Colombo Guitar Fest 2013

Music of all moods:

Anuradha Abeysekera

Once again guitar music enthusiasts will be entertained with a unique string-treat when the Guitar Association of Sri Lanka stage its third annual mega concert, Colombo Guitar Fest 2013 on January 19 and 20 at Royal College's Navaragahala in Colombo and Peradeniya University's E.O.E Perera Memorial Hall in Kandy, showcasing Sri Lanka's maestros in guitar strumming their peculiar genres to make a perfect harmony among divers styles of the world's most popular music instrument. The Friendship Collective of Kandy joined hands with Guitar Association in bringing the concert to hill country.

Picking the right notes

Both concerts will stage with the dawn of dusk at 6 pm and will bring the audience through a fascinating musical journey savoring most of internationally popular guitar genres including classical, flamenco, jazz, rock, heavy metal, blues, hawaiian, trova and fusion performances. With the great expectation of building a platform for masses to enjoy classy music regardless of their social and economic status, the organizers continued to present the show free of charge from the inauguration of Colombo Guitar Fest in 2011.

Prime objective

A great stakeholder of the festival, Guitar Association President Mohomad Iqbal emphasized that their prime objective is to popularize guitar music and correct performing techniques in all styles through out Sri Lanka which also is the very reason for them to offer the concert free to the public.

"The opportunity of tasting arts always should not be hindered by paying a price for a ticket and it is great to have all these top class guitarists in the country volunteering to share the same stage leaving testimony to their true passion for music," Iqbal also pointed out.

He also appreciated the generous sponsorship of Yamaha Music Centre who will undertake the sound controlling of both concerts with their top class sound equipments.

There will be 30 different compositions performed by well known local supreme artists in each style including Amaranath Ranathunga (classical and flamenco), Derek Wickramanayake (rock), Anthony Surendra, Andrew Obeysekera, Jude Peiris, Buddhika 'Misha' Rodrigo, Prasad Silva, Rohan Silva along with a guest performance by an internationally acclaimed Japanese classical guitarist Ken Sugamata during the two and half hour concert .

The under graduates of Visual and Performing Arts University of Sri Lanka, a bunch of talented youth who are mastering classical and flamenco styles for their degree under the guidance of local guitar legend Amaranath Ranathunga will also entice the crowds with their rhythmic string works.

Patron of the Guitar Association Amaranath Ranathunga, an iconic classical and flamenco guitarist in Asia said that there are over 11 million professional guitarists exist in the world but Sri Lanka is yet to give due recognition to guitar.

Anthony Surendra Picture by Ranjith Asanka

"I am proud to bring guitar as a subject into university curricular in 2004 and this is the third batch of students who are specializing the instrument in classical and flamenco styles. We hope to introduce this BA degree (Bachelor of Performing Arts in Classical and Flamenco Guitar) for the external students from next year with the aim to spread guitar music education all over the country."

Financial constraints

"Initially we wanted to bring the Guitar Fest 2013 to Jaffna, but had to cancel it due to financial constraints. Even though the concert unites country's most talented performers, it is sad to say that the hardest task have been finding sponsors.

But with the rising popularity over short time of three years this event will soon become a major annual music festival in the country. There are many guitar festivals all over the world where all walks of people from across the globe rally round to enjoy.

We are still in the initial stage, but moving towards the right direction with a committed group of individuals and you will see Colombo Guitar Fest reaching great hights in years to come,".

Amaranath further said that there were requests from kith and kin to stage the show for even a low prized ticket, but they did not want to insult the great talents who are voluntarily contributing with their performances and omitted the requests.

Anthony Surendra, made remarks on the importance of this kind of events, where artists too given the opportunity to learn a lot from each other while appreciating music on a broad basis. As a self-taught guitarist, Surendra believes that whatever style you follow, you must become a guitarist at first and then master the style. "Maintaining a standard with correct techniques will play a vital role in making professional guitarists and Colombo Guitar Fest will provide some good guidance to those who love to learn the instrument," he also said.

Electrified quality

Andrew Obeysekara of popular rock band Sitgmata thanked the organizers for including rock and heavy metal guitar styles in the show as great enthusiasm is evident for both music styles in recent times among Sri Lankan youth.

Rock and heavy metal music have been subjected to many controversies and debates in Sri Lanka due to its electrified thunderous sound quality, but the styles have united millions of people in the globe, specially youth, transcending all socio-geographic boundaries.

Its contribution for world peace is enormous and Colombo Guitar Fest takes the initiative to widen the local music spectrum by featuring these styles and accepting it as a sub culture along with the much preferred other styles in Sri Lanka. "The concert will be an unforgettable one for the audience as they will be exposed to experience varied musical flavors, harboring totally different feelings and moods," said the Guitar Association Secretary Misha Rodrigo.

It may be sounds quiet odd 'rock and heavy metals with classic guitars', but here the extremes to meet, exploring new horizons of Sri Lankan music.

A new era of local music scene is about to commence with Colombo Guitar Fest 2013 where artists and audience learn to enjoy their favorite music while practicing tolerance with respect towards other styles.