A musical extravaganza titled ‘Sri Junior Stars’ featuring young talented Sri Lankan musicians from France, will come alive on August 9, Sunday at 4.00 pm. at John de Silva Memorial Hall in Colombo.
‘Sri Junior Stars’, the children’s musical orchestra consists of 18 French nationals who are of Sri Lankan parentage, will sing and orchestrate music to the rhythms of original Sinhalese songs.
The project is a brainchild of Rohan Fonseka and his wife Dulani now domiciled in France, who are the main sponsors for this musical extravaganza.
‘These children are all French nationals, though they are born to Sri Lankan parentage. They speak French and Sinhala is at a very basic level. Even most of the Sinhala songs billed to be sing at the Concert, are written in French as that is their main language. That can not be blamed because they are born and bred in France’ explained Rohan.
This will be the very first time that a Sri Lankan band or musical group formed outside Sri Lanka visiting back home as a professional group.
The revenue generated from ‘Sri Junior Stars’ will be channeled for our valiant soldiers, the guardians of the nation who made the motherland proud.
‘The proceeds from the concert will be utilized to build a housing scheme for the valiant soldiers’ he added.
Besides these gifted children, many renowned artistes from Sri Lanka too will perform at this show. Pandith Amaradewa, Sunil Edirisinghe, Edward Jayakody, Jagath Wickramasinghe, Ranil Mallawarachchi, Lakshman Wijesekera, Surendra Perera, C.L Fonseka, Mariazelle Goonetilleke, Lilanthi Karunanayake, Chandani Hettiarachchi, Amila Nadeeshani, Sri Kanthi Perera, Rodney Warnakulasuriya, Nelu Adikari, Kapila Pugalaarachchi, Samitha Mudunkotuwa, Rohan Fernando and child stars Himasha Dassanayake and Sudesh Somal Ediriweeera will perform at this occasion.
Incidentally Rohan Fonseka was a former member of SLBC and SLRC orchestra and is a talented musician. He was an original member of now defunct popular band ‘Seac’
‘This musical extravaganza is a unique since for the first time in Sri Lankan soil foreign born child artistes who will sing oriental songs’ Rohan said.
Choreography will be led by Kamala Bellantota with the music of Dimitri Fonseka, Ranga Livera, Nuwan Gamaarachchi, Denis Kalamulla, Anushka Fonseka, Suranga Nissanka, Salitha Samarasuriya, Dilani Perera, Chathurani Kumarage, Wathsala Galhenage while music of Nilushi Nissanka, Andria Silva, Sheluka Fernando, Maurine Fernando, Shehona Fernando will add quality to this musical extravaganza.
‘Sri Junior Stars’ had their rehearsal programme at Panagoda Army Camp in aid of valiant soldiers.
All the family members of the performing childrens are now in Sri Lanka and some of them have visited Sri Lanka after a decade or more.
‘With the victories over terrorism, Sri Lanka has positioned her image at the top level in the world. So we have decided this is the time for us to do something for our motherland. Not only the performers, but the entire set of equipment was brought to Sri Lanka for this purpose’ Rohan said.
‘The proceeds of the show at the John De Silva Memorial Hall will be exclusively utilized for donations to the deserving soldiers and IDPS’ said Rohan Fonseka. |
E-mail