Odel.lk champions Soundarie David Rodrigo as she ventures into mainstream music on International Women’s Day

Shehara Liyanage and Hirushi Jayasena, who feature in the English and Sinhala versions of ‘Complicated’

In celebration of Women’s Day 2021, Sri Lanka’s largest online fashion retailer Odel.lk partners with widely-acclaimed Sri Lankan pianist and music director Soundarie David Rodrigo in the launch of her first mainstream music video in both English and Sinhala languages – a first in the country. 

This is the first of Odel.lk’s collaborations, as part of a powerful initiative named ‘Composed by Odel.lk’ that aims to bolster the careers of female artists in Sri Lanka who are breaking boundaries and leading the way forward in the country’s music arena. 

“We are deeply honoured to partner with Soundarie as she forays into the world of main stream music, after years of being in the forefront of the Sri Lankan western classical music industry and having fostered much young talent herself. This is nothing but a promisingly positive beginning to the ‘Composed by Odel.lk’ initiative to empower female artists in the country who are shaking up the status quo and pushing the boundaries of Sri Lankan music. While Odel.lk already offers everything possible to make women feel beautiful on the outside, we will continue to evolve and invest in this mission to empower our country’s female force from within by joining in their creative journeys. To be able to launch this platform on a day as significant as International Women’s Day 2021 is a cherry on top,” commented Softlogic Holdings PLC Group Marketing Director Desiree Karunaratne. 

‘Complicated’ or ‘Mulawe Maya’ is Soundarie’s latest musical masterpiece, one that makes the history books as the first in the country to be released simultaneously in both English and Sinhala. With lyrics and melody penned by Soundarie in English and transcribed into Sinhala by Shehan Galahitiyawa, the two songs are brought to life with the fine voices of accomplished young, Sri Lankan musical talent Shehara Liyanage and Hirushi Jayasena. The breathtaking melody hums the complexities of human emotion, with a powerful lyrical body which beautifully narrates a woman torn between memories of the past and the reality of the present.

“I am both humbled and delighted to be able to release this project on a day that celebrates and recognises women. It is remarkably difficult to break into the Sri Lankan music industry and even more difficult to make it far as a female artist. In such a tough backdrop, Odel.lk’s powerful initiative helps open doors for the island’s many gifted artists trying to make it in dance, music, and arts. Odel not only provides financial empowerment but offers immeasurable hands-on support all throughout the end-to-end creative journey, which I believe deserves great applause,” stated Soundarie.

Soundarie David Rodrigo is an award-winning music and choral director, pianist, music educationalist, and now composer who completed her musical career at the prestigious Royal College of Music in London. She is most famously known as the Founder and Music Director of Sri Lanka’s premiere female ensemble, ’Soul Sounds’, the first choir in Sri Lanka with acclaimed international performances to place Sri Lanka on the map of International choral Music. She is also the founder of the ‘Soul Sounds Academy’, which has fostered a great number of passionate young musicians in the country today.

 As a soloist, Soundarie has performed both locally and internationally, and has collaborated with various singers and instrumentalists for recitals. She is the Sri Lankan Representative on the Council for Musica Mundi, and is a jury member at international choral competitions. 

Soundarie is also a qualified lawyer with a masters in law, in the field of Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law from the University of California, Berkeley. She was the Deputy Director at the SAARC Cultural Centre from its inception to 2016, and is currently overlooking all artistic and educational direction at the Soul Sounds Academy. Her numerous awards include the SAARC Women of Achievement Award, Zonta Award, and the Bunka Award presented by the Japan/Sri Lanka Association.