Senela Jay is a new and welcomed addition to Sri Lanka’s English music circle. A passionate singer, pianist, guitarist and songwriter, with the release of her debut single “Outta Here” Senela has proven she has the vocal chops to stand out from the crowd.

 

 

Q: Tell us a bit about yourself...

Hmm.. Interesting question..Okay let me try and put it in a nutshell:
I play the box guitar and piano. I love the piano! I love RED, Italian food, Europe, the cold climate, Master Chef, Coldplay and Mariah Carey. My most favourite type of music is Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Whitney Houston, Norah Jones, Christina Perry, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole and Diana Krall ! I also love the 80s.. On a rainy day, my favourite moment would be cuddling in bed with a cup of hot chocolate in my hand, listening to some jazz music.

 

Q: When did you start singing and do you have any formal training?

There was never a day I didn’t sing..whether it was a good day or a bad day, I always had a song in my mind. I guess it’s because I always loved music. Singing came very naturally to me..I never took any formal vocal coaching or training.

 

 

Q: What’s your preferred genre of music?

R&B, Soul, Jazz, Indie pop/rock and Gospel.

 

Q: Let’s talk about your single “Outta Here”?

Well, I am very sentimental about “Outta Here” because it’s my first single and also because the song encapsulates a lot of emotions about how I felt the moment I wrote it.. Has anyone guessed by now whom I wrote it for??? Listen to the lyrics a bit more closely..and you’ll realise what I mean.. haha.

 

 

 

Q: What was the experience like making the video for your debut single?

Oh wow, it was so memorable..I had a wonderful professional team and quite a big film crew too because we had lots of props and it was shot in a very scenic location. All my fans told me how much they love the video. What better validation than that? The last scene in the video was ironically the first location we shot at, at around 7 in the morning! We finished shooting by around 4 AM the following day. It was exhausting but so worth it and I loved every minute of it.

Q: What was your reaction to the video’s success on Youtube?

I am extremely happy. It created such a buzz  that my music video soon became referred to as ‘the video with all the candles’.. haha! It even came to a point where not long after I launched the video, I attended a training programme, and some of the people in the audience made me out and started playing my video on their smart phones! Awkward but cool too, I guess!
I also got a lot of comments from various fans on my facebook fan page which was really great because I LOVE to engage with my fans and interact with them and share music ideas etc.

 

Q: Have you recorded any other songs?

Well..yes I have..you will soon find out.. (cheeky grin) I hope to put out many more in the near future. It’s just that I am balancing work, corporate training and music all at the same time which can be quite challenging sometimes.

 

Q: What inspires you as a song writer?

Three letters.. “God”. In fact, “Outta Here” is in fact a love song to God.! There, I said it. I have also expanded my genre and my style as a vocalist and I will soon start producing a song on ‘love’. I am soo inspired to write when I think about how I can touch someone’s mind and heart through music. The music I write is very deep, and thought-provoking but very warm and relaxing all at the same time. I think that the true form of music needs to be a blend of both - meaninful lyrics and a calming melody.

 

 

Q: What are some of the biggest trials and blessings you’ve faced as a singer?

Let’s start with trials. Well, I am a little bit of a perfectionist and now, being a musician and getting into the music industry, is teaching me that expecting perfection and expecting things to fall into place the way you want and when you want it, is not practical or realistic. For example, I nearly delayed my music video shoot because we had some really bad weather during that time but the blessing was that the rain almost miraculously seized for exactly a day and was pouring with thunder showers the day before and after my video shoot.. funny!

 

Q: what do you enjoy doing in your free time?

I love watching movies, eating out with the family, travelling to Galle… I just LOVE the Galle fortress so much!

 

Q: Who are you most grateful for in life?

To God, and to my wonderful family. My husband is my biggest fan!

 

 

 

 

 

By Lake Argent

Pics by Samantha Perera