ITN Ran Tharu to select musical stars

Rohan MATHES

COLOMBO: The finale of the most prestigious and colourful event, the ITN 'Ran Tharu' Talent Quest to select the year's 'Best Band' and the 'Most Popular Band' is scheduled to commence at 10. p.m. on December 31 at the Sugathadasa Stadium.

Calling a press conference at the GOH hotel in Colombo recently, the organisers of the all island 'Ran Tharu' competition, in collaboration with the panel of judges, told journalists that they in the first round of the competition, had an arduous task of bringing down the number of contestants from 800 new and upcoming groups to fifty, and later selected 10 groups as qualifiers for the final competition to be held on December 31.

As a representative of the panel of judges who adjudicated the competition to date, Shirly Waijayantha said that the overall performance of the contestants were of a high standard.

He was of the view that in some instances, they had observed that albeit the group lacked the ability to be in the top ten, some individual performances both vocals and instrumental, required more recognition from the panel of judges.

Unfortunately however, in the present process of selection there was no provision to appraise such individual performances.

He also reminisced that some parties with vested interests of the contestants were making telephone calls and trying to unduly influence their selections. He urged such parties to refrain from such behaviour.

ITN Chairman Anura Siriwardena said that the ITN would endeavour to appraise the skills and talents of those individual performances at future competitions as well.

The event is to go 'live' over ITN from 10 p.m. on December 31, to 1.00 am the following morning.

The 'Best Band' and the 'Most Popular Band' of the year, will be announced at midnight on this live show.