@lordryanjohnson

Imaad Majeed is a singer/songwriter, poet and rapper that has been around the music scene for a while. The 25 year old musician emerged into the underground music scene with his post-rock outfit in 2010 named “YajnaVedana”. Since then, Imaad has experimented with his style of music and written some amazing material. In 2012, Imaad released an EP titled “Verse, Chorus, Verse” – the first single of the record “My Love” was number 2 on the Yes FM Home Grown Charts. The record received a massive positive feedback from listeners.

Imaad is also the organiser and curator of Kacha Kacha, an underground gig that features many artists from different art forms such as poets, rappers and singer-songwriters performing in Sinhala, English, and Tamil. He is a regular of the Poetry P’lau collective that gathers at Hansa Cafe every first Saturday of the month, as well as the fortnightly Open Brain session by Stageless Arts. He is the former publisher of the Annasi & Kadalagotu series of chapbooks.

Imaad’s spoken word performance of Thambivamsa in the form of a YouTube video has tagged #Selfierap, was screened at the 46th North East Modern Language Association (neMLA) convention.  Currently working on his new music this young adventurer will surprise many in the future.

As an artist, what makes your music relevant?

       What makes any art relevant? It is a result of having lived. Having worked as a journalist, I’ve come to have a high regard for truth, and, so, I try to express it through my art. I do this, more recently, through social commentary, particularly with my rap music. I try to talk about issues that affect all of us, how dependent we are on being online, how we take for granted the privileges afforded to us by speaking English, how we’ve become jaded and can only think in the space between two dancing pills.

Your past work and the work you do now are completely different. What made you change your style in music and writing?

While studying in India, I succumbed to a nervous breakdown that pretty much changed my worldview. On returning to Sri Lanka, it took me a while to reacclimatise. I had lost my voice from not speaking for months. I found it when I heard the rapper milo’s song Monologion with the line “I’m going to learn to write raps in a whisper”. That got me to start writing again. I revisited my teenage fascination with rapping, yet this time having experienced more of life. I decided that I did not need to be constrained by genre.

What inspires your lyrics?

I read a lot, mostly non-fiction, and it’s those ideas that captivate me. I don’t believe in thinking too much. If I’ve noticed something true about the way people behave or the way I feel about something, be it an election, a playboy or an accent, I want to express that. Then, there is love, relationships, those who are close to me. Lyrics, to me, are poetry, so my inspiration has broadened since I have opened myself up to modern poetry, free of form. This is quite liberating, when you don’t simply think of it as words to a song, but a poem in itself.

Would you ever consider writing another record like “Verse, Chorus, and Verse”?

       This may come as a surprise, but I have written some love songs that are closer to that sound, and I am not sure whether I am going to include them in my upcoming album “The Beauty Of Common Sense” or if I ought to put them out as an EP. The rest of the album is social commentary, so let’s see how that goes. The plan is to collaborate with a different musician for each song, so they essentially become the producer, and I allow them to decide the sound and I have to feel it out and make my lyrics, melodies and voice work with them.

You manage a crowed funding event named Kacha Kacha. How did that happen and how has the ride been?

Radhika Hettiarachchi, the curator of Colomboscope 2015, approached me and asked me to curate and organise a trilingual show that would feature poetry, rap and song at the Castle Hotel. I insisted that it must be a free event, so everyone felt included. It was a hit! So, we decided to keep the ball rolling, and together we sought out funds, and now I run it by myself. It’s a one-man team, but I owe it all to the crowdfunders and the artists. We pay each artist, and we get working class bars a high volume night. It’s great for everyone involved!

Any plans on releasing a new song?

Yes! I am currently working on the first single off my upcoming album. It’s called “New Sense Nuisance” and my good friend type-B is producing it. We performed a live set of electronic music at Pettah Interchange in 2015. The song has got a very different sound from anything the Sri Lankan music scene has heard. It’s about how we get caught up in trends and woo, willingly led along by sociopaths who are just out to build an empire unto themselves. Like, wow.

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Presented by EUNIC Sri Lanka together with Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Cinnamon Colomboscope will take place at the Old General Post Office Colombo. Each year, the event evolves and changes shape with a new curator. Testing Grounds was conceived by German curator, Susanne Jaschko, a renowned expert in the field of media arts. This year, the festival will provide ‘testing grounds’ for a new liaison between contemporary arts and digital technology in Sri Lanka.

For many artists living and working in Sri Lanka today, working with electronic and digital media remains a widely unexplored field. Testing Grounds, with its focus on contemporary art that creates awareness on how digital technologies impact society and cultures, has commissioned over 10 Sri Lankan artists and artist collectives to foray into this field, conceptualise and produce artworks that reflect on this theme.

