Mirror
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Sounds
for your soul They are nine friends, Ahimsa Silva, Anuruddha Lihinikaduwa, Chanaka Fernando, Mahesh Senaratne, Mario de Soyza, Ryan de Sylva, Sandhun Mendis, Sanjeev Dabare and Suneth Jayasekara, all ex-Peterites in their early twenties, sharing one passion... music. First up is Anuruddha, the advertising guy who seems to be having many years of experience behind him dating back to the days at St. Peter’s College when he was in the choir. “Singing is something that I most enjoy doing and after a long day at work, I look forward to practise, where I can unwind and relax,” he says. Adlib together with Anuruddha used to sing in the school choir and presently in the chorale. Being friends helped because meeting up quite regularly wasn’t an issue! When asked why they focus mainly on vocals instead of the present trend of rock bands etc., Anuruddha says, “We opted to be different, as singing contemporary and retro classics is more our type of style and we sound our best singing them.” Sanjeev, the man behind the music, spoke next. Juggling work, studies, music and fitness regimes, Sanjeev’s task for this project is not an enviable one! He’s responsible for compiling a general list of songs for the group and working with each part individually. This does not suggest that he has dictatorial rule over the group’s selection of songs, he says. They all come up with songs and decide depending on how it sounds. The quieter member of the group Chanaka comes from a musically inclined family, and his is a classic case of ‘following in the father’s footsteps’. Chanaka, adds that singing with the group has changed his personality to a great extent. His love for playing the guitar is what first brought him into the group, he says. Sanjeev had asked him to play for Adlib, for a particular performance, and as he enjoyed it so much and had a good understanding with the guys, he became a permanent fixture. Mahesh, the budding lawyer, says that he just knows that none of them could achieve individually, anything as good as what they do together. Friends from school and having heard for himself the sounds they create together, he says, “Singing with the guys has always been a great experience because there are no expectations and you don’t have to prove anything.” Each one just does his part, as there’s a great sense of acceptance within the group. His biggest satisfaction comes from people telling them that they’d enjoyed their music. If he were to hear him, Chris De Burgh would be quite impressed with Ryan’s rendition of ‘Lady In Red’, which he sings with a lot of sole and passion. Singing from his school days, Adlib has been just a matter of taking all that singing a few steps forward, says Ryan. He adds that as the whole of Adlib consists of guys who are just one batch apart from each other, they’re quite a close unit and thus, makes it easier to work with. Suneth, the doctor-to-be is abroad studying, but sings with the group whenever he comes down on vacation. Being quite competent with the guitar as well, he’s often seen strumming, whilst humming softly to the tune, almost having drifted off into his own little world, they say. Speaking on behalf of all the guys, he says that they couldn’t have made it thus far without the love and support of their families and friends.They have been very understanding and have always encouraged them to live up to their full potential, he says, as they all nod in agreement. Catch Adilb in concert on August 21 at the Barefoot Gallery. Tickets will be available at the Sponge Pastry Shop in Colpetty. The media sponsors are ARTv and The Sunday Times. |
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