Desmond, Mariazelle and Indrani take Melburnians on a musical journey back in time
BY TREVINE RODRIGO IN MELBOURNE
Mariazelle, Desmond De Silva and Indrani Perera in action
The organizers
Sinhala Pop is unparalleled in the Sri Lankan music scene and although centered mostly among its natives whose clamor for the true- to- life meaning the lyrics bring, it endears through generations of music lovers thanks to the creators of this genre aimed at a particular audience.
With it comes to mind the composers and singers who make popular those memorable melodies and if there was a pecking order about who were on top of that tree, names such as Desmond De Silva, Mariazelle Goonetilleke and Indrani Perera, (the latter of Three sisters fame), are never far from the cream of Sinhala pop. The list of superstars in this category are too numerous to mention.
In that context, it was a fascinating experience for me, (admittedly, not the traditional Sinhala pop fan), to find myself and wife Anne taking in a musical concert at the George Woods Performing Arts Centre in Ringwood, Melbourne featuring the trio I have mentioned earlier and the experience was enjoyable as it was fulfilling much to our surprise.
What does go unnoticed in this part of the world is that such cultural activity among Sri Lankan expatriates usually draw the biggest audiences due to the deep-rooted bond that exists among the new breed of homesick Australians choosing to be linked to the land of their birth.
Desmond De Silva commands a stage like very few singer/entertainers can with his natural ability to engage his audience and his performance on the night proved that there is little if any difference in what he brings to a performance as he has done over many decades.
Throw in Mariazelle and Indrani and the many aspects of Sinhala pop is almost entirely encompassed as the reaction and involvement of the crowd in a sing-along evidently expressed.
The organizers of the event titled Gayu Gee were meticulous in their presentation with an endless number of dance acts accompanying the main singers and the stage and lighting was absolutely spectacular. Further testament to its success was a sellout crowd that thronged the venue.
While the trademark songs made popular by the trio drew wild acclaim, Mariazelle with her big hit “Kandy Lamissi”, Indrani’s three sister presentation of “Dilhani” and Desmond De Silva rattling off several of his numerous favourites, it was towards the end that the highlight of the night emerged when Desmond and Mariazelle play acted the old English comedy favourite “There’s a hole in the bucket” which had the capacity crowd in raptures.
All in all it was a great night of entertainment ending in a throng of eager fans queuing up to grab an autograph or have a picture taken with their music idols.
Sri Lanka’s diversity of music has been a focus of worldwide admiration, more so for the unlimited ability and talent of its artistes who not only have made cover versions as likely to its original creators, but to producers of original stuff that given the light of day would be world beaters in its own right.
If this sounds like a parable then so be it. But travel to Sri Lanka, take in the varied musical productions and then assess for yourself and agree that even the biggest critic would say that it is indeed the land of music.