One of the many highlights of this year’s programme will be presented by DJ and electronic music producer Asvajit Boyle and technologist and entertainment designer Lalindra Amarasekara. Their performance, (De)Generative Processes II, will transform the domed roof of the Colombo Planetarium into a digital canvas for an immersive live performance of light, sound and movement. (De)Generative Processes will take place on August 28 at 7.00 p.m. Also collaborating for Testing Grounds are actor, writer and director Arun Welandawe-Prematilleke and experimental musician Isuru Kumarasinghe, who will present Close to the Bone – a theatrical production and sound art piece combined. Centred on a dinner hosted by a beautiful and young married couple for his difficult sister and her older girlfriend, and the events that unfold, Close to the Bone is an immersive performance. Through their phones, the audience will be able to enter the characters’ heads to hear their thoughts, memories and regrets. The performance will take place on all festival nights.

Testing Grounds will feature the works of many notable Sri Lankan artists. Photographer Aamina Nizar and journalist/photographer Megara Tegal will present The Colombo Project. This installation portrays the neighbourhoods alongside the Kirulapone Canal and explores the role of social media in the lives of the people in Colombo, a city that still faces a huge social divide. Poet, rapper and singer-songwriter Imaad Majeed’s installation, Revery invites the audience to reflect on the minority segment of the Sri Lankan flag.

Visual artist Kavan Balasuriya will exhibit Foundation, an abstract drawing that can be interpreted to the relationship between the individual and the increasingly dynamic virtual environment of post-war Sri Lanka. From Vendetta to Bend Data, a series of digital collages by independent filmmaker and artist Muvindu Binoy depicts the paradox between Sri Lankan’s real- and virtual-selves.

Other Sri Lankan artists and performers contributing to this year’s festival include: the Collective of Contemporary Artists (CoCA), The Ramadan Project, Isaac Smith and Sumudi Suraweera, Krishnapriya Tharmakrishnar, Malaka Dewapriya, DJ Sunara, and sound artist, Dinelka.

Colomboscope will also invite over 50 international artists and speakers – from Europe and South Asia – to participate in this year’s festival. Visitors will be able to engage with audio-visual, responsive and interactive installations as well as image-based artwork. The programme comprises an exhibition, a film programme, audio-visual performances, workshops, artist and thematic conversations, and an online exhibition.

Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts is the title sponsor of Cinnamon Colomboscope 2016 and the event is organised by EUNIC Sri Lanka comprising of the British Council, Goethe-Institut and Alliance Française de Kotte. The festival is supported by the John Keells Foundation, Cinnamon Life, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, MBC/MTV, iFilm Sri Lanka, Debug, Embassy of Switzerland, Embassy of the Netherlands, Turkish Embassy, German Embassy Teheran and the Universite Laval. The festival is held in venue partnership with the Ministry of Post and Postal Services.

In a world full of obstacles, pursuing a career doing what you love can be tough.

What drives someone to pursue a career as a musician? Is it the fame or money? Or is it simply the love of music, creating masterful compositions and working with great people. For Francesca Mudannayake, it’s a bit of everything, but mainly a love for music and what it does that drives her to pursue a career as a musician. Francesca, AKA Frankie is a singer and songwriter; besides music, Francesca also loves acting, dancing, choreography and journalism, all of which she is still determined to pursue, but for now she is focusing on her music.

Q:  Tell me a bit about yourself.

A:  I grew up in a ridiculously artsy family so it was inevitable I would somehow get involved in drama, dance and music. I was a pupil at Elizabeth Moir School where I got to explore my creative side. Currently I am at the end of my second year as an undergraduate at Royal Holloway University reading for an English and Drama degree.

Q:  How did you start out as a musician?

A:  I arrived pretty late to the game as I only started singing properly when I was 14. I watched a movie which featured Billie Holiday’s version of ”Am I Blue?’ and from then on was transfixed by her vocals and how much emotion she packed into each word.  Thereafter I started to develop my voice by listening to a lot of soul/jazz singers like Nina Simone and Sade and taking part in as many shows I could in Colombo to work on my performance skills. However, in the last 3 years my focus has shifted to honing my songwriting and guitar skills and with that I’ve become more interested in the new wave of RnB singers like Frank Ocean and FKA Twigs.

Q:  What has been the best thing to happen to you in your career as a musician so far?

A:  Pretty much the best thing to happen to me as a singer/songwriter was meeting Bo Sedkid and Imaad Majeed, who are some of the most experimental musicians on the island. Imaad definitely made me up my game in terms of what I write and it’s been a true dream to collaborate with Bo Sedkid for my originals. I think in the beginning I got into music purely because I could sing but right now it’s the music which informs how I sing and what I write.

