Fresh initiative to harvest local talent
Admit it- every time you watch The Grammy Awards there’s a little part of you that wonders what it would feel like to be there in the flesh. Look no further, because Charin Mendis has been invited to the awards not just once but a whopping four times, here he shares with us a bit about the goings on behind the scenes at the music industry’s biggest awards night.
First, a bit of background. Charin, 29, is a business analyst by profession who also happens to be an accomplished musician. He was a member of the band Jada as a teenager, and went on to study at several universities, with six different qualifications in music. It was actually during his time at the Leeds College of Music, where he was studying for a Bachelors in Jazz, that he received his first invitation (in 2012) to the Grammy Music Awards. “I had left my post unchecked for a few days,” he remembers. “When I did eventually open the letter I couldn’t believe my eyes to be honest.” Nestled inside the envelope was a stiff-sheet of paper with his name on it-an invitation to attend the Grammys on February 12, 2012.
“Until I was in a limo, getting down to walk into the theatre where The Grammys were being held that night I was a bit sceptical!” he laughs. Later it turned out that he was chosen by The Recording Academy, who organises the event each year, from a pool of talented young musicians. Charin thinks that his involvement with several projects in and out of university, along with networking may also have played a part in this. Either way he was attending The Grammys and everything about it was “surreal, but incredible,” he says. “Everyone is very respectful of each other’s music, and very humble about what they do.” Charin was also inducted to The Recording Academy and has walked the red carpet twice at the event-in 2012 and 2014.
Charin and Yathra. Pic by by Indika Handuwala
This has inspired him to move back to Sri Lanka and begin a fresh initiative for young Lankan artists. 5trawberifield5 is his and Yathra Jayawardene’s brainchild. Yathra holds a business degree, although she hails from a famously artistic background as the grand-daughter of Swanee Jayawardene, the pioneer of tie-dye in Sri Lanka. “In my family I was the rebel who wanted to study business,” she laughs. Later, almost as a requisite, she completed a Diploma in Fashion. “Yathra was a driving force behind forming 5trawberifield5,” says Charin. She handles the investment and conceptual end of the initiative as Creative Director while Charin is CEO. They are joined by third partner Ranil Gunawardana.
“It’s been a very organic ride so far,” they say. 5trawberifield5 functions from a state of the art studio in Ratmalana that has been fully booked everyday up to date and in addition they hope to also launch the label Konozo, a batik brand designed using Swanee Jayawardene’s techniques. “5trawberifield5 will have audio and fashion products both,” we’re told. “It’s for artists-be it in music, fashion or otherwise.” Personally Charin feels that Ranil, their third partner, “is the best producer in the industry and there’s no one who can do what he does.” The duo have also formed their own band, ZY4R, with a few others.
Cahrin with John Mayer’s Producer & President of Blue Note Records Don Was. Pix courtesy Kurt Lebron
5trawberifield5 is on the lookout for fresh faces, but say they will only take on the most promising of talent. “We’re very particular about who we take on because we don’t want to compromise on quality,” Charin stresses and Yathra agrees. There’s one other thing they both agree on; “5trawberifield5 is a place for art and music to coexist. If you’re going to work with us, you need to be who you are and comfortable with it!”
Find 5trawberifield5 on 5F5.CO; you can also follow
Charin’s work on
www.facebook.com/charin.
mendis