Soundarie to present ‘Soul’ : An Evening of Original Music
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Soundarie David
Soul Sounds, the internationally acclaimed choir directed by Soundarie David, presents ‘SOUL’, an evening of original music on 7th June 2017 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre.
Everybody has heard her stunning choral arrangements and covers which range from ethnic, pop to Gospel in style? Whatever the genre, whatever the style, we have heard Soundarie David-Rodrigo (or ‘Sounds’ as she is aptly nicknamed) perform it. What we have not heard her perform is, surprisingly … herself. Now, Soundarie has finally decided to reveal what really lies at the heart of her music by presenting SOUL—an evening of original music.
Fairway Holdings , exclusive sponsors for Soul Sounds, Chamber Music Society of Colombo, and the Fairway Galle Literary Festival, have once again come forward to support this new venture and are proud to be associated with ‘Soul’ By Soundarie on 7th June, 2017, Lionel Wendt Theatre—keep it free, because it’s going to be a concert with a difference.
Soundarie is going to share a bit of her soul with us—show us what has shaped, inspired and guided her on the road to being the musician she is today, by taking us on a tour of original pieces inspired by the genres of music that have most influenced her. The fans might hear something Baroque-inspired or smacking of jazz . . . something with a touch of gospel to it … who knows? Soundarie is full of surprises and has enough versatility to keep everyone guessing.
This is a significant departure from the norm for her, yet she more than most understands that music is a form of expression, an ever-changing, evolving art which demands that its practitioners move and change along with it. Presenting an original work is incredibly challenging, satisfying and rewarding and also terrifying. Soundarie has never been one to stand still.
Soundarie wrote her first original in 2015– a song titled ‘Journey’ which was performed by Soul Sounds. Her family and friends have always been incredibly supportive of her musical journey—enabling, encouraging and sometimes pushing her to scale ever-greater heights.
A piano student of the legendary Mary Billimoria and then Ramya De Livera Perera, Soundarie went on to complete her musical studies at the Royal College of Music in London, receiving an ARCM in piano performance and piano accompaniment. She has performed as soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka to great acclaim, and in 2013 completed a series of solo performances in Washington DC for concerts commemorating Martin Luther King. She regularly performs two piano recitals with well-known pianist Ramya De Livera Perera both at home and abroad.
SOUL features Soundarie’s original compositions, in which some of the artistes she will collaborate with include Jerome De Silva, Dushy Perera, Ravibandu Vidiyapathi and his drummers, Neranjan De Silva, amongst many other musicians.
Her talents are not limited to music — Soundarie is also a lawyer with a master in law, in the field of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law from the University of California, Berkeley. She was the Deputy Director at the SAARC Cultural Centre based in Sri Lanka for the last 6 years, and is currently the Director, Programs for the Colombo Cultural Hub.