‘Viva La Diva!’

By Cheranka Mendis

The wind that greets visitors at the gates of St. Bridget’s Convent these evenings is full of soft notes and sweet melodies. Tugging at the heartstrings of those who enter, the wind carries the harmonies of 22 voices training hard to emulate the favourite picks of divas they love and adore.

Prepping for ‘Viva La Diva,’ a concert by Contempo, the Past Pupil Choir of St. Bridget’s Convent, the ladies are hard at work, straining their voices to perfect their singing and pay tribute to internationally-acclaimed female artistes they have grown up listening and singing to.

“We played around with a number of themes before settling on this,” Directresses of Contempo Nadeeka Perera and Nadine Corera acknowledged. “We thought about music from around the world, etc., but decided to stick to something we have always loved to sing to – the divas in the industry.”

By ‘diva’ they mean celebrity women who exemplify vocal talent, attitude and empowerment in today’s pop culture.

Having grown up murmuring the songs of the prima donnas over the years and then later belting out their favourites as part of the school choir in front of audiences that stared in open-mouthed wonder, Contempo decided to pick some of the finest artistes in the music industry and perform their own renditions of the songs.

“Of course there are lot of arrangements,” Perera said, “some even including Gospel.” The name of the show itself, ‘Viva La Diva’ is part of the program line up with the group planning a mash-up of several divas.

If you are at Russian Cultural Centre on 7 and 8 June, you are sure to hear the likes of Diana Ross, Gladys Knight, and Madonna to more contemporary Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s hot favourites.

“We asked our choristers for suggestions for songs and came up with a list of about 200,” Corera said, “We then gave the list to Eshantha Peiris who is our Music Director to cut off some and to come up with a line-up.” All songs performed have been hits of its era, she expressed.

Peiris, credited for unusual arrangements and clever synchronisation, is assisted by Contempo member and award-winning soloist Dilini Perera on vocal direction. They are accompanied by a trio of talented musicians – Louis Perera on piano, Sumudu Suraweera on drums and Isaac Smith on double bass.

The theme of a ‘diva’ is also fitting for the choral group itself as they all secretly believe they are divas, Perera quipped. “We all have a little bit of a diva inside us… This is an attempt to honour the ‘divas’ we have grown up listening to.”

They agree that each chorister is likely to have one or two of their favourites in the repertoire. “We have grown up trying to emulate these voices. This is our way of paying tribute to them.”

Speaking of Contempo which was formed in 2011, the duo noted that the group is a mix of eclectic Bridgetines, from the just-out-of-school to those who pursue successful careers in varied fields from teaching, fashion, finance, business, marketing and law. What brings them together and forms a family is their common love for singing.

“I have been singing for the most part of my life,” said Corera, while Perera nodded in agreement. “Be it school or church, all of us here have been singing because we love it.”

“I cannot imagine how it would be if I wasn’t singing or surrounded by music,” Perera added. “It is the greatest stress buster and the best form of relaxation we know.”

The Contempo repertoire includes soulful spirituals, jazz, ethnic Sri Lankan music, semi-classics, pop and rock. As the name suggests, the group adds a contemporary twist to original songs which augment the magic of their performances.

Contempo choristers have previously been part of several outstanding productions such as the Old Joes’ ‘Evolution’ in 2004, ‘Renaissance I’ and ‘Renaissance II’ by the Saints in 2006 and 2007 and ‘Inspired’ by Natalie Gooneratne in 2008. In collaboration with Choro Benedicte, Contempo jointly organised choral recital ‘September’ in 2009. In 2010, Contempo was featured in Old Joes Choir production ‘Ämore’ as well.

Having worked so closely with the Old Joes Choir, keeping alive the ties of the brother-sister school, Contempo has invited them as guest performers for ‘Viva La Diva’. “This is the first time we are inviting them,” the duo smiled, “we are very excited”.

Having picked the Russian Cultural Centre for its small and intimate ambiance, Contempo is all set to delight Colombo. Tickets for the show are priced at Rs. 800 and are available at Park Street Mews, Colombo 2.

Pix by Krishan Ranasinghe