‘Open Mic’ ready to rock the Wendt on Friday

By Cheranka Mendis

Open mic nights may not be popular in Sri Lanka, but it is a concept that is well known to all thanks to the hundreds of Hollywood movies and TV shows that we have all had the privilege of enjoying.

However, for a lucky few who have managed to grab some tickets for next weekend’s Lionel Wendt performance and for those who will be able to get their hands on some, you are in for a treat. Bringing the concept to Sri Lanka is the Old Joes Choir, which has made a name in the music circle for their power voices, interesting arrangements and exciting story-telling capabilities that has, over the years, managed to capture the hearts of many.

Prepping up for a performance that is bound to keep feet tapping, the Weekend FT managed to get a glimpse of what is to come, and I can say for certain that no one will go home disappointed.

Twenty-five energetic young men gather on stage at the Sports Complex with one passion and one passion alone – their love for singing. They are of varied age groups and have various commitments both personal and professional, but they have all been set aside as they practice late into the night to perfect their tunes to better capture the audience.

Led by Shiran Cooray and Gehan Gunatilleke, the Co-Choir Leaders of the OJC, with the help of the four Choral Directors – Nicole Liyanage, Eshantha Peiris, Geethika Cooray and Migara Luvis – and Jerome De Silva’s expertise in choreography, the group is in form and is impatiently waiting for Friday.

Having successfully pulled off ‘Amore – A Heart’s Journey Through Song’ in 2010 which had a element of theatre mixed with music, a unanimous decision was taken to step on to the same frame of production for their new show, Shiran Cooray said. Having played around with a number of ideas, a decision was made to enact an open mic night at a bar.

With the show being titled ‘Open Mic’ there have been several misunderstandings, Cooray quipped. “Initially, people thought we were going to get people to come and sing on stage, like in a usual open mic night. But this is not the case,” he reiterated. “OJC will be portraying a scene of an open mic night from which we will build a story.” So who are we to expect? “People who had a bad day at the office, people with relationship issues and some with dreams and passions – all coming for a drink to mull over their situations.”

The line up of songs will tell a story, a story of the young and the old. The show has been broken into two halves, he said. The first half will portray young men who have a burning passion to go see the world, to conquer it – their youth, their hopes and expectations, perhaps their naivety. The second half shows these men in their middle age, dragged down by life and problems, the earlier spark now gone and will take on a more mature tone as the characters develop, reflecting a more jaded view of life.

However, it isn’t going to end that way, Cooray assured. “Through song they will realise that they still have it in them and that if they put their minds in to it, they can overcome. We will end it with a bang!”

The songs will take the genres of rock and roll, pop and a few classics and will feature songs from Coldplay, Fun, Queen, Boyz 2 Men and Billy Joel to name a few. “We have a wide range of artistes we have picked songs from so that everyone can relate to and recall their good old days when listening to them.” They will be accompanied by Christopher Prins on drums, Eshantha Peiris on piano, one of their own choristers Nirmal Madasekera on keyboards, Pathum Fernando and Nilantha on lead guitar and bass respectively from Wildfire. Cooray said: “We have been successful in bridging the void between choral music and theatre through story telling using the instrument of music and song. While the patrons come and sing, we assure you that the audience will see the life of paths of these men.”

So are they ready? “Yes, we are,” says Cooray, while one of the Choral Directors Nicole Liyanage chips in: “We have practiced hard. We have taken things a bit slow this time, giving ourselves close to four months to get prepared, whereas other shows were put together within one-and-a-half months. We had everything planned, schedules and all and we stuck to it. Now we are on track.”

So what does singing mean to them? Without hesitation, Cooray responded: “I have been singing from the time I was very small. It has grown to be part of me. I cannot imagine myself without being in a choir. Even on a day-to-day basis when music goes on the radio I just sing, I have to, it just happens. It is a part of my life and a natural stress buster.”

And this is what keeps the group of 25 going as well. “Even with all the commitments this is exactly why we keep going. We do it for the sake of singing and because it means something to all of us.”

Pix by Daminda Harsha Perera