The art of expression in some forms may be a cultural fluidity, one that expands across divides and borders, languages and genres; a feat achieved through particularly influential skillsets and a resolve of interconnectedness. Each note of a song becomes authentic in its ability to transcend across boundaries to relate to diverse cultural circles and be comprehended by the conscious from across society through lyrics, instruments and genres. Sri Lankan band ‘Daddy’ embodies this perception by infusing the cords and connotations of cross-genre practices using diverse instruments. Comprised of a band of seven members, Nimantha Kaluarachchie plays the keyboard, Viresh Cooray, is an expert on the guitar, Shamila Siriwardana plays the drums, Shane Joachim, plays the rhythm guitar, Ayesh Jayawardena plays the keyboard, Nalina Kasmira is an expert on the bass guitar, and Lahiru Perera dabbles in percussion whilst all members are vocalists as well.

‘Daddy’ initiated in 2004 with only half the members. Initially known as ‘Jada’, the band’s original members Nimantha Kaluarachchi, Dila Hettiarachchi and Shamila Siriwardana later joined hands with Viresh Cooray, Shane Joachim, Ayesh Jayawardena, Nalina Kasmira and Lahiru Perera and went on to be recognized and loved by the Sri Lankan audience for their inventive music and charismatic personalities. The band aptly fuses the genre of Western music with Sinhalese lyrics. In May 2007 they released their Debut single ‘Mage Massina’ that made its way across the island, paving the way for their Debut Album which was titled ‘Massina’ which was released in December 2007. They were also presented with six awards for the video of their song ‘Massina’ at the Derana Music Video Awards 2007. Following their critically acclaimed recognition, ‘Daddy’ toured many countries including Australia, India, Dubai and Oman.

A MULTIGENRE, MULTI-INSTRUMENT COMPOSITION

From being inspired by Toto, the Beatles, Queens, the music ‘Daddy’ creates and produces becomes one of its kind; each song consisting of a unique skillset from each member, allowing it to manifest into works of art. The celebrated Sri Lankan band are distinct in the characteristics that make space for them to contribute to the local music industry and community and instilling the Sri Lankan identity by relating to the community itself. With each component of the ensemble retaining a local sense while intermingling with Western elements, ‘Daddy’s music remains inimitable and has garnered a fan base reaching across cultural and language borders. One of the most distinct features of their practice is their creative course and methodology to infuse sounds and cords from a diverse range of instruments. “We use the usual western band set-up: the drums, bass, and the two guitars for live performances. For recording we try out everything in the book, whether it’s a violin – in fact, we did a song recently with a violin section, we use congas and bongos and more,” they said. ‘Raaka eka raaka’, introduced to the world in 2011 belts out sounds from the motives of Latin percussion, infused and intertwined with beats from the instruments of congas and bongos. It is evident from each song released that the rudiments that make ‘Daddy’ unique is their ability to practice multiple genres and combine them in such a critical way that every note is complemented by the one before that.

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