The brothers never disappoint their fans
Ishan and Rohan: Consummate entertainers. Pix by Indika Handuwala
They kept their music classic and simple, leaving the crowd asking for more. Their charm and elegance on stage has been well honed with eight years of experience. ‘The De Lanerolle Brothers’ certainly know how to work a crowd and they proved so last Sunday, April 2.
A full house at the Hilton Colombo, Grand Ballroom for their 8th anniversary concert, pointed to the fact that the brothers have managed to secure themselves a loyal fan base over the years.
They were at the door themselves, both Rohan and Ishan, greeting their guests. Their impeccable timing has always been known and respected in the industry. It was no different on Sunday for they kicked things off at 7 p.m. on the dot.
Their audience comprised both old and young, all who seemed to enjoy the music immensely. At one point a 14-year-old, requested ‘Ten Guitars’, a song made famous by Engelbert Humperdinck in 1966.
Rohan and Ishan set the mood with the classic, ‘Country Roads’. While the gathering sipped on some fine wine, the brothers had moved on to Michael Ball’s ‘Love changes everything’.
“We heard that a few of you are getting hungry,” Rohan joked, after their first set. Sooner, the entrees of a scrumptious four course meal were served. By the time this was done, the duo took on the stage, for their second set, handsomely clad in their tuxedos.
“Les bicyclettes de Belsize
Carry us side by side
And hand in hand we will ride
Over Belsize…”
They sang in perfect harmony the Engelbert hit as the audience, chimed in. Sooner, Rohan joked that he was leaving and that Ishan would be taking over for the evening. “Don’t worry, it’s just for this one song,” he chuckled.
Ishan’s rendition of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t help falling in love,’ earned himself several ‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ from the crowd.
The mains were served soon after. This led on to their final set for the evening. The duo had prepared a list of song choices, which were neatly printed on the menu cards, set on the tables.
The rich repertoire included the likes of the Bee Gees, Elvis Presley, more Humperdinck and Neil Diamond. However the clear favourites were “Sweet Caroline” and “Spanish eyes”.
A total of five requests were taken from the audience , before the brothers closed with Elvis Presley’s ‘Burning Love’. Their fans were reluctant to let them go and kept chanting “One more”.
They obliged, closing with Olivia Newton John’s ‘Let me be there’ leaving everyone singing, all the while recalling the spectacular performance they had witnessed.