Q:  What inspires you to write your songs?

I’m quite a sensitive person, sometimes a bit too sensitive, so anything that angers, frustrates or saddens me gets analyzed in what I write. Popular culture and the social commentary of today is also something that motivates me to write.

Q:  Do you have any role models or people who inspire your music?

A:  A lot! Sonically and lyrically I would love to emulate the styles of people like Alex Turner, Florence Welch, Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Amy Winehouse, Jessie Ware and Rosie Lowe. Performance wise, people like FKA Twigs, James Brown, Beyonce and Lady Gaga inspire me because of how much thought is put into each performance, ranging from the costumes to the visuals and the choreography.

Francesca’s latest single which she released just this month is collaboration with Bo Sedkid called ‘Everything You’ve Heard Before’.

Q:  What inspired your new single ‘Everything You’ve Heard Before’?

A:  At the time I was listening to a lot of Nina Simone’s protest songs like Four Women as well Beyonce’s Formation. I’m an intersectional feminist so I advocate the equal rights of people regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or ability. But it frustrates me that in 2016, sexism and racism is still very prevalent. I almost got passed up on an acting job because the casting agency wouldn’t consider a female with dark skin and an afro. So a lot of these thoughts fuelled what I wrote. It’s also definitely a song about taking pride in being a coloured woman. The real magic happened when Bo added more colour and vibrancy to the song after I had sent the vocals to him.

A:  Do you have any other original songs?

A:  I do. In January I released my first single Control which was my first collaboration with Bo Sedkid. The real heart of the track was him of course as he combined multiple elements like hip hop beats, a flavor of soul and some hazy electronic RnB to create the song. I’m very lucky to have worked with him because we both aim to break genres and be as experimental as possible with whatever we do.

Q:  Will you releasing any more new music soon?

A:  I’ve been working on writing some songs with a friend of mine in the UK and hopefully you’ll get to hear that soon. Other than that there will definitely be some more collaboration with Bo in the future.

Q:  What are the different shows or places that you have performed at?

A:  I’m lucky to be a part of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra in the UK which means I’ve been able to perform as part of an ensemble as well as solo.  I’ve performed in small clubs and theatres but the best experience I’ve had so far was singing at the prestigious Barbican Centre for an event hosted by Wynton Marsalis. In Sri Lanka I’ve been lucky to sing at events like Jazz Sunday at CR&FC as well as the Melomanic Sessions.

Q:  What do you love most about music?

A:  I think listening, singing or writing music is a coping mechanism for me as I’m quite an anxious person. However, once I’m in the zone, I feel confident so I’m grateful I’ve been able to experience music this way.

Q:  What drives you to pursue a career as a musician?

A:  Collaboration. Some of the best memories I’ve had are of working with like-minded people who are devoted to giving their all when it comes to making music or performing. The idea of doing that for the rest of my life seems like a good career. Hopefully there’ll be money in it as well.

Q:  Trying to make it in the music industry can be tough. What do you find most challenging?

A:  To be honest, the idea of making it in the industry by way of getting signed and releasing music is becoming a somewhat dated process. I can inevitably see that the real challenge will not be winning over people in the industry but instead getting a wider audience to listen to your music as well as trying to making money out of it.

You can check out her Facebook page at facebook.com/QFrankie and have a listen to her music on soundcloud.com/francesca-mudannayake. As for what’s next for Francesca, nothing is set in stone. For now all she wants to do is strive to learn, collaborate, experiment as much as possible and continue to create incredible art and music and so she can provide top quality results in anything she does. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we plan them – instead it turns out even better!

Music cuts through all barriers and boundaries, helping people to connect and immerse themselves in multiple cultures and experiences. The Music Cooperation between Sri Lanka and Norway embraced this sentiment and in 2009 established a successful annual Music Festival which alternates between the Sri Lankan cities of Jaffna and Galle. The Galle Music Festival 2016 is the seventh and latest iteration of the Music Festival, held on May 14 at the Galle Fort.

The Royal Norwegian Embassy supports the music festivals as an activity that is part of this ongoing Music Cooperation, of which a series of activities have taken place under the Music Cooperation over the past years. Sevalanka Foundation is implementing the activities under the Music Cooperation in partnership with Concerts Norway The Music Cooperation holds these music festivals to foster ethnic harmony through cultural interventions. The Festivals offer a platform for artists and audiences from varied ethnic and cultural backgrounds to connect through the medium of music.

