Dr. Joseph goes on a musical journey once more for a good cause
The only member of the Winslow Six who still performs is as active as ever. Following her concert last month, Dr. Manella Joseph will be performing again, this month a concert in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of Lanka. As passionate as ever, “As long as God grants me the power to sing I will continue to do so,” she states firmly.
Finding time to sing: Dr. Manella Joseph at her recent concert. Pic by Sameera Weerasekera
A pathologist by profession, Dr. Joseph still finds the time to sing because she enjoys it so much. Similar to her last concert, this show too will not be a sing along. “I want people to sit and enjoy the music, and I’m not planning a sing along as such,” she explains, adding that her songs will be sure to attract people who love the genre. With songs from leading female artists of the 1960s and 70s (the same as last time with a few added originals) , she feels the show will appeal particularly to those above the age of 50.
The cause she is supporting is definitely worth highlighting. The Multiple Sclerosis Association of Lanka helps 115 patients with the disease at present, giving them the physical, mental and infrastructural support they and their families need including house visits, buying wheelchairs and supporting the education of children of the patients. Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive neurological disease which sometimes causes patients difficulty in completing their daily activities because it causes the immune system to attack tissues from its own body.
President of the Multiple Sclerosis Association Dr. Enoka Corea hopes that apart from helping raise funds which they will use to reach more people, they also want to raise awareness. “Multiple Sclerosis patients face a lot of stigma because people do not realize what the disease is. We are hoping that through this concert people will understand what this disease is and break the stigma and we also hope that other patients will learn about us through this,” she explained.
The title of the show, ‘Yesterday Once More’ could not have been more perfect if it had been written for the show, Dr. Joseph feels. “The lyrics speak of the songs which take you back to a particular time and that’s what this concert is all about,” she explains. Dr. Joseph will cover songs from Connie Francis, Shirley Bassey, Nana Mouskouri, Karen Carpenter, Cilla Black, Dusty Springfield, Petula Clark, Crystal Gayle, Dolly Parton, Roberta Flack, Barbara Streisand, Olivia-Newton John, Rukmani Devi and Latha Walpola along with two Sinhala originals and one English original also released in the same time period. At the concert last month, Dr. Joseph gave background on the artists and the song for those interested in the pop culture of that era.
‘Yesterday Once More’ will be held on Sunday, October 15 at the Tourist Board auditorium (opposite Crescat) from 7 p.m. onwards. Tickets will be priced at Rs. 2000, 1500 and 1000 and can be obtained by calling Dr. Joseph on 0777188028.