Yohani is a singer, songwriter, rapper and multi-instrumentalist (she plays the piano, guitar, trumpet and ukulele) - a genre-breaking force of nature who intermingles pop, rhythm and blues, hip-hop and alternative, with fiery yet focused fluidity.
Beginning her YouTube channel on March 1, 2016 with the cover of Above & Beyond‘s Satellite Stealing Time, to date Yohani has released four Sinhala originals and one original in English. Her Sinhala originals have reached more than one million views each while her Sinhala Pop Hits Mashup has reached some 10 million views. The Manike Mage Hithe cover has exceeded 13 million views and is currently trending in Kerala on YouTube and on Spotify India as well as in the Maldives. She has 546,472 subscribers on YouTube and is counting.
Her channel has generated a big audience of 64.2 per cent of which 54 percent is from India in the last 28 days, making her the first Sri Lankan artiste to break through to an Indian audience and go viral in that country.
She listens to a host of singers – from Rihanna, Eminem, Alicia Keys and John Mayer to the trip-hop music of Portishead, Zero7 and Massive Attack in addition to metal mainstays Avenged Sevenfold.
Daily News spoke to this petite and lively personality for her views on the music industry in these surreal times and her take on where it is leading her.
Q: What does success mean to you and are you somewhere there?
A: This is a very difficult question to answer. I’m not someone who really cares about success. I’m someone who is addicted to adventure. I want to wake up every morning and do whatever I feel like doing. Now, I don't know if this way of life is relatable to anyone by any standard. But this is how I operate.
I have set a few goals for life and feel that I'm so far away from reaching those goals. If one's success is measured by the amount of goals one achieves, I’m not successful by a long shot. My current popularity or fame at this point of time is not something I consider as success. If I get to perform at Madison Square Garden one day, I think that would be it.
Q: How has the pandemic been treating you?
A: It has been difficult and lonesome. Like everyone else I have adapted to the new norm. I feel burdened every time I think about everyone who previously had been making a living off the music industry - the bands, sound assistants, lights guys and others. These guys are struggling to exist and there's nothing we can do about it. I hope we'll get back to having live shows soon.
I have a very passionate and competent team behind me. They take care of all operations, management and other such matters and this allows me to lock myself inside the studio and make music. This also helps me learn a lot of things in a short amount of time. This teamwork is what keeps me going.
Q: Newcomers to the entertainment industry are usually winners of reality shows. Are you the exception?
A: No, I am not. There have been many before me - Sanuka, Ridhma, Danith and Hirushi to name a few.
Q: Tell us about the songs you've written and the music you've produced?
A: Writing a song has two parts - the words or lyrics and the music notation, melody or composition. I do the melody first in my home studio. Then I share this with one of my lyricists. I sometimes write the entire song in my own words and do the phrasing that is needed for the song. I have a lot to improve on with regards to creative writing in Sinhala. So I need to seek the support of one of the lyricists I work with.
Aaye is my debut original. This was the first song I produced. I am still learning and I should especially thank Pasan Liyanage, Viresh Cooray, Lahiru Perera, Chamitha Cooray, Chamath Sangeeth, Theewra and Pettah Effect for grooming me and all the knowledge they share with me.
I have finished 12 songs for my debut Sinhala album and 11 of those songs were composed by me. I’ve also composed an English single for an international record label.
I have composed commercial jingles and promotional music for various projects and I am currently working on my debut English album for which I have finished four songs, namely – Cool Sunday, Which Way to Go, Submerged and Your Way.
Q: What do you think is happening in the music industry in Sri Lanka just now?
A: The music industry in Sri Lanka is still small and it is a high risk industry. Pettah Effect has been in contact with many international labels to invest in some of their artists (including me) and it always hits a wall with recovering the investment. There are no royalties paid to artists and there are only nine million active users on YouTube, which is the main monetized platform. The earning per mile is at an average of US$0.1. The only way an artist earns is through live shows and other brand engagements.
I have met quite a lot of talented Sri Lankan artists and producers whose music is of an international level.
With the introduction of Spotify in Sri Lanka I think a new channel has opened for artists to reach an international audience. I hope more of these platforms come to Sri Lanka.
In terms of talent I think Sri Lanka has always produced quality musicians. All reality shows are of a great standard while all of the media shows we see are of great quality. People working on these shows are also educated and technically skilled.
My experience in working with directors and cinematographers on music videos has been great too. They always think out of the box and always bring something new to the table.
I think the industry is growing rapidly and there will be new and exciting things to look forward to in the future.
Q: Also in the world?
A: Most A list artists have announced their world tours. So I think the world is slowly getting back to normal. What we get exposed to are just the pop artists. If you dig deep, there are so many artists producing music for films, TV series, trailers and the like. So the music industry is huge and I think if we are taught from a young age - from our schooldays, to pursue a career in music, there will be a lot more artists from Sri Lanka working on international projects.
Q: What was your experience working with Rajiv Sebastian on Star Lanka Music Parade?
A: I sang Haalmessa for Rajiv’s CD - Star Lanka Music Parade Volume One, where the lyrics, melody and music arrangement were all his. He wrote the song with me in mind and it is one of my favourites. It is a favourite with my fans too.
Meeting Rajiv was a coincidence and we have now become really close. I have the utmost respect for him. He kind of restored my faith in humanity by lifting me up when I was down. Even after the many years of being in the industry, he is still very passionate about his calling and works tirelessly. He is generous and kind. I want to do a few more baila numbers with him.
Q: Your voice training with Umara, how is it going?
A: I came into music very late. Music was an extracurricular activity and I didn't have any guidance back then.
When I joined Pettah Effect, their program was very rigid and took a toll on me. Looking back, I think their program which covered areas such as voice training helped me become who I am today and I recommend it to all new artists.
Part of the program is live performances and I was performing in pubs and clubs for long hours, Thursdays to Sundays in Colombo and the outstations from 7.00 to 11.30 p.m. I had so many problems with my voice cracking and hurting my vocal cords due to the wrong techniques I used. My manager and artistes and repertoire director insisted I take vocal training lessons and I started with three trainers. Once I had covered the basic training, I joined Umara to learn advanced techniques. I have now completed her program and am currently training with an international trainer. I'm focusing on live performances and improving my dancing skills these days.
Q: How are you preparing for a post Covid world?
A: I have this crazy idea to go to Dubai or the US and start all over again as a pub singer. I don't know how my manager and artistes and repertoire director would respond to this.
Q: Tell us about the business you are engaged in?
A: I have my own jewellery brand. It is not a retail brand. It is designer jewellery with precious stones and I make only five pieces of jewellery per design. I plan to launch it in Sri Lanka later this year. My jewellery is not available for everyone. I have worked with some real world celebrities and it has been great. The brand is still in its infancy and I hope to slowly build it up too.
Q: What was the most rewarding moment in your career as a performer?
A: Every time I get on stage to perform is a rewarding experience for me. When I see people sing along with me, I feel like that's all what I live for.
Q: What's next on your bucket list?
There's a lot, of which my album launch is the priority.
Add new comment