Imagine a group of students from all over Sri Lanka. Different ethnicities, religions, ages, backgrounds. They are as diverse as it gets but they have one thing in common, a passion for singing and music. That shared foundation has brought them all together under the guidance of one mentor, and they are Colombo’s hottest new act. Say hello to Evolution, the choir of the University of Visual and Performing Arts.
Their vocals have been known to move audiences here to tears and they’re in demand wherever they go. The choir’s leading lady, director and vocal trainer Natalie Gooneratne couldn’t be prouder. They’ve come a long way since their inception in 2007, when Natalie, who is a Lecturer of Voice in the University, gathered four students with exceptional singing voices and started training them in Western music. “It was a little difficult at first. Many of these students come from outstation areas, and had only been exposed to Eastern music before. There was an element of a challenge getting them to adjust their vocals to suit the Western numbers we did,” says Natalie.
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| Evolution: One of Colombo’s new acts |
They’ve expanded over the years to include over 30 members. The choir’s conductor, Manoj Sanjeevan, is proud to have been part of it from the beginning. “It actually feels like a film,” he muses. “How we came together and worked so hard to get to where we are today.”
They weren’t thrust into the spotlight overnight. Four years of hard work paid off last year when they participated in the All-Island Choir competition. They sang Natasha Senanayaka’s Voices of Peace; appropriate, considering the choir’s diverse ensemble. “That really got us noticed,” says Natalie. From that, they have gone on to perform for the De Lanerolle Brothers, Voice Print, Haadia Galely, Prashanti Navaratnam (who is also one of their biggest supporters), and at such illustrious venues as Temple Trees and even the SAARC conference. They performed at the Galle Music Festival in February, which Manoj describes as an unforgettable experience. When it comes to the choir’s specialty in genre, Natalie says that there is no one particular area that they focus on. “These guys can sing anything, from Pavarotti and Puccini to My Chemical Romance, or Sri Lankan folk songs. They’re not stuck in a bubble-they’re very innovative and are always looking for ways to make a great song sound even better. They’ll take the Western and Eastern and fuse it together and yet make it relevant.”
Natalie insists on training being no longer than two hours. “I make sure that we get in a good solid two hour practice, and then let them get home. Sometimes though, we get requests to perform at events with only a week or so in notice-so then the choristers themselves come together and put in extra hours.”
Evolution hopes to take part in the Guangzhou Choir Championships in China (November 2012) and will stage a concert on August 3 at the Lionel Wendt to raise funds. They will also perform at the much-hyped Colombo Music Festival. So keep an eye out for this group of passionate young singers-they are on a roll. |
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