All self-respecting party goers would be well familiar with the baila song Rumbari. Released early last year, the nonsensical, catchy song ripped to the top of the charts and rooted itself there for the months to follow. And so those party goers and of course club DJs would be thrilled to discover that the artiste behind Rumbari, 26-year-old, Lahiru Perera, is set to release a new baila song in June.
Titled Rathu Rata Cadju, the song is just as catchy as Rumbari but with a difference. Lahiru’s latest baila number is a bit of a tongue twister, which will make singing along all the more fun. Written by the lyrical prodigy and friend of Lahiru, Manuranga Wijesekara, the song is about Sri Lankan pride. Egging on Sri Lankan morale, the song is about how Sri Lankans are able to match up with the giants of the world from Beckham to those sauntering through the White House. “The spirit of the song is- we are Sri Lankans, and we can do anything,” elaborates Lahiru.
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| Lahiru Perera |
While Lahiru believes Sri Lankans have the capacity to achieve great things, he is quite modest about his achievements. Speaking with him he shares little bit about himself, and his passion for music since he was a child. “My father wanted me to study music for my aesthetic subject and from that point I grew to love music, though he wasn’t keen on me choosing a career in music,” he expresses. Determined to pursue music, Lahiru went on to study sound engineering in Singapore, and that’s where his career as an artist kicked off.
When asked how he works on his songs, Lahiru says he takes pride in the fact that he composes the music from scratch. “My music is more about live instruments. I don’t use samples,” he says going on to explain, “samples are ready made loops or beats that can be bought. But with the help of other popular artists, especially from the band Daddy, we have come up with unique compositions.”
Rathu Rata Cadju he says was actually an experimental song that turned out surprisingly well. Describing the song he says that the style is not typical of baila and can be classified more accurately as modern baila.
Speaking about how he got into making baila music, he says “I was not a baila singer when I started out, I was more inclined to classic Sri Lankan music which I’m a huge fan of,” adding that he, like any true Sri Lankan has an inherent love for baila music. While balia music has propelled Lahiru’s career as an artist, he will not restrict himself to this particular genre, and said he was looking to explore other avenues of music, such as pop, jazz, alternative rock and R&B. Lahiru also said he plans to experiment and create music over this wide range of genres. So be sure to watch out for the baila dance track, Rathu Rata Cadju which is due to be released mid next month. |
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