Inspired by the Aragalaya: Sankha B’s first music video
Sankha B: “Don’t try to be perfect”
My songs are about the harsh realities of life and are meant to open people’s consciousness,” says Sankha Bopearachchie, better known to his fans as Sankha B.
Among the many artists who have shown their support for the Aragalaya, Sankha has also been moved to make his contribution “Meh rata mage rata” and “Katadha thiyanneh” are two of Sankha’s recent tracks, the former focusing on anti-racism, multiculturalism and the struggles of the people. The latter is on the suffering endured by peaceful protesters and the role of law enforcement and security officers at these protests.
With “Meh rata mage rata” Sankha says he wanted to represent all Sri Lankan ethnicities. With vocals by Sankha the song also features Tamil rap artist Rathya. The song, with lyrics and subtitles in Sinhala, English and Tamil and a fusion of eastern and western musical instruments, highlights how racism causes division, and allows political leaders to exploit and manipulate people.
“Meh rata mage rata” also inspired Sankha to direct and produce his first music video, which he says, was a challenging yet rewarding experience. Visiting some of the protest sites made him realise there were many positive aspects of Sri Lankan society being reflected by the protesters, which he decided to portray in his music video.
“Katadha thiyanneh” was a result of a conversation he had with a security officer who was also struggling to make ends meet due to the economic and political crisis in the country. Talking to the officer about the politicians and the protestors, he had the simple question of “Who are you protecting?”
He sent the lyrics to his friend, composer and musician Kanishka Kavirathna. It was Kanishka who composed the music and also performed the guitar solo for it.
“This song was my contribution towards the Aragalaya. I wanted the music video to focus on the protesters, particularly those who were staying at the protest sites for days,” Sankha says.
Sankha describes his style of directing and producing music videos as “unscripted” as he believes in a more spontaneous and natural approach, and does not like rehearsed shoots. It is quite challenging to shoot a music video in Sri Lanka, as renting out locations is either expensive or difficult or both and it’s even more challenging without a big budget, using only limited crew and props, available resources, locations and equipment, he adds.
He is currently working on the music video for a song he wrote a long time ago about a toxic relationship he had, which will be released in a couple of weeks. Another called “Thirisan” about sexual harassment will be released this year.
“I have two sisters, and one of them has two daughters, and the stories about harassment which I have heard from them are so sad and frustrating to listen to,” Sankha notes.
The 34-year-old artist who started his musical career when he was in his teens says he was always encouraged and supported by his family.
The creative mind behind the lyrics for local rock band Daddy’s Chandrayan Pidu, “performing at TNL Onstage and YES FM All Stars were memorable experiences. Seeing a crowd of around 10,000 people singing the words to Chandrayan Pidu, was probably the best experience I’ve had so far in my career,” he smiles.
Sankha is also one of a few Asian artists to work with international labels and international singer-songwriters, having worked with Jay-Z’s record label Roc Nation, and RnB singer-songwriter Andrea Martin a few years ago. This was the most challenging period of his career, as working with international record labels and international artists requires a lot of effort and determination, he says. He also worked with international labels Universal and Warner Music and wrote and composed music for local bands such as Voice Print, The Slipping Chairs, Infinity and Doctor.
Given the current economic climate, he is realistic about the prospects for musicians, especially young aspiring artists: “Don’t quit your day job. Make music your hobby, until it starts paying your bills. Then you can quit your job. Also, don’t try to be perfect, or pretend to be perfect. Embrace both the positive and negative traits that make you who you are,” he says.
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