Young singers team up for ‘Amigos Para Siempre’ concert
View(s):Singing together never crossed either of their minds. Tenor, Trevis De Silva and bass, Laknath Seneviratne have lent their voices to prominent all-male ensembles before, but their latest project- Amigos Para Siempre- is a first for the two classically inclined singers.
Laknath and Trevis (pictured here and on our Magazine cover with Nicole): Opera and more in their show
Staging a show has been a long-time goal for Trevis who went into four years of musical silence following his short time as part of the Revelations musical group. Performances with CRAFT and singing at weddings have left him always wanting to “put together a concert.” According to Laknath, the concert which is to be held at the Russian Cultural Centre on July 3 and 4 has been in discussion “from about two years ago.”
It was at auditions for the musical, Rag that the two were reacquainted according to Trevis. With the compatibility of their voices “Laknath and I, being classically trained,” saw a line-up for this concert falling in- to place. Hoping to bring the audience their best, the concert will include opera, which both singers have always enjoyed.
Amigos Para Siempre is more than just Trevis’s long time ambition. For Laknath it’s an opportunity to perform pieces he has “wanted to sing for a while” which includes an aria from Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Finally getting their plans off the ground, a challenge came in the form of “Choosing the music, catering to our strengths” and coming up with a seamless, cohesive show he shares.
Nicole Parakrama’s mellower sound too will be a part of the mix. Considering herself the amateur of the bunch, she says “the three of us are very different personality types.” A part of her church choir for a couple of years, it wasn’t until a Young Adults camp during which Nicole “ended up onstage” singing a duet with Trevis that she came on board. That was in September last year. Hers is a more contemporary vocal style among the classical singers, so the concert will hence not be a typical evening of strictly classical numbers.
The unique mix of songs includes “a little bit of musical theatre, some do-op and even some acapella, the trio say. A duet from the opera Pearl Fishers remains close to the male singers’ hearts while Nicole shares that the song she enjoys performing is a rendition of “Billy Joel’s For The Longest Time.”
Accompanying the trio is renowned musician Neranjan De Silva who has “at some point accompanied them, separately.” With young classically trained singers less evident now, Neranjan feels that these voices are in fact rare. Vocal versatility is what this group has to their advantage and hopes to entertain their audience with.
Amigos Para Siempre will be an evening of music at the Russian Cultural Centre on July 3 and 4. Tickets priced at Rs. 1000 can be purchased at the Commons, Mel’s Café and the Yamaha Music Centre.