Mirror
Magazine 
|
||||
True
talent The duo CharlesMark reaffirmed my conviction. Their debut concert held last Sunday (23) at the Bishop’s College Auditorium was simply outstanding! For those who were there, there’s no doubt that they would share my sentiments, as for those who weren’t, well at least you’ll understand why you should have been. Both segments of CharlesMark In Concert opened with colourful, beautifully synchronised dance acts by the Channa and Upuli Performing Arts Foundation. The choreography for the two items were a fusion of both the traditional and contemporary, and was a vibrant performance. Contrary to my expectations, the opening act was not of the main act themselves, but of popular teen sensation Iraj and Ill Noize, who performed their popular hit single “Ninda Noyana Handewe”. The intricate harmonies that cut through the silence in perfect pitch, a cappella with only Iraj’s beat (vocally) leading the way, was a fabulous opening! The moment of truth had finally arrived… the first song began with just a drum beat, followed by the keyboards and then the guitars… then, greeted by terrific applause and cheering, strides in the beaming Banker, Bertram Charles. His opening number “If I Can Make A Wish” had a real reggae style to it, and not surprisingly got the crowd going. He sang with such soul and passion that one couldn’t help, but be enraptured. My absolute favourite was Bertram’s enchanting rendition of the “Unchained Melody”, which managed to give me goose bumps all over! Just when I thought he couldn’t pitch any higher, he did, and the best part of it all was that he maintained the rich quality of his voice no matter how high he pitched. Also, his expert breath control too, was a praise-worthy aspect of his performance. However, his heartfelt composition “Tribute”, dedicated to his parents, was no doubt one of the main highlights of the show. Not only were the lyrics beautiful, but also the tune and the overall aura that encircled this song revealed the sincere emotions behind its composition. The entry of the more energetic counterpart of the two, Rukshan Mark, added a different dimension to their music. Apart from blending well together, his vocal range too was quite versatile. Winners of four international awards within two years, including bagging the number one spot at the Universal Music Festival in Prague last year, it came as no surprise that the duo’s debut album – ‘Surangana’ featured ten originals, all of which were performed together with a few popular cover versions. Joining CharlesMark, towards the end of the show were none other than local stars Bathiya and Santhush, featuring Ashanthi de Alwis and Randhir Vithana, introducing the very talented Umariha (14), who did the Tamil vocals for the song and her sister, Umara. They were accompanied by renowned software engineer (based in Dubai) and producer cum co-writer of “Kiri Kodu”, Sri Ranganathan. Their own arrangements of “Kiri Kodu” and “Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?” were exceptionally well performed and received by the audience. Their two lovely back-up vocalists Trevina Abeysundere and Roshni Gunaratne’s harmonies complimented the duo’s voices quite nicely, and added just the right touch to the compositions. The band comprising Riza Fiaz on drums, Nalin Samath on guitar, Ruwan Weerasekera on fender electric violin, Shakila Ganegoda on keyboards and Nadeeka Jayawardena on bass guitar, were nothing short of brilliant! If I was to point out one shortcoming, it would be that the sound balance wasn’t always up to mark, which resulted in the vocalists being drowned out by the musicians at times. As their encore number, they performed their hit single “Deshaya”, a beautiful song about our motherland and its many riches, as a dedication to their long-standing support system and friend Ranga Dassanayake. As everyone started making their way home, I quite distinctly heard many (including myself), singing the catchy line from the chorus Ma igilee yanawa... and away we flitted… |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
