Soundarie David Rodrigo is the consummate musician who transformed the Western choral music scene in Sri Lanka by starting and directing a female ensemble, Soul Sounds, the first choir to perform and win awards internationally over the last few years. On July 6 the 9th world choir games were held in Sochi, Russia and Soundarie David Rodrigo was called to be on the panel of judges. The world choir games is an intense competition, where the international community comes together to communicate their unique artistic identity, through song. She was the only Sri Lankan adjudicator to be on the panel which consisted of an array of renowned international singers and musicians. Though she has judged numerous competitions on the world stage she has been the only Sri Lankan adjudicator to ever represent Sri Lanka at the world choir games. Daily mirror, therefore interviewed Soundarie David Rodrigo on her experience on being a judge at the 9th world choir games.
Q You have recently judged an international competition in Russia, and you have been the first Sri Lankan to do so. Please tell us about your experience.
I have judged similar international competitions before: the World Choir Games in Korea ( 2009), USA, and smaller competitions in Vietnam. It has not only been an amazing experience but also a learning experience for me, because you get to work with experts from all around the world in the realm of choral music.
There is so much to learn and exchange merely by interacting with them. I also find it so refreshing to listen to choirs from all over the world, Some great choirs, some not so great, but at the end of the day, not only do I get to listen to some great performances, but I too am able to learn by getting ideas, being inspired, and being able to create, and share my experiences with my own choirs, students, and all those who seek my help. Music is a universal language, so ‘language’ never stifled any of the performers in the act of communication. We had over 200 countries participating in the competition and they performed in various categories of music:
I mainly judged the folklore categories, female chamber choirs, pop and gospel, each category was unique and spectacular. I am also happy to see that there is an increasing trend in the development of choral music. I also believe that it is only by listening and observing other choirs that one can grow.
Q As a country is Sri Lanka diverse and aware of universal music styles?
For instance, many people were ignorant to the style of Opera and were rather critical about the ‘Danno Budunge’ operatic rendition. Is this because we as Sri Lankans are not exposed enough to different styles of music? Sri Lankans are very talented people; we have our own traditional music. We perform Western styles as well.
Clearly not all are exposed to the different styles in music, so awareness is important. The style of “opera” is something that needs to be appreciated, but as to whether one likes it or not, is a subjective view in my opinion. Of course creating awareness is a step forward in educating our general public of the diverse styles of music. Over the years, choral music has become more popular, among schools in Colombo, Kandy, and whilst there are school choirs from other parts of the country, we need to work harder to maintain interest in music and choral music especially. I think slowly but steadily we will move forward. I reiterate that Sri Lankans are very talented, and we need to nurture that talent, not just in Colombo or Kandy, but take it to the other regions as well. Choral music is really not just about singing, it has a lot of other benefits as well. Singing in a group facilitates team building skills and it helps us to learn to accept the differences of others and thus sing in harmony.
Hence, it helps us work together and eventually become better people. It is also a form of relaxation to many. Sustaining my choir Soul Sounds for over 14 years, has taught me many things, and as I now experience listening and working with choirs from all around the world, I am able to notice our own strengths and weaknesses. For all my choirs – from Soul Sounds, to the Soul Sounds Academy Junior and Intermediate choirs, choral music is a lot of fun, because we attempt all genres of music, from Classical to Pop, local to fusion, and it’s a learning process for all of us. . Sri Lanka will host an International Choral Competition in 2017. And I do hope, whilst we probably will have many international choirs from the region participating, that we will also see many choirs from Sri Lanka competing, challenging themselves, as well as learning by listening to other choirs.
Q: Does Sri Lanka have a true musical identity? Some debate that most of our music, that we believe that is unique to our nation is either stolen or borrowed. What is our true musical heritage? Is our musical history truly unique to us?
We have our own uniqueness, our own culture, our own traditional music, but clearly we seem to have a lot of Western influence too, especially when it comes to Western Classical music, which includes choral music as well. . But that being said, it is not correct to say that what we have as a nation is stolen or borrowed. What we have is unique, how we preserve that uniqueness and showcase it to the rest of the world is what really matters. For instance at the World Choir Games, which is incidentally the Olympics of Music, there are two main categories ( among other categories) namely “Scenic Folklore and Folklore with accompaniment”.
This category is mainly for choirs who want to represent the uniqueness of their nation through song. It is important that in such opportunities we really showcase our own music. It is fine to present other forms of music from all over the world, but we should be able to embrace it and make our own, with our own distinctive twist to it. This is what makes it special, and that should be the trend in choral music. Our musical history is unique to us, but we need to explore it further, and find ways of taking it out there, and showcasing it to the rest of the world.
Q: Over the years, have you seen Choral Music develop in Sri Lanka?
Yes, and I am proud to say that Sri Lanka has marked its presence in the world of choral music internationally. Back in 2004, when the Holy Family Convent Choir participated for the first time at an International competition, under my direction, and was placed first runners up, that was the turning point for me and the birth of Soul Sounds - who I believe were the trend setters in choral music. This is not to say that other choirs did not exist before us - of course they did, and they were very good too. It is just that we took up the challenge to venture internationally knowing very well that Sri Lanka had the talent. This was proven over the years, where other choirs such as Revelations, Voice and print emerged victorious in the international arena. We made choral music fashionable, and others were then able to improvise on it. Therefore, I truly believe that Choral Music has developed over the years, and I can assure you that it will further develop in the years to come.
Q: Are we musically developed as a nation? How does music uplift the nation?
Yes, we are a talented nation - so many musicians have done extremely well overseas and continue to do so. However, we need more resources and opportunities to enhance the talent which is already embedded in the nation. Music as mentioned before has no barriers, and it is a language that everyone can speak. Music should bring people together, and we should embrace unity within diversity.
Q: Is there enough exposure of music in schools?
How does music help children develop as individuals? I feel there could be more emphasis on music in schools. However, we do have many music schools and academies that give children an opportunity to further develop their talents. The Soul Sounds Academy - which is run by me and a panel of extremely talented, qualified and experienced musicians, strive to give children, even those with special needs a platform to not just sit for exams, but a platform to perform. Sri Lanka has a lot of potential. I have listened and judged choirs all over the world, and I have no doubt that our Sri Lankans can shine on any international stage. We have the talent no doubt, but we need to create more opportunities to take Sri Lankan talent and showcase them to the rest of the world.
