Features
Local stars shine at 31st night events overseas
They seem to be the crowd pullers as, invariably, it’s a full house at such events, whenever our stars are featured.
The band Mirage ushered in 2023, under the midnight sky, at the outdoor poolside, Al Falaj Hotel, in Oman, as was exclusively reported in last Tuesday’s ‘Star Track,’ in The Island newspaper.
And, now, news has come our way that Sohan Weerasinghe turned out to be a major attraction at a New Year’s Eve dance, held in the UK.
The Honeymoon Banquet, in Hounslow, was the venue for this ‘sold out’ event that featured Sohan Weerasinghe (guest star), Damin David (UK Lankans Voice Winner), the band Roots (Sri Lankans now residing in the UK) and with Thushara handling the evening’s proceedings, as compere.
Actress Angela Seneviratne, was there, too.
Doing it differently…Sohan introducing the New Year’s Eve King (Photos courtesy Kent Api UK)
Back in Colombo, Sohan indicated to us that he is very happy with the response he has been getting from the Sri Lankans, in London, during the past four months.
After being involved in the Peterite centenary dance, the Benedictine dance, the Josephian dance, and now the New Year’s event, in London, Sohan says he has built up a solid fan base in the UK and that he is confident of doing a few more London gigs this year, as well.
The New Year’s Eve dinner dance was organised by Ran Mali Events, and the backing band was Roots who, says Sohan, did an excellent job.
The other two bands that backed Sohan, during his previous London visits, were Frontline and Exceed.
The good news that Sohan has for local artistes is that Sri Lankan organisers, in the UK, now seem keen in having entertainers, from Colombo, at some of their important functions, and that augurs well for the future, he added.
Sohan is now concentrating on revamping his band and marketing the X-Periments, once again, as a backing band capable of doing the needful where both western and oriental artistes are concerned, and that is the way forward, he says, for his setup.
Sohan, in London, with the band Roots
“We have to be innovative as there is fierce competition, and loads of young talent, and bands, like Daddy, Doctor, Kurumba, Billy and 2Forty2, have taken Colombo by storm”.
Sohan also mentioned that he is getting inundated with offers to perform, as a guest star, in foreign capitals, “so I have to perform a bit of a balancing act”.
Actress Angela Seneviratne…a part of the New Year’s Eve scene, in London
In February, he is off on a three-week tour of Australia, which kicks off in Sydney, on the 11th – the Tribute Show for Desmond.
The other two gigs, in Australia, are ‘Hearts Afire’, February 18th, in Sydney, and ‘Evening with Sohan, on February 24th, before heading back to Colombo, and then putting together two of his Sri Lankan originals.
One is called ‘Siyumaliye’, which, Sohan says, will be a definite hit for him.
The veteran singer is very optimistic about the local music scene and believes that the worst is over but, added, in no uncertain terms, that only groups that innovate will survive, while the young vibrant new comers will come into the forefront.
“It’s certainly a challenge for all of us”.