Charismatic Kei and her ukulele

Saturday, 15 June 2013 00:00 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

It’s so easy to find Kei Watanabe at a gig for two reasons. She is half Japanese and half Sri Lankan and she plays a very unique instrument, the ukulele. The first time I saw her was at Alternative Sunday, where she played her little instrument and sang a folk song. It was entirely a new experience to watch someone perform a genre that is not fully embraced in Sri Lanka. In an email interview, this 21-year-old bubbly youngster gave insights on her choice of music and her future plans. Following are the excerpts of the interview:

By Rashika Fazali



Q: It comes as a surprise that you are a folk singer. What made you want to sing this genre?

A: This question comes as a surprise to me too as I don’t consider myself a folk singer – just someone who is lucky enough to get to perform songs I like from time to time with my ukulele. But I guess it’s my mother’s influence. She listens to a lot of country and folk music and it feels like home. But to be honest, I don’t even really understand genres as such, I try not to categorise. I sing whatever I like as long as it’s not too inappropriate for the occasion and maybe some of them end up being in the folk category.



Q: Who are your inspirations?

A: Musically, I am inspired by Regina Spektor, The Beatles, She & Him and Joanna Newsom.



Q: Tell us about gigs you’ve performed at?

A: I perform regularly at Melomanic Sessions and Alternative Sundays. I’m usually accompanied by the ukulele which I’ve been playing for a year-and-a-half or so.  I also got to play with Bathiya ‘n’ Santhush at the beginning of this year, which was pretty unexpected.



Q: What are you currently doing?

A: I just completed my degree in psychology and hope to be working soon.



Q: You are also a model. How did you join this field?

A: A friend had a friend who was experimenting with photography and introduced us. We did a little shoot and it sort of grew from there but I keep it limited.



Q: Do you have any plans for an album?

A: Not yet. I feel there’s a lot I want to explore and learn before I’m ready to lay serious plans for one. Asela Perera and I were talking about doing a little cover album of our favourite songs, so we’ll see how that goes.



Q: Where do you want to go from here?

A: I’m interested in alternate forms of therapy and healings arts so I wish to study these subjects further while getting to play lots of music and exploring life.

 

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Discover Kapruka, the leading online shopping platform in Sri Lanka, where you can conveniently send Gifts and Flowers to your loved ones for any event including Valentine ’s Day. Explore a wide range of popular Shopping Categories on Kapruka, including Toys, Groceries, Electronics, Birthday Cakes, Fruits, Chocolates, Flower Bouquets, Clothing, Watches, Lingerie, Gift Sets and Jewellery. Also if you’re interested in selling with Kapruka, Partner Central by Kapruka is the best solution to start with. Moreover, through Kapruka Global Shop, you can also enjoy the convenience of purchasing products from renowned platforms like Amazon and eBay and have them delivered to Sri Lanka.