Song of praise from Brook

British folk singer Astrid Brook, who played at last month’s popular Country Roads concert for needy children, says Sri Lanka is one of the most beautiful places she has ever visited in her travels over the past five years.

“I have fallen in love with this amazing country and its people and I shall be promoting it in the UK. The environment is stunning, the culture is absolutely fascinating and the people are very friendly – probably the friendliest I have come across,” she said in written comments given to the sponsors and organisers of her tour – just before she left on March 29 after a week’s stay.

Astrid in a classroom at Diyakepilla village school

Brook, whose moving renditions of perennial favourities ‘Morning has Broken’ and ‘Annie’s Song’ stole the show at the annual Country Music Foundation concert on March 25, felt it was unfortunate that Sri Lanka is facing travel bans imposed by other countries.

Asked to comment on travel bans, she said: “Over reaction – I feel very sad for Sri Lankans who have to depend on tourism. I feel the perception of Sri Lanka is completely incorrect and is severely damaging the tourist industry. Especially as it is in actuality an amazing tourist destination. I am very sorry this is happening to your country.”

Brook, whose tour was sponsored and organised by UK-based First Choice Airways and its local agent, Hemas Tours, said she didn’t feel insecure at all after hearing about the attack on the airforce base at Katunayake at midnight on March 25.

“I knew people at home in the UK would see the news and instantly worry about me, but they do that when I am in London anyway. I felt very well looked after in Sri Lanka and not affected by the bombings in any way whatsoever,” she said. In fact the British singer took off on March 26 to Sigiriya where she also visited children at the Diyakepilla village school supported by Hotel Sigiriya.

Brook said she planned to promote Sri Lankan tourism in the UK and hoped to return to Sri Lanka for the annual Country Roads concerts with other musicians. “Sri Lanka is a very warm country and this charity concert and what the Country Music Foundation (CMF) is doing for Sri Lankan children makes it worthwhile coming to play for such an event,” Brook, who has also worked with needy children in Nepal, said. The British singer, on her first visit to Sri Lanka, said she had kept an open mind before arriving here due to the various reviews she heard in the UK. “I live in London where we have experienced terrorist activity in the past. So I’m aware how life goes on during and after these times and the fear it generates in people not living in London itself.”

CMF officials said Sri Lankan Tourism was keen to use the services of Brook and the Mavericks band from Germany, which played for the 12th time at the concert, to promote Sri Lanka in the UK and Germany, Sri Lanka’s biggest tourism generating markets.

At a recent press conference in which Dirk Mavericks and the rest of the band were present, Sri Lanka Tourism Chairman Renton de Alwis praised the Mavericks for their ‘loyalty’ and commitment towards Sri Lankan children and said the band would work with Sri Lanka’s Tourist Board office in Germany on promotion.

Brook said Sri Lanka is rich in history, rich in diversity, rich in soul, and rich in culture but “unfortunately politics is making all this richness go to waste. Sri Lanka isn’t getting the right positive attention it so absolutely deserves.”