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Country music for a special cause
If Country Road is synonymous with music for children, then the Mavericks band from Germany has become very much a part of Sri Lanka's country and western and folk music scene.

Here for the fourth time since 1992, the band led by versatile entertainer Dirk Maverick, will once again play their hearts out at the eleventh Country Road concert on October 13 at the Trans Asia hotel.

Joining Dirk on stage this year are Steven Bohn, one of the best pedal steel guitarists in Germany and Wolfgang Stoelzle who has expertise playing many instruments like drums, bass, piano and guitar in addition to vocal harmony.

This year, however, Steve is giving over the steel guitar work to Didi Waechtler, another regular on the Mavericks Sri Lanka tour. "In Germany he plays with a lot of bands and is so good and easy to work with that even Steve enjoys playing with him," said Dirk.

Didi is also bringing along his Dobro and lapsteel guitar. He has been described as a steel guitar freak and attends the steel guitar convention in Nashville, USA every year.

Steve is handling bass guitar on this tour.

On his first tour to Sri Lanka is Stefan Sperling who plays in Germany with the Nashville Music Company band.

"We are looking forward to an exciting time with lots of music for a just cause and loads of fun. We are also looking forward to the CEOs roundtable on children and are happy to be a part of it," said Dirk.

The Country Music Foundation (CMF) is planning to bring together some 100 CEOs of Sri Lankan companies to focus on the needs of underprivileged children in the country. The October 14 event is jointly organized by the CMF, Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and a group of concerned members of the business community.

A CMF spokesman said it has been a pleasure to work with Dirk Maverick and his band in the past decade. "Their services to the cause of country music for children in Sri Lanka have been at no charge and they enjoy playing here."

Joining the Mavericks on stage are Italian-born singer-guitarist Elena Ley, Mariazelle and Flame Unplugged.

The October 13 concert has drawn new sponsorships from Cargills and Emirates who are flying down the musicians from Germany with The Sunday Times being a media sponsor. Tickets for the show are available at the Cargills Food City outlets at Staples Street, Majestic City and Kirulapone and Crescat among others. The concert proceeds are channelled through UNICEF for a children's charity project.

Fashion
With Odel's signature decor of illuminated palm trees forming a backdrop, the Unlimited store laid on a noonday fashion show and jazz festival last Sunday. Our photographer M.A. Pushpa Kumara captured these shots of the creations on display.

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