“These festivals provide Sri Lanka’s diverse community artists with the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their unique art forms on a national stage. What’s more, the festivals are interactive spaces and it is always wonderful to see our artists and audiences connecting and learning from each other,” says Festival Director Kaushalya Navaratne.

Speaking about their experience at this type of music festival, Kilinochchi based all-female drumming group Thappu said, “Performing at the Jaffna Music Festival among international and Sri Lankan artists was an unforgettable experience. After our performance at Jaffna Music Festival, we realized that we can use this drum to help in our community’s healing process. We learned that we can change the hearts of the people through this instrument. We were excited to be part of the Galle Music Festival and share our music and experience with an entire new audience and fellow artists.”

Artistes at Galle Music Festival

The Islamic Social Heritage Cultural Association – Sufis

The slamic Social Heritage Cultural Association (ISHCA) from Irakkamam is dedicated to sharing and promoting the ancient and traditional art forms of Islamic culture including its music, dance and other forms of artistic story-telling.

In particular, ISHCA is focused on disseminating the universal Islamic messages of peace and tolerance via Sufi music, which is the devotional music of the Sufis, inspired by Sufi poets. Passionate and ecstatic, spiritual and entrancing, Sufi music is a uniquely valuable artform that reflects the most accessible, liberal and pluralistic aspects of Islam.

Puli Kooththu

‘Puli Kooththu’ is a performance form with a long history, and is traditionally performed by the Tamils of Eastern Sri Lanka. During the Sinhala and Tamil New Year period, ‘Puli Kooththu’ is performed from house to house and in exchange, people offer money, paddy, rice and such to the performers.

‘Puli Kooththu’ depicts the hardships in collecting honey from the forest as well as the various ethics of hunting. People from Vaharai, Santhiveli and Vantharumoolai are still engaged in this traditional performing art with slight variations in both style and content in each village. ‘Puli Kooththu’ as a performance has both entertainment and educational value not only for adults but for children as well.

Karagam

The Karagam originated in the up-country area many centuries ago. It was created by Marimuttu and was originally referred to as the Mandram Kala Mandram. In the past this system was practiced using drums. However, during the civil war, the group that still continues this tradition lost all their drums. Therefore, the group was unable to continue their practice for many years. They have not been able to buy the instruments as yet, but they have managed to find recordings of the music and songs, and can therefore dance to the recordings. This particular group was formed 12 years ago.

The Kuda Mudal Kummi is another dance system. This is a strenuous dance ritual which requires much physical strength; therefore, the dancers have to alternate from time-to-time during the performance.

“At first, when we originally started this dance form it was a failure; the youths were uninterested and refused to participate. But we did not give up. We decided to explain the dance-form, its origins and cultural values to the youth and young adults. Then they became more interested and it was successful.” The group first performed at the Muttumariamman Kovil as the Karagam is based on God Muttuamman.

Thappu

Kaveri Kala Manram (KKM) was formed in 2003 as a youth cultural group using drama to address social marginalization. Over the years, as a result of witnessing the conflict and the consequential displacement of people from the region, it has evolved to engage in and facilitate the rehabilitation and resettlement of returning IDPs.

KKM uses drama and traditional music as a key approach to facilitate healing and generate a community spirit in the returning IDPs and children in the Jaffna peninsula, supporting them in the complex and challenging process of rebuilding their lives. Nearly 45 theatre and music artists dedicate themselves to the above goal and social responsibilities.

Kolam

The pioneers of Ambalangoda Kolam masks and Kolam dancing are the lineage of Maha Ambalangoda Tukka Wadu Gunadasa. Tukka Wadu Oinis, grandfather of Tukka Wadu Gunadasa is the pioneer for Kolam mask and dancing group of the Maha Ambalangoda, which goes back between 250-300 years.

This is considered to be the first Kolam masks and dancing group in Ambalangoda. For examples the set of the oldest masks belonging to Tukka Wadu lineage which is kept in the National museum of Sri Lanka.

Sandasi Beat Drummers

The Sandasi Dance and Drum Academy specializes in traditional forms of Sri Lankan dance and drumming. Up country dance, low country dance, Sabaragamu dance, Baratha Nattyam and Kathak dance are taught at the academy from primary level up to university level students. The head of the Academy is Mrs. W.K. Dinusha Sandamalim who achieved national recognition when she won the first place of the Kavitha Talent 2012  competition, organized by the Ministry of Higher Education of Sri Lanka, while still an undergraduate.

The Academy’s newest performing ensemble is the Sandasi Beat Drummers, an all-female group of the upcoming generation’s most talented performers. This was the Sandasi Beat Drummers’ first performance at the Galle Music Festival.

Urban Rappers

Hailing from Nuwara Eliya, Anoj is a Tamil rapper who is passionate about rapping in his mother tongue.

