Bringing out the stars at TNL Onstage

By Joshua Surendraraj

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Winner Best Commercial DJ - Neco Fernandez

Over the sixteen seasons that TNL Onstage has run, the country has seen the emergence of amazing bands and soloists, all of whom have left their mark in the Sri Lankan music scene. This year was no different and the competition was not short of the talent that it had to offer.

It was season 15 winners, Cosmogyral, who kicked things off for the evening, with “Craving,” by James Bay. They were followed on by the talented repertoire of finalists. However, it was a single soloist and a single band that shone the brightest. Following the show we caught up with them.

To nineteen year old Thiysuri Ranatunga, who won the best soloist award at onstage, it was certainly a dream come true, as she tells us. It was her very own “Let’s rock and roll” and a cover of Demi Lovato’s “Stone Cold”, that saw her sail through the finish line.

However, it was no walk in the park, in the lead up to the finals week, she says. Thiysuri had to come up with her original piece, three days before the finals. She was helped by a friend and eventually had managed to pull through. Thiysuri had four, 45 minute practice sessions with the TNL onstage backing band. And it was within this time, that she had to perfect all her songs.

In the end all her hard work did pay off and even though she didn’t think she’d win, her victory was one of her greatest achievements to date, she tells us. “I know I did my best, but the other finalists were amazing, so when they called out my name as the winner, I was so surprised and happy.”

Best Electronic DJ - Pubudu Chathuranga (right)

She is currently working on two new singles with TNL and hopes to release them soon. She hopes to pursue a degree in Mathematics, but tells us that she will not be giving up on her music. The evening moved on and the hosts got back up on stage to announce the final band category performance for the evening. At this point, half of the arena, which had been seated up, flocked near the barricades. An excited chatter grew among them and ‘Kingdom Life’ was greeted by a loud roar. They were clearly the popular ones at the park, that night, seeing as that all of the other soloists and bands did not receive such a welcome.

Being the only Gospel band in the competition, ‘Kingdom Life’ claimed the coveted title of the best band, recalling the memories of 2002; back when ‘Ezra’, the first gospel band took the title. Both their songs were originals. They produced the two, just after the band got through the semi- finals.

Subodha Pilimatalawwe, from Kingdom Life, tells us, the band had prayed together the day before the finals. “We wanted to do a really good gig and strangely enough we weren’t nervous,” he says adding that on the contrary they were excited to perform.

Their first original “Free Falling”, which speaks of putting your trust in God and acting 100 percent in faith, you feel his love. “Free falling in his love,” They had a message to deliver that evening and it was their faith which got them through. However, it was not about religion that evening, as Subodha tells us. “We were advised by several professionals that if we only stick to the music we did, it might go against us.

Our single “It’s not about religion,” was to make everyone understand that it was not about religion, but about God. It was about being spiritually tuned.” They’ve got 15 songs of their own and hope to start producing more. Their onstage dream is far from over, “We are going to go out there and keep doing what we love.”