Arts
Rukshan has something new in store for audience
Rukshan Live in Concert- the popular singer’s eighth concert next Sunday, will see him singing four new originals but he doesn’t want to reveal more than that. “They need to come and see,” he says, hoping to surprise his audience. Focusing on his own original music, he says that his audience will see him perform songs he composed in his own unique style.
Rukshan: Laments the lack of originals in local music scene. Pic by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
Our music scene lacks original music, he feels. “It’s a Catch 22 situation – singers sing what audiences want and then audiences start wanting what the singers sing. I think if we focused on originals then we can develop the music industry,” he says. He hopes that his work will inspire audiences to extend their patronage to originals, while also inspiring others to follow suit.
Rukshan Perera started his musical career early, learning to play the piano at age five and the guitar at 12. He performed with the 70s band “The Super Golden Chimes” as keyboardist under Clarence Wijewardena and Annesley Malawana while still in school and then continued his musical career until he moved to the United States to pursue his higher studies, aged 25. Having completed his degree he worked for Philip Morris International as the Systems Manager for 20 years and then moved back to Sri Lanka to focus on his music. It was then that he launched his “Rukshan Perera live in concert” series.
One of his recent achievements is related to two of his originals, ‘Eka mawakage daruwo’ and an arrangement of Clarence Wijewardena’s songs sung acappella which won their choirs – the Ladies’ College Junior Choir and ‘Asteria’ gold medals at the recently held Asia Pacific Choir Games. He says he never expected such a positive reception for the songs , adding that the choirs did his songs justice.
“I don’t just write only love songs. I might occasionally write a few love songs but I also write songs on other subjects,” he says. He has written songs dedicated to Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, as well as others on racial and religious harmony and other similar subjects. Rukshan feels it is his meaningful lyrics, coupled with his other talents including the art of scatting and whistling two notes at the same time that have audiences returning for concert after concert.
‘Rukshan Perera live in concert VIII’ will be held on January 21 at 7 p.m. at the Bishop’s College Auditorium. Tickets priced at Rs. 3000, 2000 and 1000 are available at Bishop’s College and Fashion Optics on Flower Road, Colombo 7. Tickets can also be obtained by calling 0773057720 or 0770073684. The concert will include performances by the De Lanerolle Brothers, Soundarie David Rodrigo, Cifford Richards, Jananath Warakagoda, Choro Calibre and others.
| Helping others with a song | |
| Rukshan has been part of many charitable organizations – he is the president of Rotary Club of Colombo Metropolitan and a Trustee of Unity Mission Trust.This year he will be donating proceeds from the concert to six different projects which help underprivileged children. The projects are: the Sunshine Games – a sportsmeet held for differently abled children, ‘Lama Piyasa’ – a video recording room for sexually abused children to give evidence without having to undergo the traumatic experience of going to courts, the child friendly police station – a room in each police station dedicated to children’s affairs, the Sith Sevana institute in Thanamalvila, a Vocational Programme at Gamini Vidyalaya that will teach children English, IT, dance, ballet and oriental dance and ‘Little Minds, Strong Values’ – a project to record nursery rhymes with good morals and distribute CDs to preschools around the island. |