Pamuditha Anjana uses the stage name Zen and is a socially conscious rapper from Dematagoda. He is very vocal on social media and his music reflects is opinions of currents affairs and his ideology.

Krema Diaz: A duo from Galle, Krema Diaz consists of Shafni Awam and Emanuel Abeywardane. Their music captures their experiences of contemporary life in Galle, with dreamy and punchy synth lines punctuated by biting lyrics and catchy hooks.

Imaad Majeed is a poet, singer-songwriter and rapper with an adamant focus on social issues. Not your usual rapper, his lyrics are emotional and self-aware, talking about inner conflicts.

Each performer performed a solo number, and then came together for a finale that featured a multilingual song addressing the themes of the Galle Music Festival, highlighting the importance of people from all walks of life coming together and celebrating what they share.

Raghu Dixit Project

Often hailed as India’s biggest cultural and musical export, Raghu Dixit’s unique brand of infectious, happy music transcends age, genre, and even language. His music is strongly rooted in Indian traditions and culture and is presented with a very contemporary, global sound. With his towering voice fronting traditional Indian folk music, subtly infused with elements of Western rock, Arabic, Latino, and reggae textures and rhythms, Raghu’s music transcends national borders and whatever languages he sings in, he always gets audiences singing and dancing with joy.

From playing to over 100,000 people in his home State to every big music festival in India, from Glastonbury, to the BBC to even playing for the Queen of England and the entire Royal Family, Raghu Dixit is clearly in demand! Raghu Dixit has even had the No.1 spot 7 times on the iTunes World Music Charts. It took Raghu 12 years to get his music out but today, he is the unquestionable No. 1 live indie act in the country.

Jag Changa – Raghu Dixit’s Second Studio Album is acclaimed to be their best work so far with soulful, uptempo and earthy beats.

Independence Square is recognised as a monument for freedom in Sri Lanka. Last week several youth converged at independence square to demand freedom – freedom to sit as couples at the square.

The youth staged a silent protest at the ‘occupy the square’ demonstration after two security guards had refused to allow a young couple to sit together at the Independence Square.

The security guards had said that they had received instructions from their superiors not to allow couples to sit together at the Independence Square unless they are married and have children.

An argument over the issue between the couple and the security guards at the Independence Square was recorded and posted on social media. The video went viral and the youth of Sri Lanka decided to stand their ground.

Several youth gathered at the Independence Square and protested over the incident. Deputy Foreign Minister Dr. Harsha de Silva was among those who gathered at the Independence Square to support the protest.

“This is a free country. Who says you can’t do this? You can hold hands and sit down. What is the problem?” Harsha de Silva said speaking to The Sunday Leader.

He later told reporters gathered to cover the protest that the government does not endorse the views of the company providing security at the Independence Square and eventually action was taken to ensure youth can sit together and hold hands at the square.

Imaad Majeed, one of the youth who took part in the protest said that Sri Lanka must change with the times.

“When I saw the video and saw my friends being harassed, I was quite annoyed as well as disappointed with our system. I think, to be honest, with regard to the security guards here, they need to be given clear instructions on how to handle a situation like that. And I think there’s nothing wrong with a boy and a girl or a boy and a boy, whoever it is, to sit and hold hands. That’s not, in my opinion and a lot of people of our generation, what we call public indecency. So if you want to have a public indecency law or a violation like that you have to think about what it means today and we really need to update and upgrade. What public indecency is should be looked at again because these are laws that were left to us by the British… this is like Victorian morality. This has nothing to do with our culture per se. So we really need to re-examine these laws and see how Sri Lankans should actually define it… change with the times,” Majeed said.

Harshini de Silva said that the same thing happened to her in 2013 when she visited the Independence Square with some friends.

“I lived abroad for ten years so one of my foreign friends had come here and I took him all around Colombo. We came here as the last place to show him and was telling him about the importance of the place. Security came and shouted, ‘Leave here. You can’t sit here. Go go go’. My friend from the US said he thought the war was over,” she said.

Another youth, Randula, said that when he read about the incident involving the security guards and the couple on Facebook, he decided he wanted to be a part of the protest.“Same thing happened to us at Viharamahadevi Park. We were told we can’t sit there because we didn’t have a child with us. All the public places you could go… There is no Act. There is no Ordinance. This is not a historical place where we can’t sit or touch,” he said.Following the protest, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe had ordered the Culture Ministry to cancel the contract with a government owned security company.

Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr. Harsha de Silva said that the Prime Minister had ordered the Culture Ministry to remove the Director Operations of the security company and issue a statement.He said that the chairman of the security company had complied with the instructions he had received.

