Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Touch a chord

It was a show of heartfelt charity, sincere care and great music. It was Country Roads XIII. Ishani Ranasinghe was there to witness the show

It was that time of the year again. Time to head out for this year’s Country Roads... Having been to this concert for the past two years I was definitely excited to head down to The Mount Lavinia Hotel, last Sunday, to hear some good old country music!

Sometimes the right keys can touch a chord… and that night we were going to touch the lives of displaced children. The host for the evening Kumar De Silva gave the audience a brief glimpse into the history of Country Roads. The Country Music Foundation initiated sixteen years ago, focused on needy children and the crucial issues affecting their lives. The Country Roads Concerts have been an annual event for the past thirteen years, and have been based on many themes with special messages to raise awareness on issues such as education, health, child labour, sexual exploitation, poverty and deprivation. This year’s proceeds will be utilised by UNICEF and the Country Music Foundation to restore at least ten school libraries in tsunami-affected areas in the north, south and east of Sri Lanka.

With many artistes such as Mariazelle, Bob Livingston, Flame, Alien Accent and Peter Harold coming together to perform for the evening, the concert was bound to be a success. All their performances were noteworthy and those of you who were not there did miss a great concert.

Starting off the evening was Thilan, illuminated in red, singing a soulful rendition of “Tears In Heaven”, reflecting the general mood. He later moved on to an original titled “China Bay”, and listening to the words of the song certainly had an impact on the listeners. An interesting slot of the evening was the father-daughter duo, Scott Faiia with his daughter Shanthi, singing two songs, which included “City Of New Orleans”.

Moving away from the stage, it was then time for Alien Accent to come out and perform two originals. One of their songs, “Child” written about the refugee situation in Sri Lanka many years ago, as they put it, was very suitable for a time like this, as we too are now once again facing such a crisis. The lyrics were both touching and moving, putting the audience into a contemplative mood.

If there was a list of reasons why no one should miss this concert… Bob Livingston’s name would definitely be on it. Yodelling into the night Bob Livingston who is here in Sri Lanka for the second time, did live up to expectation. We were surprised to find a tabla player sitting next to him halfway through his performance. Where did he fit in? We soon found out as they started playing. Blending both the oriental and western sounds for “Cowboys And Indians”, Livingston on guitar and the tabla player jointly provided a glimpse of the popular fusion music that has become a trademark for Livingston. His song “Love Cannot Be Broken” which he wrote for his son Trevor was one amazing track… His performance he was so lively and interactive, and it was interesting to see how he managed to weave in a story to all his songs.

Some of the great old sounds of country music came alive, as ‘Flame’ got on stage. After a few country hits like “Girl From Yesterday” and “Mardi Gras” by them that filled the air, people were sad to see them leave. Everyone wished that they performed more than three songs, because they were undoubtedly one band that can really get the crowd psyched.

With more than ten years of experience at Country Roads the ‘Mavericks Duo’ with their cowboy hats and their vibrant personalities, started off with “If Tomorrow Never Comes” as the crowd joined in to sing along with them. Their original track “Ayubowan! Good Morning Sri Lanka” was indeed an interesting song to listen to and I am sure the rest of the audience would have agreed with me. They had the crowd entertained with their little stories and their dance steps.

It was then time for one of the much-awaited bands of the evening… ‘Cosmic Rays.’ After yet another memorable performance by them, they joined the rest of the stars to sing “Country Roads”. As the final words of ‘Country roads take me home…’ was sung, Feizal Samath joined everyone on stage to sing “Where Do We Go From Here/ Blowin’ In The Wind”, and the crowd was asked to come in on the chorus.

This year around Country Roads was a simple concert. It was a remembrance of the victims of the tsunami and a foundation for a better future for the survivors. It’s an effort to move on from tragedy and despair to hope. As the music faded and the night ended, the poignant picture of a young boy stared at us from the backdrop, and was in our minds as we drove away to our homes humming the tunes from Country Roads.

The sponsors for Country Roads XIII were Standard Charted Bank, The Mount Lavinia Hotel, Gulf Air, Sri Lankan Airlines, The Sunday Times and Classic Radio.

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