Marians Marvels with acoustic music
Marians Acoustica unplugged Volumn 2 Live in Concert
Though delayed an hour, the audience for Marians’ silver jubilee show ‘Marians Acoustica’ was quiet and cool and well-disciplined until the maestro of Sri Lankan music Pandit Ameradeva arrived at the Musaeus College auditorium in the evening of Saturday, June 1 to a standing ovation.
While welcoming guests, ‘Marians’ leader Nalin Perera’s daughter, young Swetha Perera made an interesting account of how Marians was formed by her father who had developed it for the last 25 years. She added entertaining anecdotes to her speech which followed Marians taking on the stage.
From the day I heard about ‘Marians Acoustica’, the name of the show celebrating 25 years or silver jubilee in their musical journey, I was wondering what difference the band was going to make with the strange name ‘acoustica’ which I hadn’t found in any dictionary but presumed it something related to acoustic.
As the first noisy note of ‘Ne Pala Ne..’ song was hit by all the member of the band, my dreams of an acoustic evening were shattered. I thought that Marians had not changed much to my expectation of a cool and soothing musical band. Though the show began with a bang, the second number, band leader Nalin Perera’s own song ‘Mage Kiri Keti Yawwanaye’ with a punching rhythm brought the heat down with a real acoustic touch in the background music.
However the real difference in the show came when they played their third song ‘Sandaluthale’ with a real acoustic touch to the packed audience and this followed a unique evening of music. True to the words of Marians who described in their introduction of the ‘silver jubilee show that it ‘a tribute to our fans and friends on appreciation of their support given to us throughout these 25 years’, it was a real treat and tribute.
The show also displayed how the band has improved tremendously over the years in their singing with harmonising voices, fine clear music, variations they can create in music arrengment and enternating presentation. The chief guest Pandit Ameradeva, who is considered a pioneer or a legend in Sri Lankan music, remarked on the journey ahead for Marians while praising their efforts in making ‘good’ music.
The band was also praised by Professor Sanath Nandasiri who even went on to say that he sings ‘Anjalika’, Nalin’s signature song but Prof. Nadasiri was humble enough to say he is not as good as the comparatively young singer.
On Saturday night like a bridge Marians was able to merge Sri Lankan Ragadhari Sangeethaya or classical music and popular band music or ‘Kandayam Sangeethay’ as Pandith Ameradeva took on to the stage and sang ‘Shantha Me Re Yame’ with Marians to the applause of the audience. The band proved what a difference a mortivated musician can make in their performance. ‘Marians Acoustica’ was acoustic to its very word.
Started in 1988 as a bunch of school boys from St Mary’s College, Chilaw, ‘Marians’ showed what maturity it has reached over the years. While Prasanna Rosa and Ruwan Fernando remained with Nailn from the start, many changes had taken place for better and better. After many changes the latest band include Dileepa Mangala (key board), Chaminda Silva (acoustic/bass guitar), Mangala Perera, (vocalist/saxophone), Shivantha Fernando (vocalist), Jayantha Kandabodage (percussion) and Subash Punyasoma (drums).
Mangala Perera, son of late Ranjith Perera, saxophonist of yesteryear band ‘Fortune’, the latest find of Marians displayed huge potential in his singing when he sang new versions of Raj Seneviratne’s ‘Mal Lassanai’, a touching song lyrics based on Sagara Palansuriya’s touching poem, ‘Mudu Palanda’ and Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a wonderful world’. His voice and talent was praised even by Prof. Sanath Nandasiri and predicted that he would have a bright future with Marians.
With the medley of songs from 1970s bands like La Ceylonians, Marians which sang with acapella demonstrated the improvement they have made specially in singing and vocal harmony.
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