AWN Radio will be hosting Maelstrom Festival for the fourth time this year and it’s promising to be bigger than ever.

AWN Radio – standing for All We Need – is the first exclusive English online radio station in Sri Lanka active since April 2010. It is also the first station to give sole attention to rock, metal, jazz, blues, fusion and reggae.  Noticing the lack of a local station that caters to the metal fans of Sri Lanka, AWN was put to test and is now a permanent fixture. AWN Radio offers an equal chance to be heard to all local metal and rock outfits of Sri Lanka.

In 2011, AWN Radio was officially launched with a gig under the name of ‘Maelstrom’. Though they didn’t know it then, this was the first gig of many. Maelstrom 2011 offered performances by Stigmata, Forsaken, Tantrum, Fallen Grace, Infernal, and Karmic Sulphur. As months went by, there was much demand from the fans for a similar gig, and Maelstrom 2012 happened with bands such as ART, Stigmata, Shahyd Legacy, Sacred Legacy, Thriloka, and Paranoid Earthling.  The gig was a huge success and it laid a strong foundation to make Maelstrom an annual event.

In 2014, Maelstrom returned with another line up of Carcosa, Roulette, Sacrament, Ancient Curse, The Herb & The Remedy, Buddhi De Mal from Wagon Park, Destroy And Disard, Dhishti, Paranoid Earthling, Nevi’im, and Sacred Legacy. For 12 long hours, the crowd was entertained with different genres and styles of metal.

Away from Maelstrom, AWN has organised gigs such as Nothnegal Live in Sri Lanka “Justice for all” in 2012, Stygian Ascent Live in 2014 and the five year anniversary gig of AWN with bands such as Circus Cult, Sakwala Chakraya, Wagon Park as well as open mic acts by Talal Akram Jabeer, Kamishka Morais, Imaadmajeed, PsychoL and and Mirshad Buckman.

The fourth and the biggest Maelstrom so far will feature nine acts from six different countries. Zardonic from Venzuela offering METAL EDM, Demonic Resurrection from India with symphonic metal, Stygian Ascent from Sweden with Melodic Death Metal, Seven Thorns from Denmark with Power Metal, Coat of Arms from Dubai with Metal/Groove/Industrial, and Metal core are the international acts. The Sri Lankan performers, consisting of Nevi’im, Mass Damnation, Sacrament, and Chase D will join them on stage for a day of absolute mayhem.

Maelstrom Festival 2015 will be held at Viharamadevi Open Air Theatre on August 30 and the tickets are already out. You can get the Rs. 1500 pre-sold deal from Cult Studios, Aweera Saloon, Yamaha Music Centre, PUSH Skateboards and at the AWN Office. The tickets at the gate will sell for Rs. 2000, so I’d suggest you get your tickets now.

Nivendra Uduman’s greatest fear is of human beings being disconnected from each other. “I value human relationships a great deal and I have observed technology and work replacing a lot of what I call ‘human’. This scares me,” he shares.

As a psychologist at Samutthana, Nivendra works toward capacity building in mental health all around Sri Lanka. He also has his own small private practice as a therapist and even finds the time to teach at institutions.

While Colombo might imagine itself to be progressive, there is still a stigma associated with the conversation surrounding mental health, and Nivendra believes that what is necessary is a change of attitude in our society. “We need a safe space for people to open up about their lives and to talk about their issues without being shunned or stigmatised.”

One safe space is known as Letter Earthlings, a monthly gathering that takes place at Rama’s Tea House in Rajagiriya, where people gather to create handwritten letters addressed to people they’ve never met. “It emerged out of my experiments with kindness. There is also a gathering in Bangalore and Dubai.”

You might spot Nivendra out and about in Colombo holding a “Free Hugs” placard. To him, it is a way to share your love with another human being and also an opportunity to connect deeply with someone else. “People are open to sharing their love with a complete stranger. I’ve experienced it first hand, so ‘free hugs’ is symbolic of being who you want to be and of the inherent freedom we possess, to love.”

On some days, Nivendra dresses up as a clown and visits children at hospitals. He explains that children connect with clowns because there is a sense of shared vulnerability that exists between them. “It is okay to cry and it is equally okay to giggle. This is what makes clowning beautiful.”

Co-founder of an initiative known as Compassionate Clowns, he believes that a clown is compassionate when he or she directs that compassion towards him or herself as well. “It can be exhausting to be compassionate towards others when you are not kind to yourself.”

Some of the ways to approach therapy is through the various mediums of art, he says, as it often acts a release and is a safe mode to express your feelings, fears, doubts and passions. It is not necessary to be an artist or have any of the skills related to the disciplines, as even the appreciation of art has therapeutic value. “It allows you to create an alternative story which could be a form of strength. Appreciating art could act as a source of inspiration and change.”

