Harith Wijeratne

Today on the buzz,  I feature the VOICE Sri Lanka winner Harith Wijeratne.  He has sure made headlines for his singing and for his amazing presence on stage. He is not only about a good voice, he is also a doctor in the making and sometimes it baffles me to know how he managed both winning a title and balancing his studies. Today I speak to him about his new Single that’s out, Pudasuna.

How has life changed after voice?

I get approached by all sorts of people who have so much love in their hearts for music and for me as a musician. One of my fans burst into tears when they saw me. That was unforgettable

How would you balance being a doctor and a singer?

I’m not a doctor yet but let me  tell you… it ain’t easy. I just try to focus on one task at a time and I’m getting better at it day by day. I got good results in my end of fourth year exam and I’m hoping to do my final exams. 

Tell me about your new song?

My debut Sinhala original song “Pudasuna” tries to convey the message that love is pure no matter who it is between.

You have openly shown a LGBTQ side to the song. Why, and what was your inspiration?

My own experiences with the LGBTQ+ community as well as other queer artists from Sri Lanka and elsewhere who are doing such a great job in terms of self-expression and self -discovery.

To make this your 1st song, was there  fear or was it support?

A good mix of fear and support. It made me rethink and rearrange certain aspects of the production. I think that sweet balance of fear and support helped me come up with the best possible version of the song. 

What would you tell the youth in Sri Lanka ?

To love everyone and accept everyone with open arms and a warm heart . If someone’s not intentionally harming you or themselves in the process of an act, let them live their life to the fullest

What plans for the future?

I’m hoping to expand my discography in both Sinhala and English languages. Hopefully soon… I’m getting quite old now.   

The music video is very interesting and new, how was it to shoot it?

We had a lot of fun shooting it. I should specially thank Malki Wijemanna from M entertainment for helping me put my vision to life. She wrote the lyrics and handled most of the video production as well. A truly talented girl. Charuka Dushyantha was the video director who did a fantastic job with the editing as well. Also Gayan Srimal Dance Troupe and my mentor Umara Sinhawansa and my friend Sachin Kolambathathri should be thanked for their kind hearted support.

If you could Collaborate with an artist, who would you choose for your next song?

I would collaborate with myself cause I don’t want someone else to steal my spotlight !

Pix Courtesy Harith