It seems like we have been listening to them for years, but in fact the Lanerolle brothers began their partnership just three years ago. But Rohan and Ishan have earned such a loyal following that their anniversary concert, The De Lanerolle Brothers: Live III, on March 3 at the Waters Edge drew over 500 guests and was sold out within 24 hours.
 |
| Rohan and Ishan: Doing it their way. Pix by Susantha Liyanawatte |
So much so that Ashok Ferrey who compered the event, quipped ‘Ladies and gentlemen, there are people fighting for your tickets’.
The brothers opened the show singing classics by the Bee Gees, Jim Reeves and Elvis Presley. One Presley legend, Falling In Love With You, had its accompaniment slightly changed by Shobi Perera and was sung by Ishan to a rapt audience.
A highlight of the evening was the request slots, when the audience was allowed to request a song from a selection of songs on the menu card. The first request of the evening came amidst much hilarity and the brothers sang Help Me Make It Through The Night to laughs and cheers.
Ushering in a hint of nostalgia was Yesterday, a song that had an entire audience humming along to the familiar tune. Rohan added a touch of the serious by thanking everyone who stood by him during his bout of dengue, from which he is still recovering, as the brothers sang Love Changes Everything.
Following a short break, the duo was back on stage with the Unchained Melody by the Wright Brothers, followed by Il Monde. An energetic rock n’ roll number, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, had Rohan quipping ‘and they say I’m sick!’ Request time had the brothers singing Elusive Dreams.
Ishan, generally less talkative than his brother during performances, took some time to thank their friends, family, fans and God for Rohan’s speedy recovery, and he harmonized with his brother to deliver a hair-raising rendition of The Prayer. I Can See Clearly Now, had the audience tapping toes, and some Engelbert hits added romance to the evening.
If You Love Me Let Me Know and Spanish Eyes went down well, and the last song, Please Release Me had the audience clamouring for an encore. Elvis Presley won the day again, and the beaming De Lanerolle duo bowed at the end to ringing applause. |
E-mail
