Sunday Times 2
‘Disability is possibility’ at Mount Lavinia Hotel
Under the multi-coloured lanterns in the arcade on the beach at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, silver-draped chairs faced a stage lit in blue. Celebrities in the entertainment industry and compassionate fans were all present to support the ‘Disability is Possibility’ cause
Emmanuel Kelly (Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara)
championed by Australian X’Factor star Emmanuel Kelly. On his second visit to Sri Lanka, Emmanuel performed live on December 16, courtesy Sri Lankan Cares – the charity arm of SriLankan Airlines which is organising programmes that focus on changing attitudes of society towards those impaired at birth or in later life.
Emmanuel was abandoned by his parents in a war zone in Iraq and raised in an orphanage run by the Mother Theresa nuns. Australian aid worker Moira Kelly offered him and his brother a new home and Emmanuel underwent a life changing surgery. With his success in Australia, he has gone on to touch the hearts of millions, his YouTube video receiving over 12 million views. Emmanuel has also produced, recorded and written songs with U.S and Canadian song writers.
A cultural welcome dance was performed by the children at the Preethipura Communities of Sri Lanka, an organisation dedicated to the care and assistance of children with disabilities followed by a solo from a Preethipura resident.
Guest performers VoicePrint blew off the stage with their unique acappella and adding to the audience’s enjoyment were local stars BNS (Bathiya and Santhush) with the rest of the team; Randhir, Ashanti and Umaria.
Emmanuel appeared on the stage, singing the John Lennon classic ‘Imagine’ originally by John Lennon which brought the audience to their feet – the applause not because Emmanuel is a celebrity, but
Bathiya and Santhush, Ashanti and Umaria perform with children from the Preethipura Communities of Sri Lanka
because he has proved disability is possibility. Then followed the songs Viva la Vida (Coldplay), What a wonderful world (Louis Armstrong), Lean on me (Bill Withers), What makes you beautiful (One Direction), one of his originals and Christmas songs for the season.
Emmanuel is working with his Sri Lankan friends Angie and Maliq Deane to raise disability awareness on behalf of their son Stefan. Proceeds of the concert will be channelled to continue Sri Lankan Cares’ programmes for disability awareness and the empowerment of children.
Watching Emmanuel perform made us realise that the disabled too have faith and confidence in their abilities. Observing him proved that our greatest weakness lies in giving up. Emmanuel’s urge to succeed unlocked the door to his excellence. His determined but humble personality uplifted the audience.
What defines you is not if you are able bodied or not, but your actions.
A cultural welcome dance was performed by children with disabilities