Risen star in the local music scene

A friend had heard this young singer and been captivated by her; not only her singing voice but by her persona and presence on stage. Hearing this I wanted to meet her and write about her. Young talent is so encouraging to us and it has to be made known widely. I well remember the late Nimal Mendis saying that this small nation is so full of talented young musicians and singers. He used to give a final training to the short listed singers on a TV show. He added that though talent was plentiful, English skills were below par and thus the door to international audiences and recording studios were closed to many. This is not at all applicable to the young person I met and spoke with last week.

Dmitri Gunatilake

is the singer I wish to focus your attention on. She is young, tall, very good looking and has a huge amount of charm which endears people to her. The most interesting and telling fact she mentioned to me was that she never stopped singing as a child, so much so that her mother used to throw her hands up in consternation, and comment: “Is singing all you are going to do?” Dmitri’s answer to this was, probably unsaid but totally felt and believed in, a firm YES and that she would devote most of her mind and attention to singing. With a shrug she added that despite her intention to sing, she was, as a young girl “ohé like”!

Training

While schooling at Bishop’s College, Colombo, Dmitri came under the influence of Ruwani Seimon who was later the director of the school choir. Immediately noticing the talent in Dmitri, Ruwani fully encouraged her in her singing and thus her ending up as BC’s choir leader. She continued training after Ms Seimon’s passing in 2017, with Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu and joined the Royal Institute to follow the law course they conducted. She got through the University of London examination – LLB – and then entered Law College to get her full qualifications as an attorney-at-law. She practices civil law.

She mentioned that singing and studies ran side by side, neck to neck, so much so that the night before the final law examination, she was singing in The Phantom of the Opera. She managed to balance strenuous practicing with her law studies. Joining the Symphony Orchestra conducted by Dushy Perera she sang as soloist in the years 2016, 2018 and 2019. She was further trained by Menaka de Fonseka Sahabandu, mostly in operatic singing. She was fortunate to benefit from the expertise transferred to local singers by visiting foreign trainers. However, these were of comparatively short duration. Dmitri sings a wide genre of songs ranging from opera and high classics to pop, but her favourites are numbers from musical theatre.

.Theatre performances

From her late teens Dmitiri has taken on major roles in many of Jerome de Silva’s productions. She played Maria in the musical Sound of Music and mentioned with a twinkle in her eye and giggle in her voice that she got to know the seven Von Trapp children during the first actual performance. She and they rehearsed separately; there were multiple casts. During that run of the musical, she met the kids she had to interact with for the first time right on stage with a packed audience before them, certainly judgmental.

Young though she still is, at a much tenderer age, she took on stellar roles and would surely have been completely successful in singing and enthralling audiences. She played Eva Peron in the musical Evita – certainly a demanding role, calling for a mature actress and singer. Her voice carried her through. She played Christine in The Phantom of the Opera. She has also appeared in Jehan Aloysius’ theatre productions and in productions directed by other theatre personalities

Dmitri has now progressed to being a producer/director herself. Her recent attempt is Hairspray with the middle school students of Bishop’s College, having to manage 80 of them on stage. She is also busy at the moment with Christmas performances as well as several theatre projects.

She realizes that singing Sinhala songs is very important to make a mark in the local scene, get recognized and for economic reasons too. This while being a professional in two contrasting, even conflicting fields: law and singing. She loves Sinhala classics and completed a concert in October titled Mathakayan which included CT Fernando’s and others’ popular hits. She commented: “You need to build a reputation in the local market and in social media. And you have to market yourself.”

Dmitri seems very busy and happily occupied combining what she loves to do – sing – with a profession demanding high precision reasoning and language. We wish her continued success in the future and are glad audiences will see her on stage and hear more her wide ranging, versatile and brilliant singing voice, now that the local theatre is reawakening after Covid restrictions.