Yenul Swarnathilake is an exciting new, young, natural talent. And he is set to rock the stage on August 27 at the Bishop’s College Auditorium with an array of scintillating performances that will give the crowd a memorable and wonderful time. Yenul is a natural talent because most of what he does, has been self-taught. Yenul’s parents have always encouraged him to do what he loves. To do what makes him happy. In a way, it would not be incorrect to think that Yenul’s talents seem to be inborn. It seems to be that he has always had this passion to perform. All that was done by his parents was to nurture those talents and give him the time and the opportunity to develop those talents.
Inspired by none other than the King of Pop, and young as he is, he has achieved much in life and seems to be very 
precocious. Yenul is a performer of great originality. There are no two ways about it. Culture & Arts features Yenul Swarnathilake, a promising young performer who may indeed have the potential to someday even become an artiste of great repute.
The concert has a variety of items, where Yenul will be singing, dancing, and playing the piano and guitar. There will also be a bit of acting as well. This show is actually the beginning of a very promising future in the arts. This is the curtain raiser for Yenul’s future in the arts. Yenul’s concert is essentially a solo performance by him, but there will be other kids supporting him in certain items as a backup.
Chosen songs
“I have always dreamed of doing a concert. My father was the one who planted the seed in my mind about doing something like this. So I too found the idea attractive and thought to myself that this is something worth doing and also because this is the best time in my life to do something related to the arts. So I feel that this is the right time. I took an interest in what my father suggested and now the show is about to happen, and I am excited about it,” said Yenul.
Yenul added that practices are going well and everyone is tremendously excited. The concert will be a combination of Sinhala and English songs, and one Hindi song. The songs are chosen in such a way that the crowd will thoroughly enjoy them.
Michael Jackson is known as the King of Pop. He has had a tremendous impact on the youth through his music. In fact, during his lifetime, he achieved cult status. Yenul is a fan of the King of Pop. “When I was eight years old, I got to know about Michael Jackson. I immediately took an interest in Michael Jackson. I watched some of his stage performance highlights and then watched him on YouTube and then tried to copy his steps. So it worked like a charm. So by watching videos, I developed that talent.”
Biggest inspirations
Inspired by the King of Pop, it was all about self-studying for Yenul. There was no teacher at the beginning. The performance at Bishop’s is well coordinated by some teachers. “Some of my biggest inspirations in life are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from the sports side. When it comes to the arts, it is Michael Jackson and BTS. Everything is now set in place for my concert. All the arrangements have been made,” added Yenul.
Yenul is currently learning at Whyteleafe Academy while pursuing his studies at Lyceum Nugegoda. This September he will be in Grade 6 in Lyceum. “I used to do swimming and I now want to start football. In the future, I want to be a sportsperson –cum- entertainer. So I am seriously considering being a celebrity,” he said.
Yenul’s message to anyone who wishes to excel in the arts, or for that matter anything in life, is that if you are passionate about something then don’t let anyone stop you from achieving it. Be determined to achieve it. Don’t let anything discourage you. “I really love to sing. At first, I was a shy kid. But then I went to Whyteleafe Academy and was able to hone my skills. When I started singing I was around seven or eight years old. When I was eight or nine years old I did dancing.”
Tickets can be bought at Whyteleafe Academy. The show starts at 5 pm.
Ishara Jayawardane
