BAND PROFILE
BAND NAME : HASTHI
MUSIC : SWEET ETHNIC ROCK
/ R&B / POP
LANGUAGE : SINHALA AND ENGLISH
AT A GLANCE : HASTHI, a new Sri Lankan band about to enter the country’s musical fray, boasts a combination of talents that have come together to create music reflecting the diverse tastes of its 4 members. Sahan, Ranil, Dineth and Miron have brought together their different musical backgrounds, experiences and talents (all 4 members contribute equally to the band’s music) into a unique collaboration that is sure to spark interest. Carrying a tangible international “flava” and leaning towards the less-known sweet rock compositions, Hasthi are set to bring a refreshing change to the Sri Lankan music scene. Their debut album, which will be released in February 2005, provides a glimpse of the band’s varied musical ability – ranging from rock and RnB, to pop as well as classical Sri Lankan compositions. The band’s commitment to maintaining their unique Sri Lankan identity, and rich musical heritage, amongst today’s popular world music is also apparent.
Hasthi’s debut single, “Meedum Andure”, reveals the band’s unique and diverse aptitude in the rock arena, and should pave a parallel path for them alongside the country’s prolific hip hop and R&B bands. The debut single also features one of the best rock guitarists of Sri Lanka – Shafi from Wild Fire.
BAND MEMBERS: Sahan Wijethunga
Ranil Fernandopulle
Dineth Wijethunga
Miron Fernandopulle
Sahan Wijethunga
Sahan holds a BSc. degree in Geology from the University of Pune (India). He completed his secondary education from Maris Stella College in Negombo. With rock music as his major passion, Sahan composes most of the music for the band as well as penning some of the lyrics. Much of his work, though influenced by rock, tends to retain the real ethnic touch of Sri Lanka. Sahan is a very versatile artist who has a broad musical taste, which he is capable of adapting to different styles of music. In addition to composing and writing the lyrics for Hasthi, Sahan is one of its main singers.
Ranil Fernandopulle
Ranil graduated from Staffordshire University (United Kingdom) with a degree in Software Engineering. He is also a leading singer of Hasthi and contributes with his creative lyrics and melodies as well. His taste too leans towards rock but has a wide scope in other areas, such as RnB and mainstream pop music. Ranil is a strong believer in maintaining the group’s Sri Lankan identity in all their creative compositions.
Dineth Wijethunga
Dineth is the youngest member of the band and Sahan’s brother. He plays a major role as singer and composer. His voice is a major contributor to Hasthi’s unique musical sound and vital for the band’s overall performance. Dineth’s musical influences are largely RnB and rock.
Miron Fernandopulle
Miron, who also graduated from Staffordshire University (United Kingdom) in IT, contributes as composer and singer for the band. He is heavily influenced by jazz and folk music, and has the uncanny ability to sing all forms and styles of compositions – adapting his voice accordingly.
HASTHI Album – Kinnaree
Well, we’ve at last finished all the tracks for the album, Kinnaree, and will be releasing it soon – so keep your eyes open! The Album contains 10 tracks and an additional 2 bonus tracks. The bonus tracks are a remake of our original songs.
Theme
The theme of the album is Love, and all I can say is the album is one heck of a romantic collection! After all, love has several dimensions and can be portrayed in so many different ways. We hoped to touch these different dimensions when we put this album together. From “Meedum Andure”, a tragic love story where the lover expresses his feelings on a departed partner, to “Dasee”, which exposes the vulnerability of love-at-first-sight and the inability to express that love. Each song reflects a different story, a different take on love - taken from either our own personal experiences or that of others. Stories we feel everyone can relate to, being the universal language that “love” is.
Music
HASTHI’s main objective in creating our music is to be a platform that brings rock music to the Sinhalese mass market. The predominant “flavour” of our album is rock, however interspersed with this are softer more mellow tunes to balance the musical scope of the album. Our main intention is to entertain a wide spectrum of listeners with differing musical tastes, and hope it engages their interest and appreciation. We hope the album becomes just as endearing to our listeners as it is to us.
Lyrics
A great song will always have great music and equally great lyrics. With that in mind, HASTHI engaged the talent of veteran lyricist Lucian Bulathsinhala, in addition to HASTHI’s usual lyricist Vajira Senanayaka, to write the tracks of Kinnaree.
Contributions
We are honoured that Kinnaaree was enriched with the contribution of a lot of different talent, apart from the four usual HASTHI members (Sahan, Ranil, Miron and Dineth). We would like to thank all those who gave of their time to give us a hand in creating Kinnaree.
Melodies: SAHAN, DINETH, RANIL, MIRON
Producer: Bathiya Jayakodi and Mahesh Denipitiya
Guitars: SHARFI (Wild Fire)
Primal
Mahinda Bandara
SAHAN & MIRON
Flute: Nuwan
