From music to social issues

The popular musical duo Bathiya and Santhush will launch a campaign to create awareness of child abuse in Sri Lanka in another month or two. They are busy finalising the campaign. 

A glimpse of what is in store was seen by audiences in several cities in Australia during their highly successful tour recently. They showed an arresting video clipping which sends out a strong message on the need to take the issue of child abuse seriously and do something about it. 

It is so encouraging to see the duo contributing their share towards tackling a burning social issue. We will be looking forward to the impact of the campaign.

Australian audiences were eagerly awaiting their arrival since the first ads appeared nearly three months prior to their concerts. Full houses greeted them at all the major cities they toured and as usual, they delivered what the audiences expected, in grand style.  

I was at the Perth show where Sri Lankans – young and old – in a packed school auditorium (seating nearly 850) enjoyed every bit of their show. Many were enjoying Umariya’s singing for the first time and were amazed at the talent she displayed with her high-pitched renderings. She sang the only song she had sung with Pandit Amaradeva – ‘Hantana Sihine’ – by herself as a fitting tribute to the Maestro.

Among her other solos was another of Amaradeva classics – ‘Nim him sevva ma sasare’ which, in a way, was a dual tribute – to Pandit A and composer Nimal Mendis. (It is Augustus Vinayagaratnam’s Sinhala version of ‘Yesterday, Toady & Tomorrow’ – the song Nimal composed as a tribute to his wife after she passed away. Sung in the film ‘Seetha Devi’ – 1978 by Desmond de Silva and Pandit A, it was more recently sung by Nimal himself at Pandit A’s final musical show – ‘Sasara Vasana Thuru’).

Bathiya paid a glowing tribute to Nimal Mendis, recalling how he most willingly allowed them to do their version of the ever-popular ‘Master Sir’. Originally sung by Neville Fernando (of Los Caberellos fame) in Manik Sandarasagara’s film ‘Kalu Diya Dahara’ (1975) followed by Neela Wickremasinghe, Bathiya and Santhush wanted to have their own version.

“We had to track him down since he was on the move those days. Finally when we met him and told him of how we planned to adapt it, he was more than happy to let us do the way we wanted,” Bathiya said. He explained how the original version was sung pleading for help. The mood changed over the years and gradually such requests made in a fighting mood. That was the tone they adapted in their version.

The mix of songs of yesteryear with their own numbers created a nostalgic mood particularly for senior citizens like me. Santhush’s rendering of C.T. Fernando’s ‘Ane dingak innako’ was a fine example. He himself reminisced how as a young boy he watched his parents enjoying this romantic song.

The popular BNS numbers ‘Gum nade’, ‘Pathu pem pathum’, ‘Hoiya hoiya’, ‘Wassanaya’ and many more were in their package, providing ample tracks for the youngsters to dance.

Also in the group were Ashanti and Randhir who have been with BNS for many years. Backing them was Band 2Forty2. I personally would have preferred if the music was less dominating, making it easier for the audience to follow the words.

All in all it was a wonderful evening.