Digital platform for lyricists and poets taps the pool of talents

by Charith Perera

Australian –based Sri Lankan Sinhala singer and lyricist Nalin Jayawardena has effectively tapped the dormant talents of would-be lyricists through the social media.

The songs collected through social media friends have been included in Nalin’s latest album Pini Wessa . Through the launch of the album Nalin expects to extend the opportunity for poets who could realise their dreams of becoming lyricists.

The album will provide lyricists with much needed exposure and help them to establish themelves in the world of Sinhala music. Melodies and music direction for songs are by Ananda Waidyasekera and Sangeeth Wickramasinghe.

Social media has revolutionised the interaction among diverse individuals across the globe. Social media is a means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define it as “a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. 

Dependent on mobile and web-based technologies, social media has created highly interactive platforms via which individuals and communities share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content.

It is, perhaps, for the first time that a Sri Lankan artist has used it to tap hidden talents among thousands of users. Nalin has effectively opens up a digital platform through social media and through his increasing friends.

Most of the poems were from female poets who find it difficult to penetrate the male-dominated old boy network of lyricists in Sri Lanka.

However, Nalin has also selected talented youth as well as seldom-heard Sinhala veteran poets. To ensure high quality , the songs will be made available in physical CD format and also on some international music sites and for free downloading through netCD site in the coming months.

The lyricists who joined the album are; Anusha Nilanthika –[Israel], Aruna Jayawardena-[ Perth, Australia], Dinithi Deepika-[Cypress]

Gayan Sandaruwan-[Srilanka- Badulla], Lakmi Prabha Ratnayake[UK], Lionel Bopage-[Melbourne Australia], Nayomi Nawarathana –[Athens - Greece], Nimal S Perera-[Srilanka-Gampha], Pradeep Nandalal [UAE], Rasi Perera-[Dubai], Shanthi Ranasingha-[Greece]

Subashini Gunawardena-[Sri lanka – Avisswella], Thilini Athukorala-[Srilanka –Maharagama] and Saman Hewage-[Srilanka –Colombo].