Despite living in an age of self-centred individualism and distraction, Nivendra finds himself in the act of helping others and spreading happiness. It is an ever evolving amalgamation of life experiences, and the motivation comes from the people he encounters on a daily basis. “It might come from watching my parents go that extra mile to help someone or from a smile that I receive when I stop at a pedestrian crossing on my way to work. It has always been a part of who I am.”

We all have times of sadness, loneliness and frustration, and Nivendra, too, has had his fair share. While studying in India, there were times when he felt unhappy and hit a low. Though, he shares, what really hits hard is that feeling of loneliness even when you are amongst a bunch of people. “The hardest feelings are felt when you can’t seem to fit in, when you are misunderstood and judged. It takes a lot out of you.”

Having devoted his own life to seeing other people happy, you might imagine Nivendra as an impenetrable smiling face that never cries, but, that is far from the truth. “The last time I cried was when there was an argument between my brother and myself about not respecting his space and privacy. It was upsetting, but I made some changes in my attitude towards him and we’re better now.”

Happiness is relative and so is being unhappy. There could be a multitude of reasons as to why we might be unhappy and this would be different for each person. “Sometimes, striving for happiness could lead to us feeling unhappy. A sense of balance is important.”

Buddhima Kurukulasuriya, also known as typeB is one of Sri Lanka’s most innovative DJs. He however, does not play the standard EDM fare that you are used to hearing on the radio, his DJing roots come from hip hop, and then he discovered house and techno. “From there I’ve totally diverged into things like bass music and jungle. I don’t leave out funk, soul or disco either. It’s all about what feels right, about what can move a dance floor. I dislike genres more with each coming day! It’s all about the energy and how I manipulate it, set the mood and engage with the crowds” he says.

He says music has always been a huge part of his life, from the time he was young, the radio was always on initially thanks to his parents, and then it caught on amongst the siblings too. He took that love for music and took it to a whole new level. From exploring different genres to teaching myself to DJ, to teaching others to DJ. That has been my journey of over a decade, and over the last few years I’ve been getting into production. If you listen to his productions, even though there are electronic elements, you can’t specifically say it’s this or that, owing to a mishmash of roots in laden in diverse sounds. DJing is merely one facet of this individual, as he has also been teaching himself to play the piano.

With Buddhima you can see a genuine love for what he does, and his decision to pursue being a DJ further does not stem from just following the crowd, “My passion for DJing comes from the love of music, being able to fuse sounds together, to tell a story, to make people dance. I love to dance myself, so that helps! I like to call it a professional hobby, as I am pretty serious about it, even though I don’t do it fulltime. There are many schools of thought on this but my belief is that making it your livelihood hampers creativity (until you get to a certain point in your career), hence this decision” he adds.

Commenting on the EDM scene in Sri Lanka, Buddhima says, “After being a part of the music scene in Singapore, and witnessing several scenes in Europe, I’d have to say SL is in its formative years, Compared to being almost non-existent a couple of years ago, and it’s slowly but surely coming alive in intriguing ways. We shouldn’t compare it to any of the hotspots though; it has its own character. We have to drive it, by bringing in our experience. I do feel like it flat lines in some places, where artists don’t innovate there sound. But that said, there are lots of little pockets of activity working on some really cool sounds. I’m constantly keeping an eye out for fresh sounds on our little island and if you happen to fit this bill do get in touch with me!”

Buddhima, along with his friends have come up with an innovative concept called The Colombo Design Market, which is to be a creative space to bring together local talent, not limited to artists, designers, architects and musicians.
I’m handling the performance angle, bringing in soloists, bands, DJs, producers and even comedians to perform on that day. I’ll be putting up my own collaborative side project too, Maufs and Beat (soundcloud.com/buddhi), and we are planning to go public for the first time at the market. It is a fusion group, a collaboration of instrumentalists, beat boxers, rappers, and electronic synthesis and drum machines.

We’ve got names like Julius Mitchell, Larry T Hill, Imaad Majeed, Dineli Sun, Noctua, Joshua Vittachi and Ravi B (Good Music Movement) coming in for the market too, and we’re looking forward to doing something fresh on that day with all these artists, which we shall be announcing shortly!” (Check out their page to find out more on the designers and vendors coming in facebook.com/colombodesignmarket)
The Colombo Design Market is not only aimed at bringing creatives together and giving them a chance to network, but also to give them a platform to expand and diversify from. “We plan to make it a monthly event, and move it in the direction of a sustainable model to further uplift the local creative space,” he adds. It is to be a series of events, which take place once a month, and will eventually reach out to other corners of the island too.

