Berklee College of Music USA celebrates Sri Lanka’s Independence Day with special music video

‘Berklee Celebrates Sri Lanka’ is a project initiated by Sri Lankan students at Berklee College of Music, USA with the sole intention to promote Sri Lankan tradition and culture. 

The project brings together over 50 performers representing 17 different countries such as the United States of America, Colombia, Luxembourg, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Japan, South Africa, Kenya, United Kingdom, France, Madagascar, Ecuador, South Korea, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Turkey, all working as one unit to celebrate the rich culture and heritage of Sri Lanka.

All these students came together to create a musical masterpiece by fusing both old and new musical traditions packaged in the form of a music video which was released on 4 February as a means of Berklee celebrating Sri Lankan Independence Day along with the 21 million+ Sri Lankans worldwide.  

Berklee College of Music USA celebrates Sri Lanka

The project is led by Sanchitha Wickremesooriya and Shannon Jacob, two Berklee Alumni from Sri Lanka who have been able to achieve great heights and do such projects thanks to the College’s unparalleled contemporary music programs. The video additionally features New York based guest artists Nalinda Pieris, Uthpala Eroshan and Dilhan Pinnagoda on the Yak Bere, Geta Bere and Devil Dancing respectively.

The project was initiated in August 2015 and was planned as a two-part program. Phase 1 was a workshop conducted for students of Berklee College of Music led by featured artists, which exposed the audience to traditional forms of drumming and dance whilst feasting on Sri Lankan short eats provided by a Boston based catering company, Lakrasa Sri Lankan Cuisine. 

Phase 2 was the release of the music video on 4 February depicting Berklee’s acceptance of other world cultures, traditions and music, allowing the institution to create relationships with the people of Sri Lanka.

The music video features various traditional and modern Sri Lankan genres such as chants, traditional drums and dance, baila and papare covering a vast scope of the rich history of our nation. The musical arrangement and orchestration done by fellow Sri Lankan Shannon Jacob brings together instruments of Western and Eastern roots such as the traditional five-piece band (drum set, electric guitar, electric bass, piano and acoustic guitar), a 10-piece string section, a six-piece woodwind section, a four-piece brass section, six percussionists and 10 singers.

Tamia Jordan, the Director of the Berklee Student Activites Center, had this to say about the project prior to the release of the music video: “When Sanchitha approached me about his efforts to bring Sri Lankan music and culture to Berklee, there was no way I could say no to the support he requested. For one thing I was in utter disbelief that a culture so deeply connected to music could be ignored by this internationally-esteemed institution. Second, Sanchitha has a reputation for producing quality work and thoroughly managing details. Last, and perhaps most importantly, Sanchitha’s enthusiasm is infectious and his spirit is inspiring. 

“The concert he presented here at Berklee in November 2015 was wonderful. The pictures we captured that evening simply do it no justice. The colors, the sounds, the instrumentation, and the dances – some precise and graceful, and others enthusiastic and exuberant – brought the room and the audience to life despite it being a cold Friday evening. I so look forward to the release of the music video on 4 February that was created as part of this project. It is my plan to relive that November evening and reflect on Sanchitha’s special gift to our Berklee community. Sanchitha, you’ve left an awesome legacy.”

The video was released on Sri Lankan Independence Day, 4 February, and can be viewed through this link – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJfZBV0V7NY.