From science to SMS and flute to voice

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

THEEKSHANA Anuradha became a singing sensation of the public through a popular singing competition telecast on TV.

Theekshana was among the last ten competitors of the competition until destiny removed him from the final round by George based on SMS votes.

I asked Theekshana if he liked the way he had to go out of the competition.

“When you have to go, you have to. It’s a competition. The SMS voting has made us people’s artists save the rest of the competition, which is the best thing that happened as far as I am concerned,” he said smiling.

Theekshana is a Science Faculty student of the Sri Jayewardenepura University. He plays the flute and is a student of oriental flute virtuoso and visiting University lecturer on music, V. Hemapala Perera.

He secured the first place for playing his instrument, the flute in the All Island Interschool Music Competition held in 2002.

Theekshana has made his presence felt in the music field with his track “Sanda Renu Galana.”

He is making his debut album currently.” I have already done three songs for the new album. I am planning to include two flute pieces and a duet in the new album,” Theekshana told In Tune.

A science faculty student into music. How do you explain this?

My mother can sing. Quite a number of members in her family does music in one form or another.

I think that the musical influence has come from her side. I am not quite new to the artistic side of life because my father is an artist, a painter, although he does not do it for commercial purposes.

Why did you choose the flute as your instrument?

Well, I think my parents bought me one when I was in grade three or four. I liked it. I was told that my grandfather used to play one. However it was when I was in grade six that I started studying music.

I was helped by music teachers at my school, St. Aloysius College, Galle, by teachers, Lankanath, Deepananda Kudahetti, Amarasiri Munasinghe then.

And your singing?

In fact, I was more into making music with the flute than with the voice. To be frank it was not my idea to apply for that TV music competition. I was too busy with my studies at the university.

It was my parents and (akka) elder sister who had sent my application to the TV station. They are very confident about my singing. They have been very supportive to bring me to whatever height I may have been placed in terms of my singing so far.

And I must also mention that my friends Manoj, Fahran and Sahan have been of great help too.

Any particular style you follow?

I like versatility. And that is why I am planning to include some new wave sort of stuff to my new CD.

One can even expect one or two hip hop based tracks on my new album.

Do you meet up as friends with those who came as winners of that TV singing competition?

It is like this. I am busy with my science faculty work most of the time.

So I do not get much chance to meet them or speak to them. Maybe they too have similar problems that they cannot speak to me.

Have you plans to make music your career?

I will do music, but not as a profession.

Calypso feel for World Cup

WORLD CUP organisers have urged Caribbean fans to bring their musical instruments into World Cup stadiums to lure in local support and give the tournament more of a calypso feel.

Matches at the seven-week showpiece event have been contested before half-empty stands.

Passionate West Indies fans have been upset by high prices and the impression that big musical instruments, a traditional feature of Caribbean cricket, had been banned from venues on safety grounds.

The International Cricket Council said on Saturday that this had never been the case on the contrary they welcomed the musician fans to the grounds to create a carnival atmosphere.

“There is a protocol to allow musical items,” said chief executive Malcolm Speed in a statement. “We want the Caribbean atmosphere to be here.

“We don’t seek to take the West Indian flavour out of it. We want to hear that noise. We want to hear that enthusiasm.”

ICC spokesman Brian Murgatroyd added that anyone with a large musical instrument needed to get clearance beforehand from a local organising committee to bring it in but this had always been the case.

“There is no ban on these instruments and never has been,” he said.

Tournament organisers and the West Indies players’ association have pleaded with fans to support the home team, which is in danger of being knocked out in the Super Eights second stage following two consecutive defeats.

The World Cup culminates in the Barbados final on April 28.

Panduka Launches CD

PANDUKA Samarasekara has realeased a CD titled Thurki Palasa. This will be his second song album.

Panduka’s first album, Nela Na Malak, was released in 1997.

The new CD was launched recently amidst the participation of oriental classical and pop artists at the Russian Cultural Centre, Colombo 7. It has 15 songs.

Lyricists Praneeth Abhayasundara, Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe, Kularathna Ariyawansha, Ven. Pathegama Gnanissara thera, Hemasiri Halpita, Wasantha Kumara Kobawaka, Priyananda Wijesundara, Kelum Srimal and Suramya Mapitiya have composed songs for the album.

He had sought assistance of the late vocalist Gunadasa Kapuge, singer/composer Rohan Weerasinghe, H. M. Jayawardena, late Stanley Pieris and Sarath de Alwis to produce the album.