Keerthi Pasquel, a singer who possesses a unique soothing voice with his own music style will come alive in his latest solo and unplugged version in ‘Keerthi Acoustica Unplugged Live Concert’ at 6.30 onwards on November 24 at the newly refurbished BMICH, Colombo.

Keerthi will present nearly 30 songs which he had sung over three decade long singing career and the specialty would be that each and every song will have a novel and different style with a completely new presentation.

“I am using experienced and knowledgeable musicians Mahesh Denipitiya, Harsha Makalanda and Sarath de Silva to redirect music for two songs each while two other songs are being sung with ‘Voice Prints’ in an acapella style using only voices. 

Starting as a base guitarist in the musical band ‘The Galaxies’ formed by Stanley Peiris in 1976, his original debut song was recorded in 1980 and his maiden audio cassette was released in 1985. Hailing from the hill country, Kandy, Keerthi’s first song ‘Hanthana Nil Kandu Weti Athara’ was made by Sunil Dharmasena. Later Keerthi joined Super Fortunes, the band formed in 1983.

“However I really came to the limelight with the song ‘Neela Ahase Sanda Walawe’ which was sung in 1983 and which was released with a visual on television,” Keerthi said. His first solo concert was on January 29, 1988. Financially failed with a tourism business he started in 2000, the unforeseen circumstances forced Keerthi to leave the country during which he mastered most of his untapped talents specially in music technology.

“I studied many technical aspects of music including sound controlling. I realised if there was a will a man could do anything he wanted,” he added. Keerthi made his second coming with the hit song ‘Kandula Ithin Samaweyan’ in 2004, the year Sri Lanka suffered with disastrous waves of Tsunami. Keerthi started a charity project for the children whose parents were lost due to Tsunami and he still continued this worthy cause.

The prceeds of this concert would be used to implement two social projects; first to introduce music as a subject in the curriculum of around 190 orphans who are cared for by the Sri Vajira Children’s orphanage in Kotte. “Apart from feeding, clothing and housing them, I believe, that their aesthetic values must be developed. To that end, I hope to supply them a set of musical instruments, engage a music teacher and inaugerate a regular teaching programme under my supervision,” he said. Keerthi also plans to start a project to use music therapy to heal the sick.

“Music is increasingly used effectively as a therapy to treat afflictions of the mind and behavioral disorders. Much progress has been achieved in this field in recent times. Unfortunately the therapeutic value of music has not been explored seriously in our country. I hope to form a group of four musicians and a medical doctor to learn more about this, and introduce this therapy to those who can benefit from it, including diabetics, those with high blood pressure, cancer patients, homes for the aged, children’s homes etc,” he said. 

The concert also will do away with strobe lights, video walls etc, since Keerthi believes that listening to good music is like meditation and ought to be a soothing, spiritual and cerebral experience that takes one to a higher plane.

Tickets for the show are available at Sadeepa Book Shop Borella | Sarasavi Book Shop Nugegoda, Maharagama and Dehiwala, Vibration Union Place and can be booked from Tickets.lk.