The future is full of promise with other exciting projects in the works, “As I mentioned before Maufs and Beat would be my newest musical adventure. We’ve been coming up with multilingual music across a range of beats and vibes, ranging from electronica and RnB to baila fusion! Musicality Colombo is a creative space, and also a collective I am a part of (facebook.com/MusicalityColombo). We will be entering the local events space very soon, bringing local artists together to portray fresh and interesting sounds. I also teach at the DJ Academy in Colombo sometimes.” While being a past finalist at the first TNL Onstage Spin-off, he has been a part of major events like Pettah Interchange and 123BPM recently. He has been at it for over a decade, most of which unravelled in Singapore, yet he believes it is only the beginning of an exciting and diverse musical adventure.

The Colombo Design Market will be on Sunday the 14th of December at Laksala Museam Gallery café (behind the Colombo Museum) from 11am to 6pm. For more information check out:
facebook.com/colombodesignmarket
To listen to originals as well as DJ sets by typeB:
wickedflava.com
Musicality Colombo is a creative space, and also a collective he is a part of facebook.com/MusicalityColombo
To get in touch with him write in to buddhimak@gmail.com

Text and Pictures by  Imaad Majeed

Chaaya Blue Trincomalee has been in operation for four years as of this month, and with its 36 beach chalets, 43 rooms and two suites, the hotel is equipped to delight the discerning traveler with a four star experience including a rain shower.

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By Imaad Majeed

In 1999, Yasmin Buckman displayed her work for the first time at Kala Pola. “It was great to meet artists and be able to move around with the others,” Yasmin said, “but I got the feeling that people come there just to bargain.” Her first solo exhibition was in 2001 at Alliance Francaise.

Fareed Uduman, an obscure but extraordinary artist, was a guiding light to his niece in her youth. He instructed Yasmin’s parents not to send her to art classes, but to “give her hard board and oils and let her paint!” His influence on her work is evident in the choice of medium and materials as well as a stylistic resonance. Yasmin explores texture and lighting in her creative process, utilizing unusual mediums such as sand on joot to create unique textures. Her more recent work is done on canvas though she painted on hard board at first.

Speaking of her current work, Yasmin said, “I am hoping to hold an exhibition this year. I’m trying to find a gallery at the moment. Some of the old work is creeping into the new work, stylistically. The newer material is about the need for freedom and personal space.”

It all depends on her state of mind when she is creating. “As an artist I think I have my own space. Sometimes when you are alone, you can build on something,” she added, “You have peace of mind. When I play with light, I try to bring it out so that the painting comes alive. I can always paint. It takes me out like a meditation.”

Yasmin recently exhibited her work at Solis Gathering – a festival of trance music. “I’m used to the noise with my son,” she explained, “It was a lovely location. It was good to meet interesting people and the DJs. I got into the music, eventually. For the festival, I painted three people with a bong in the middle. You have to see it!”

Mirshad Buckman, her only son and only child, is the frontman and lead guitarist of the rock band Paranoid Earthling, known in Kandy and Colombo for their definitive sound and adrenaline driven performances.

Asked about her son on Mother’s Day, Yasmin said, “I brought up Mirshad as a single mother. It is up to him to remember me. He’ll remember that a Marilyn Manson album came out around his birthday. Mirshad’s birthday is tomorrow. He was a gift.”

When Mirshad used to play with LEGOs and started to finger-paint, Yasmin noticed he had a knack for it. He grew up into the music and that was his phase of rebellion. “Now, he’s a friend,” she said, “He doesn’t hide anything from me.”

Though they have been through rough times, Yasmin feels that they came out strong. “I didn’t have to push him to do his homework. He was very caring, but mischievous, of course. He was a handful but also fun,” she recalled, “We would have our chats, walking around the lake. I understood that the music was in him. I never pushed him to do anything else.”

Yasmin listens to Metallica and Dire Straits at home. “I don’t like stupid pop music. Mirshad would listen to Kurt Cobain and I also enjoy that music. When it comes to Mirshad’s music, I am happy he is being original. He should be very careful with his lyrics. His music has a strong message about freedom, oppression, and the establishment. 69 is of course what everyone enjoys!” she says, cheekily.

Hanging out with her son’s friends a lot, Yasmin feels that she is a part of the crowd. “I enjoy their music and go to their concerts.

When asked what it meant to have an artist as mother, Mirshad said, “She supported my music when the band started out.

Those in our family never took it seriously. She came for our concerts from the start and still does.” Quipping on the topic of Mother’s Day, he added, “Every day has to be Mother’s Day.”