the works of Mozart and other composers on Sunday August 6 at the Ladies College, chapel. The concert is in connection with the 250th birth anniversary of Mozart.

The programme includes The Requiem in D Minor, the great Mass in C Minor, the jubilant Regina Coeli and the well loved Abendempfindung which will be sung by the baritone Dhilan Gnanadurai (who is in Sri Lanka on a short visit). The other soloist is Minoli Goonewardena - soprano.

The choir will sing Lacrymosa, and other sacred music selections by Felix Mendelssohn and Anton Bruckner, and the Lords Prayer composed by the tenor and musician Asitha Tennakoon. The accompanists for the concert will be Soundarie David and Neranjan de Silva.