Umara Sinhawansa is one of a kind. She is one of those whom you will never regret interviewing. She’s vibrant, energetic and full of spirit, and she has an aura of positive energy, sending positive vibes wherever she goes.
She and her sister Umaria can be considered as the ‘’golden girls ‘’ of the local music scene, and the famous singing sisters have made waves both in local and international music arena. She is also a versatile musician, where she is blessed with a vocal range four- and-a –half octaves, and also blessed to have an equally talented sister, and she just released her latest music video ‘’Haadakam ‘’, on June 26.
At the moment she also contributes as a Judge at the Derana Dream Star, known for her enthusiastic encouraging and positive comments, which do not make the contestant uncomfortable.
Q: Tell us about your latest progress.
These days I’m caught up with my lectures at my academy, Umara Music Studio. I’m also working on my personal material. I released a new music video on June 26. I have a few more tracks that I have been working on and super excited to release despite the restrictions.
Q: How would you recall your first performance in the music industry?
My first performance was at the age of 10. I still remember that feeling of the applause of the people and the feeling of being famous, and the feeling of being on stage.
That is something which I would cherish for the rest of my life. And then, my very first performance in Sri Lanka was, where I remember I had to sing four songs, I still remember me walking backstage after each song to have a sip of water.
And I remember my mom calling me to a side and asking me not to do that because I might be really unprofessional, and yes, it was an experience that I would never forget.
Q: What were the best moments of your music career?
I have quite a few moments that I cherish in the music industry, I represented Sri Lanka thrice, at three international singing competitions. One was in Beijing, China, and one was in Kazakhstan, and the other was in Ukraine alongside my sister, and I’m proud to say that I was able to make Sri Lanka proud, during those three competitions and win, and not coming empty handed. Other than that, I’m also very proud of my academy, the day I launched my music academy, and the growth I’ve had thus far, I’ve had the privilege of performing with a few international artistes, so the list goes on. I consider myself really lucky and blessed to have all these amazing moments in my life.
Q: How was your experience working with different musicians, and different projects?
Each musician is very unique to himself or herself, and each project that I have worked with has always been different and challenging in different ways. I love that experience, and as a vocalist, as a musician myself, it is really important to be flexible and adjust myself according to the necessary project, and how it is supposed to sound like. So it always depends from person to person, and project to project, and the experience has always been very much rewarding and unforgettable.
Q: Let’s talk about your sister Umaria. How does she support you in your music?
She has been always supportive of my music. And that’s the beauty of it, I think, and that is how we both complement each other. I’m very proud of her, and she is very proud of my achievements. We always complement each other, and I think that is the beauty of it, like I said before.We’re very proud of each other, we are very supportive of each other , we’re always there for each other. It is what it is, and that’s the beauty of sisterhood. Being supportive of each other is what is most important, and I think that is why we have come a certain distance in us in our musical careers, because of each other. We always support each other.
Q: A lot of people get confused with you and Umaria.Like , with your names , looks etc. Are there any interesting incidents because of that?
Yes, there are quite a few incidents! some people still think that we are twins , and some people think we’re one person , and the names being misspelt , there are times we had these concerts, and they would have my picture with my sisters name ,and her picture with my name, so it’s something that we have to live with, and it’s gotten better , since we have both established ourselves as solo artistes, I think people know us a little better now , in comparison to when we started.
Q: You are also a motivational speaker.
I don’t know how, but I came to become a motivational speaker, I think it all had to do with my life experiences, I have an understanding of what people are going through and how they feel about certain situations in their lives and I always compare myself and put myself in their shoes, and look at their version of the story, and then try to answer that from my perspective to fix it. And I never thought that I would be a motivational speaker, but I’m glad that I’m able to help somebody overcome some sort of an issue that they have in their lives, or a problem or a situation that’s there in their lives. If I can be some sort of help and make it a little less painful, and take off their burden from their shoulders by a small percentage, I think that is what we need to do as humans, to help each other, care for each other, show love and respect for each other. That is the only thing that I have when you speak about motivating people, and I needed that a lot myself. Back in the day, I needed to be motivated, and I was also in a bad place in one point of my life, it’s other people’s stories and their way of living and thinking about things. Positive thinking was what got me to what I am today, so if I can be some sort of help to any one, I think that is what I should be doing.
Q: What is your advice for the upcoming musicians in the music industry?
Be yourselves. Do not imitate others, try to be as authentic and raw, to the Art and yourself, and just be yourself. Think positive, and I think the work ethic and the drive is very important, and nothing else is going to be needed for anyone who’s coming to the industry, and most importantly, you need to know the subject. Yu have to keep learning about the subject. The more knowledge you have about your singing and your skills, you’re going to be a better musician, and also a successful musician.
Q: Looking back at your journey, how do you feel?
I feel as if I have accomplished more than what I thought I could back in the day, and I’m so grateful and thankful for everything that I have achieved so far. It has been a challenging Rollercoaster. But I would re-read that entire journey if I had to, because I have nothing to regret at all. I’m living my best life, and I’m proud of the sacrifices that I have to come this far in my life. I feel very much accomplished, to be honest.
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