Karoshee Vijayasekere was once one of those singers who would sing in the bathroom purely for the fun of it.“I used to love the sound of the echoes my voice made,” she smiles, recalling the time when as a very young child, she discovered her passion for singing.
Now, at 19 years of age, Karoshee has long since stepped out of the bathroom and on to the stage, singing for and captivating the audiences of Paris, Cuba, the US and Canada and in her own country. She is back once again for ‘Karoshee in Concert’ which will be held on July 8 at 7.30 p.m. at the Lionel Wendt.
Almost in passing, she refers to her experiences of singing for Prince Albert II of Monaco and Fidel Castro. “I was surprised to find,” she recalls, “that when it came down to the actual performances, I was not nervous at all. Singing with celebrities though, is another matter entirely! But my singing really brings me close to people. I remember, the Prince was deeply moved by my performance and talking about it afterwards, I know that we were brought closer together as people and not as figures. That is what music does. It is the most universal language.”
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And music is not the only language Karoshee is fluent in. She is quite at ease speaking in English, Sinhala, French and Spanish, and sings in German and Latin. “I would attribute that to all the travelling I have done,” she says, explaining that she left Sri Lanka when she was just four-months-old and has lived in Paris, Cuba and Canada ever since and feels that the frequent changes in culture have left her with a unique perspective of the world and people in general. “To me, the culture in Paris felt a little conservative, while in Cuba everything was far more liberal and improvised. And these different experiences really change you as a person; as a singer, they help you to become sensitive to diversity and also to a certain extent, help you to experiment with the music before you and give it your own flavour.”
Undergoing voice training and singing as a member of the European Children’s Choir, Karoshee sang in her first major concert at the age of seven and still remembers in vivid detail every single moment of that performance. “It was when the applause of the audience broke out that it struck me -- this was what I wanted to do; this was what I wanted to excel in.”
And excel she did. She was consequently chosen to sing under the direction of the renowned Frances Baldot. “That was my lucky break,” she says. “He was a very strict teacher, demanded discipline, and practices were very intense. But I enjoyed it immensely and gained a lot.”
Typically, some of Karoshee’s friends had at first had a little difficulty in appreciating the value of classical music, but had soon come to understand Karoshee’s passion. “I suppose classical music is somewhat like cricket in a foreign country that doesn’t play it,” she muses. The more exposure you are given to it, the more you come to appreciate it.
Karoshee has sung for Sri Lanka’s audience many times in the past, but her upcoming concert will be different. “For me, every performance is different. They all have their own significance. But this concert will be the first which will be handled professionally by Mel Ads, making it my first professional concert, one that will always be extra special to me.”
She will be accompanied by Eshantha and Johann Peiris, and the concert will feature a mix of classical and jazz music. “While classical music is a passion of mine, I love many different genres of music and don’t want to be labelled with just one particular genre. Neither do I want to be stereotyped as everyone’s typical impression of an opera singer- of an old, fat lady!” she laughs.
As always, the proceeds from Karoshee’s concert will go towards the trust that Karoshee herself established after the tsunami. Reaching out to 100 disadvantaged children in Koralawella-Moratuwa, the ‘Karoshee Trust Children’ provides scholarships to marginalized children and the centre in which the trust is based conducts lessons in music, singing, dancing, acting, English and ethics.
“The aim of the trust is to encourage children to be artistic and to have interests in many fields, because you cannot get far if you focus only on academics. We also place a great deal of emphasis on English because it is absolutely vital in providing opportunities and opening doors to a better future,” explains Karoshee.
That is the second passion of this young singer -- to help children in need. “ I strongly believe that the real value of having talent lies in sharing that talent and using it to reach out to people who need help,” says Karoshee who has great admiration for celebrities like Angelina Jolie who have used their talent and influence to help make a difference in the world.
The road has not always been easy. “There have been times when I have had to make tough sacrifices, but I always remind myself that this is all not just for me; that there are others who depend on the results of the sacrifices I make and that thought always keeps me going. All the challenges have been completely worth it.
It is difficult to really know what that sense of fulfilment and satisfaction feels like until you are able to feel it yourself. The nicest thing is to see hopelessness and dejection replaced by a smile and that sparkle in a child’s eyes when he or she is happy,” reflects Karoshee, adding that what makes the upcoming concert even more significant is that some of the children of the trust will be singing with her.
Tickets for the show priced at Rs. 1,500, 1,200, 750 and 500 are available at the Cutting Station, the Lionel Wendt and Mel Ads.
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