Explore the beauty of gospel music as Dilip goes ‘Back to his Roots’ 

By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe 
Pics by Pradeep Dilrukshana 

There are musicians who follow notes and rehearse their pieces for hours, and then there are others who play ‘by ear’ and enjoy impromptu performances. Dilip Seneviratne falls into the latter category. Known as Sri Lanka’s own ‘Piano Man’, Seneviratne continues to reflect on his journey through his concerts, where all proceeds are donated to the Sri Lanka Cancer Society. Next Tuesday (25), Seneviratne will perform at the third edition of ‘The Journey’ concert titled ‘Back to his Roots.’

“It was the church that inspired me to pursue a career in music,” he told Daily Mirror Life. “The previous shows included a mix of genres, but this time it will be gospel music. During my journey in music, I came across various musicians. The second concert featured all female singers whom I have accompanied over the years. There were around 16 of them. This time, in addition to a few of them, the Peterite Old Boys’ Choir, which I too am a part of and the Old Joes’ Choir will also perform.”

By the age of 6, Seneviratne had already developed an interest towards classical music despite not having a piano to continue his newfound interest. He was born and raised in a family that was deeply appreciative of all forms of music. He even recalled how his sister taught him the first hymn. 

“I lost all my books on the day of my first music exam. My first music teacher was Marie Livera, and I told her about what had happened. During the exam, I played all pieces ‘by ear ’, and I managed to pass the exam,” Seneviratne said with a proud smile. 

But after Grade 4, Seneviratne gave up on his music exams as he couldn’t regularly practice at the piano. Then in 1997, his alma mater St. Peter’s College celebrated 75 years. At this celebration, Mano Chanmugam, a towering figure in Sri Lanka’s classical music landscape, saw his dream ‘Four Grand Piano Concert’ becoming a reality. Thereafter, this concert series became an annual event with sold-out shows each time. 

During practice sessions at Chanmugam’s place, he had noticed this young boy’s talent and was shocked when Seneviratne had one day said that he couldn't practice often as he didn’t have a piano. 

“I’m ever so grateful to Uncle Mano because he gifted me one of his pianos, and that was my first piano. My first concert was held in honour of him,” he added. 

From classical music, Seneviratne then went on to play alongside many bands, which allowed him to dabble in a wide range of musical styles and techniques from Jazz to Country, Western and Rock. Some of these include Cardinal’s Outburst, Heat, Steelers, Manilal and Upekha, Husni Suresh and DK, Take 5, Cross Section, Legacy, Deezone and Latin Jazz. 

When his father died of cancer in 1990, he was determined to give back to people who suffer from cancer. His concerts are done free of cost, and even the artistes who perform have come forward to perform free of charge as he is organising this concert for a worthy cause. 

Ms Livera had been Seneviratne’s only teacher and the rest of it had been self-taught. She occupies a special place in his heart, and he always will. Today, Seneviratne is a full-time musician and a pianist who performs as a soloist and also in a role as collaborator. He occasionally plays the guitar and the accordion as well. 

Reflecting on learning songs back in the day, Seneviratne said that it was a difficult task to learn a song. “We had to wait until it was aired on the radio to write down the lyrics. But that process of learning a song, to listen to, has been registered to date. However, there’s YouTube and many other social media channels today, and it is not a difficult task anymore,” he said. 

Known for his improvisations and many impromptu performances, Seneviratne hinted about playing one or two unrehearsed pieces at the upcoming show. “I just want to zone out and play it according to my mood there. Sometimes the band doesn’t know what I’m going to start with. I can’t rehearse emotions. So I want to play it impromptu and literally get lost in the music,” he added.

Following COVID, the economic crisis and other issues, Seneviratne had been unable to continue his shows. However, Seneviratne now plans to have a concert every year with a different theme but for the same cause. “I would like the crowds to come and enjoy something different, take that enjoyment and the values and musicality of gospel music with them. They will feel better. They should take a message of love and hope. Musically, we can be united to do something for a good cause. I’m grateful to everybody who came forward to support me with food and all arrangements. We try to contribute every cent to the cause,” he added. 

The backup band includes Shobi Perera on bass, Christopher Prins on drums, Ranil Vaz on guitar, Tilanka Jayamanne on sax and Nuwan Galappaththi on keys. Apart from the two choirs, he will be joined on stage by Corrine, Daniella, Danu, Dinu, Lydia, Melissa, Monique, Naomi, Natasha, Rapti, Shehara and Yasmin.

The concert will be held on August 25 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre from 7.00 pm onwards.