Pradeepanjalee rocks Los Angeles

UNITED STATES: Sri Lanka Foundation's global launch of Pradeepanjalee at the famous Walt Disney Concert Hall on Saturday, July 22 reached new heights. In the private estimation of the Concert Hall staff, Prdaeepanjalee was rated number one in its two and half years' history.

Pandit Ravi Shankar performed at the same venue in April this year. Pradeep and his troupe consisting of Lakshman de Saram, Wijeratne Ranatunga, Karunaratne Bandara and Alston Joachim fused with jazz giants like Eric Marienthal at the sax, Freddie Ravel at the piano and Hussein Jiffry at the bass guitar, produced one of the most memorable evening for the entertainment of the audience which not only contained culture crazy Sri Lankans, but a sizable number of Indian and American fine arts lovers never seen before at Sri Lankan cultural events.

Pradeep's blending with the western jazz was so mesmerizing; the audience was breathless after each and every item, culminating in a standing ovation at the conclusion of the concert.

A soothing rendition of "jaya mangala gatha" on the strings Pradeep's sitar as an invocation item, a least possible number of interferences, flawless flow of the programme, an unprecedented number of turn out exceeding eleven hundred, admiration of a well disciplined audience, the faceless emcee's introduction- these contributed towards the grand success which it was.

There were many winners, according one Indian spectator-Pradeep and his troupe, the jazz team, Sri Lanka Foundation, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Sri Lankan community in Southern California and last but not the least, the image of Sri Lanka.

However, there was one loser in this midst: those who did not attend the concert. In short, he summarized, the Sri Lanka Foundation going global is no exaggeration!".