Island music for the world

Bathiya and Santhush, the duo that revolutionised Sri Lanka's music industry, hope to make a global impact with their sound


They're hip, they're happening - they're the Sri Lankan fusion pop music duo Bathiya and Santhush. Today they're the stars young fans from their country dream of emulating - a success story that has revolutionised the Sri Lankan music industry.

However, it could well not have been, if they had caved in to the critics and the demands of their families. Students of western classical music, their families wanted them to pursue careers in the fields they had studied of business management and marketing. But, the creative bug failed to be crushed and today they sing to packed audiences of thousands the world over.

The two were recently in the UAE for a performance at the Sinhala and Tamil New Year Festival 2003 . During their stay in the Emirates, they spoke to Gulf News about the struggles, tribulations and sweet sounds of success they heard after immense hard work.

Bathiya Jayakody said: "We grew up and studied in Colombo. I first met Santhush at a summer camp when we were around 14 years old. There was a music show at the camp and we participated in it.

"Many years later, we again met at the Operatic Music School, which both of us had joined for voice training. We studied western classical music.

"We hit it off at the school. After a few years, we decided to explore the more commercial side of music by venturing into popular sounds.

"Initially the influence was blues and jazz, followed by hip hop and rhythm and blues. We married these western sounds with strong ethnic sounds from Sri Lankan folk music to create a global feel. Our songs have Sinhalese and English lyrics to create a universal appeal. Artistes such as Brian McKnight and the Fugees have inspired us.

"Our first album was Vasanthaya - A New Beginning . It was a big hit; it was the kind of music that hadn't been heard previously in Sri Lanka. It took the country by storm.

"The Sri Lankan music scene was very much in tune with the world until the mid-1970s, but after that it kind of came to a halt. There was Rookantha, who was singing pop songs. But, the opportunities offered to him were negligible. We came along at the right time, the people were ready for a change to some extent."

Close on the heels of their first album they released an energetic remake of an old folk song Siri Sanga Bodhi, which is about an ancient king. It was a satirical song and was well received.

"It was a huge club hit," explained Jayakody. Their second album Life followed this in 2000.

He said: "Our families were very keen that we study and have stable jobs. I trained in business management and worked in the field, as Santhush did in marketing. But, we weren't happy and our musical career was taking off.

"To much opposition from our families, we went ahead. There was also criticism from classical musicians in the country, who said we were spoiling the purity of the different kinds of music.

"But, they couldn't control the mass appeal... there was a sea change around, especially among the younger generation. Their sense of clothing, language, everything altered - it became 'cool' because of our music."

They had started touring around the world, wherever there was a strong Sri Lankan community. They were also invited to the World Music Awards in Tajikstan, where they were very well received - this helped silence the critics back home. In 2002, Sony Music of India, followed by Universal Music from Hong Kong, signed them on. They also signed an endorsement contract with Coca Cola.

The band was also the opening act for UB40 when they performed in Sri Lanka, along with the Vengaboys.

The same year, the duo released their biggest album to date, entitled Ethnic Lady.

Santhush Weeraman said: "On the day our third album was released, our old producer sued us over copyright on the album. But, the agreement contract clearly showed that we had copyright over our material. However, it gave the album a huge publicity boost and sales went through the roof. It still continues to be our best-selling album to date."

Their future plans include releasing a line of clothing under the brand name Bathiya and Santhush in a year's time, along with releasing new albums. "We are also working on releasing our Sinhalese songs in Hindi, by the end of this year," he added. They are currently working on the project and the album is slated for release in India.

Jayakody said: "Our objective is to bring the Sri Lankan sound to the world, just like the African rhythms and Aborigine sounds have been heard across the planet. We are living our dream, but have a long way to go."