Blessing in disguise …for musicians!

The Coronavirus lockdowns seem to be a blessing in disguise for quite a few of our musicians/singers, both here and abroad.

And, I believe, the lockdown has also galvanised lots of internationally known artistes…into doing something different.

In the local scene, the big names are being creative – Sohan Weerasinghe, for instance.

The legendary artiste is always in the limelight, with his band, The X-Periments. But, the pandemic has brought out his creative talents, as well, and he is now in his home studio, working on material to keep music lovers, and his fans, entertained.

After almost 20 years, in the showbiz scene, Cherrie Chamari (Chamari Morris), who now resides in Melbourne, Australia, has finally seen her dream come true – thanks to the Coronavirus lockdowns!

Says Cherrie: “Although I’ve been in the industry, for about 20 years, as a singer, I always wanted to do an original but never had the time, due to other commitments, connected with showbiz.

“And…finally, it has happened, mainly due to the corona lockdown, as we were home, without gigs, and still are.

“Come to think of it, corona has turned out to be a blessing in disguise…for me, in a way (Lol).”

Cherrie’s debut single, after 20 years, is called ‘Mandakini,’ written by her nephew Ajantha Ranasinghe, and composed by Anthony Roshan.

The song, says Cherrie, has been given a bit of a western rock touch as she has a husky voice.

“The feedback, I’ve got, on my maiden effort, is very encouraging, indeed.”

Cherrie made her debut, in Sri Lanka, with the band Dreamteam, and has also been in the spotlight, with quite a few other known bands, including Pearl.

As a performer, she has entertained folks in Europe, the Middle East, the Maldives, Beijing, etc.

Seven years ago, she migrated, Down Under, just as she was in the process of having her own band.

“I was ready with Bluefire when I got the green light to leave for Australia.”

In Australia, she does solo gigs, and also performs with the band B-Sharp.

“We were doing the dinner dance scene when the pandemic cropped up, so now it’s work from home.”

And, work from home also includes doing her office work – as a Quality Controller.

You could checkout ‘Mandakini’ on YouTube (Mandakini I Cherrie Chamari)