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Old
Joes Choir, Flame and Deja Vu in a grand concert for a cause on
December 21 Inspired by the commitment to rid the world of this debilitating illness, the stage is set for a unique musical rendezvous organized by the Rotary Club of Colombo Uptown. "Believe"
is an expression of Rotary's efforts to raise funds for the eradication
of polio through immunization. The theme revolves around the fact
that if you believe in a polio-free world, achieving it would be
no problem. Meeting up
with the stars of the show, their excitement and commitment to making
the show a success was quite evident. The event promises to be an
evening of enchanting music featuring a diverse group of artistes
performing a blend of semi-classical to contemporary and seasonal
hits including all-time favourites made popular by the likes of
the Beatles, Aaron Neville, The Eagles, John Lennon and Duran Duran.
It will also provide a blend of seasonal favourites, some redone
by the Old Joes' Choir. After their
resounding maiden performance at "Evolution" earlier this
year The Old Joes' Choir is all ready to wow the audience with what
promises to be another unforgettable performance. Accompanied by
Kamalini Samarakoon and Adrian Denise, they are prepared to dish
out a few surprises this time around. Made up of 26 dynamic youngsters,
The Old Joes' Choir has created a new trend in choral music bringing
forth music from the classical era right up to the modern age covering
milestones in the progression of music redone with the kind of innovation
rarely attempted by Sri Lankan choirs. "Rotary
in the past has done very successful shows and we wanted to help
them as it was all for a good cause," said Dayan Gunasekera,
leader of the choir. He promises to provide a well-balanced package
of entertainment that includes their contemporary hits and also
a few Christmas numbers. "We will stick to the choral affect
and give the essence of tradition to the concert," he continued.
They are also planning on throwing in a few numbers they performed
at "Evolution" for the benefit of those who missed their
performance. Flame, a folk
rock band has been re-grouped to include Chris (guitar and vocals),
Shane (bass vocals), and Leonard (guitar and vocals) in addition
to the co-founders, Rienzie and Naushard. Though primarily a folk
band with a focus on acoustic music, Flame also does cover versions
from the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel and Bryan Adams, to name a
few. Rienzie Pereira,
Flame's most senior member explains that the band prefers to maintain
a non - commercial and relaxed approach. They welcome participation
from guest singers as well as members of the audience and look forward
to enjoying their performances at "Believe". "We all
share the same talent, and I think it is great that we are putting
it to a good cause" says Samantha Ferdinand. Samantha, a student
of dress designing and marketing, comes from a family with a musical
background. Trained by Mary-Anne David. Samantha is to perform a
couple of popular favourites. Joining this
talented line-up is accomplished pianist Dilip Seneviratna. He is
also a part of the "Four Pianist Group" and plays a variety
of music including jazz and blues. He will be accompanying almost
all the artistes as well as giving his own performance. "I
think this is a nice cause to play for, and if through this some
happiness can be brought to a polio victim that is great,"
says Dilip. Deja Vu, who
are always ready to contribute to a charitable cause will be led
by Kevin Francke at "Believe". They were initially focused
on acapella, but now also play a variety of accompanied and band
music as well as some classics. "Believe"
will be a production of Michael Ranasinghe. A Director of Kaizen
Associates and of the Synergy School of Marketing, Michael's involvement
in the field of music and production has been the result of his
keen interest in the arts apparent in "Circle Of Life"
and "Evolution", two of his prior productions. Having been
drawn to "Believe", above all, due to its worthy cause,
Michael is producing and participating in the event. This will be
the first time he will be performing cum producing and he admits
it is undoubtedly a demanding task. With a personal preference for
music from the 60s and 70s, his performances include these songs
as well as modern numbers. "When
I was asked to produce this I just couldn't refuse because of the
cause," he says. He has his own personal reasons for agreeing.
His mother as a child had polio but recovered. " It was an
absolute miracle, unfortunately one of her friends who got it did
not survive," he adds. He feels that this made him extra enthusiastic
to produce the show. According to
Michael, "Believe" is clearly different because it is
based on the talents of many groups and individuals, each having
a different approach that is bound to provide entertainment for
everyone. It seems that
he is a bit reluctant to reveal what they have planned to perform.
Why? It's going to be a surprise, I am told and basically I guess
the suspense will end only on December 21 at the Bishops College
Auditorium. Tickets for "Believe" are available at the Bishops College Auditorium. What
exactly is polio? There is no
cure for polio, it can only be prevented. The Polio vaccine given
multiple times, can protect a child for life. In 1985, Rotary
launched Polio Plus to protect children worldwide from the cruel
and fatal consequences of polio. With a 99 percent reduction in
the number of polio cases worldwide, Rotarians stand at the brink
of a great victory and look forward to celebrating the global eradication
of polio in 2005, the organization's centennial year. Eradication
throughout the world will prevent polio from spreading back into
countries now free of the disease. From way back in 1988, The Rotary Club of Colombo Uptown has actively contributed towards social development in Sri Lanka through various projects. "Believe" is this year's endeavour to not only raise funds, but also to create awareness whilst spreading seasonal cheer. Capturing
diverse emotions on canvas Known to many
as one of Colombo's leading dress designers, Purnima Abeyratne has
during the past 10 years taken her Inspiration label to greater
heights. As an artist, she says that she loves to draw everything,
figure drawings, landscapes, modern art, abstracts, et al. She also
plans on including a few collages for the exhibition. "Sketching has always been a part of my work, so I guess drawing too came naturally," says Purnima. So how does it help in her work? In designing, colour combination plays an important role and her artistic skills enhance her outlook, she feels. She is well known for her fantasy costumes and painting has made her really extend her imagination bringing about that extra dreamy illusion look, the spice into her designs. "Painting
is also something that relaxes me after a stressful day," she
smiles. Sugandhi Edirisinghe's
generous nature and love of life shines in her eyes. Having travelled
widely, she has taken in many influences, which she believes has
added to her creativity. Sugandhi uses
striking colours and simple lines without missing out details. The
curves and characters are sensual and three dimensional while her
stills are abstract. Some of her inspiration comes from modern figurative
paintings and she says there is a Picasso influence evident in certain
paintings. A Diploma holder in A.M.I. Montessori Method of Education
and also in Fine Arts at Harcourt Education Direct, U.S.A, Sugandhi
knows how to engage our senses through her works of art. Joining them
as a guest artist in Myriad of Colour is their teacher, W. A. Ariyasena,
a senior lecturer at the Institute of Aesthetic Studies, Kelaniya.
He has won the Governor General's Prize for best painting of the
year twice. W. A. Ariyasena
has also designed many postage stamps, which include the stamp to
mark World Refugee Day. One of his paintings 'Where we are' hangs
at the National Art Gallery. A part of the
proceeds collected from this exhibition will be donated to Christmas
Cheer for 860 women in long term psychiatric care at Mulleriyawa
Mental Hospital Unit -Two - organised by Nest and to the Francina
Home Society (pre school and income generating centre) Mandawela. This exhibition and sale of the oil paintings will be held at the Lionel Wendt Art Gallery from December 19 to 23. - Ishani |
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Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
Sisters
Purnima Abeyratne and Sugandhi Edirisinghe have taken part in many
an art competition and exhibition over the years. They come together
for the second time to display their recent work in Myriad of Colour
- an exhibition and sale of their oil paintings.
