Arts
On stage with Stevie Wonder and other showbiz legends
Memories: Mahesh with President Barack Obama
All that gifted pianist Mahesh Balasooriya had for music teachers were inspiration and raw talent – this was sufficient to get to the grand stage. The piano, to him was always a vehicle of expression that contained infinite possibilities in a world of melody, rhythm and harmony.
As a child full of creative energy, he’d hear melodies playing in his head and by the time he turned six, Mahesh was sitting at the piano at his home in Los Angeles , California in the United States, listening intently to every note, teaching himself and playing by ear.
“Thankfully there happened to be a decent Knabe upright piano in my house,” he says over an email interview.
Completely self-taught, 36-year-old Mahesh’s biggest achievements so far in his remarkable career include working with musical legends such as Grammy winners Natalie Cole, Arturo Sandoval and Stanley Clarke, pop legend Engelbert Humperdinck, Alan Holdsworth and more recently Quincy Jones Productions to name a few. He was at the piano for Gian Marco’s album ‘Versiones’ which was nominated for the Latin Grammy album of the year in 2013.
Growing up Mahesh was inspired by his parents, especially his father Gamini Balasooriya, a professional Sri Lankan musician and actor. His dad introduced him to Sri Lankan music and the music that he played for him prompted Mahesh to explore different genres.
“There have always been two genres of music for me, good and bad. I managed to find good music in every genre – doesn’t hurt to play what you love,” he says.
Mahesh’s journey as a musician has been an exciting adventure. He began playing professionally at the age of 12, and his biggest achievement at the time was performing for US President Bill Clinton with the Children of the World choir directed by Marina Waks, at a private Democratic Party function in Beverly Hills.
Mahesh: Completely self-taught. Pic by Valerie Huffman Herring
Nearly 18 years later, he also got to perform for US President Barack Obama, alongside Grammy winner Arturo Sandoval.
Over the years, some of his other renowned shows include performing for Oscar De La Hoya, Phil Ramone, former US Vice President Al Gore, and Arnold Schwarzenegger when he was Governor of California.
Mahesh also got an opportunity to play for Ray Charles and Quincy Jones at a prestigious charity event for the blind.
Touring with the late Natalie Cole for nearly five years is a memorable period in his life, he says, recalling those heady days of flying in a private jet and performing at some of the most prestigious venues in 40 countries.
Mahesh has several other achievements to look back on. These include performing with the Hamilton Symphony, Clinching the ‘Performer of the Year’ title for four consecutive years at the Hamilton Music Academy, winning the most outstanding rhythm player at Monterey Jazz Festival, touring Japan with the All Star band … the list goes on.
At the age of 18, Mahesh was also selected as one of two pianists in a worldwide competition for the Henry Mancini orchestra. He recalls this experience including several unforgettable concerts, alongside some of the industry’s legends with justifiable pride.
However, the most memorable moment for him was playing with the Henry Mancini Orchestra alongside Stevie Wonder and John Williams during the first week opening of the Disney Hall. “It blew me away because I didn’t know he was going to perform with us,” Mahesh recalls adding that Stevie had made his appearance during the sound check.
Interestingly Mahesh’s first stint was as an actor. Growing up in close proximity to Hollywood, he took part in several well known TV shows such as General Hospital, Seventh Heaven, Boy Meets World etc. He also appeared in movies such as Naked Gun 33 1/3, Face-Off and Matilda.
He enjoyed acting, but had to give it up as his school schedule became more involved.
Soon after the 9/11 attack in the US, Mahesh decided to enrol in the US Air Force and was stationed in Omaha, Nebraska, driven by the need to serve the country by providing inspirational music for the troops and veterans. “It was a patriotic, unforgettable accomplishment I did as a Sri Lankan American,” he says.
He believes his performance opportunities and travels “deepened his spiritual horizons in music.”
He also found it interesting to tap into music from different parts of the globe and incorporate those influences in his performances. But no matter where he was in the world or who he performed with, Sri Lankan music has always been in his blood.
Today, in his home in the US, Mahesh is in the process of working on a series of albums, exploring new possibilities and “travelling to infinite universes thanks to the blessing of music.” He describes this to be an incredible form of healing and an exhilarating journey.
He is also looking forward to record several Sri Lankan songs, and hopes to work with Sri Lankan artists in the future.
His journey on stage has certainly been nothing short of impressive and remarkably, Mahesh says he has never felt the pressure of performing. Instead, he was always excited to share his healing and inspiration through music with his audiences and he hopes to keep doing so for the rest of his days.