On September 27, 2024, the Sri Lanka Foundation Academy of Performing Arts (SLF APA) students performed in the World Peace Day and United Nations Day celebrations hosted by the Global Peace Foundation. Held at the Shahu Mahal Banquet Hall in Lakewood, California, this year’s event centered around the theme “UN for US: Unity and Diversity.” Distinguished guests, Including Mayor Todd Rogers of Lakewood, and Vice Mayor Cindy Allen of Long Beach, Dr. Lalith P. Chandradasa, Consul General of Sri Lanka, attended in support of this vision of global harmony. Achala Weerasinghe, SLF APA’s Operational Director, represented the Academy and connected with event VIPs, including Dr. Manorama Sharma Gupta, Founder and President of the Global Peace Foundation. SLF APA Senior Students Shyanna Stanislaus, Senuri Pilana Manage, and Methaya Wijemunige performed a traditional Sri Lankan dance, showcasing the nation’s rich cultural heritage alongside performances from other countries. Their presence highlighted the powerful
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ගුරු වරම් ලැබ ගෙන සබයෙන් වරම් ගනිමින සිව් වරම් බලයෙන බසී ඇදුරා වරම් ගනිමින! On August 18th, 2024, the Sri Lanka Foundation Academy of Performing Arts held its annual Silambu Mangalya (Ceremony of Awarding Silambu) at the Mindfulness Meditation Center – Covina Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara. This traditional event celebrates students who are preparing to graduate, marking an important milestone in their journey in Sri Lankan dance and music. In Sri Lankan arts and cultural traditions, a beginner’s journey in dance or music culminates in becoming formally recognized as a dancer or musician after mastering their craft. As part of this ritual, dancers don a ceremonial headdress, while musicians receive their instruments from their teachers in a significant rite of passage. With blessings from their teachers and family, students then showcase their skills before experts in their respective fields. This process signifies their readiness to practice independently. This cultural rite,
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On August 6, 2024, the Sri Lanka Foundation Academy of Performing Arts (SLF APA) conducted an inspiring workshop for students at the Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory (LAPAC) on Pico Boulevard. Led by the talented instructors Nirosha Wijegunasekare and Akila Palipana, with guidance from SLF APA Director Achala Weerasinghe, this engaging session celebrated Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage by introducing participants to traditional dance forms that have been preserved through generations, each showcasing its unique movement styles. The workshop immersed attendees in a variety of dance forms rooted in ancient rituals, emphasizing their narrative power through rhythm, reverence, and resilience. Each movement created a vibrant and graceful symphony that captured the essence of Sri Lankan culture. A highlight of the workshop was the Kandyan Dance, closely linked to the Kohomba Kankariya, a majestic celebration that invokes divine blessings from Kandy. Participants also explored the lively Low Country Dance, associated with
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The Ceylon International Film Festival was held last month from October 23rd to October 28th and here is a review by Nandi Jasentuliyana, Former Deputy Director-General of the United Nations: A Spectacular Celebration of Global Cinema, Ceylon Film Festival Awards Ceremony 2023, was held recently in Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A., the city of arts and culture, originally the home of Hollywood. A weeklong festival supported by the State of California, the City of Santa Barbara, and the Direct Relief Foundation culminated with the award ceremony. A week during which the Sri Lankan flag was flown at the venue and was in full display the entire week of the festival in Santa Barbara, California. The Ceylon Film Festival 2023 is the brainchild of Aruni Boteju, Founder of the Ceylon International Film Festival Corporation, which held its inaugural festival in 2022. The festival this year played host to a remarkable event that
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For the first time, our Sri Lanka Flag flew in Santa Barbara for the week of the Ceylon International Film Festival, which started with a Ceylon high tea ceremony. The 2nd Ceylon International Film Festival 2023 started with a very successful opening night on October 23rd, 2023. Mayor of Santa Barbara, Representative from Senator Monique Limone’s office, 1st District Supervisor Das Williams, City Council members, Officer Representing State Assembly, City organization leaders, President of the Greater Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, President of the Santa Barbara Rotary club, and the President of the Sister Cities, and many more city leaders honored us being part of our humble event. The free screenings were held until Friday, October 27th, at the Direct Relief Hatch Hall, and the closing ceremony was held at the beautiful and historical Lobero Theater on Saturday, October 28th, 2023. Image credit: https://instagram.com/ceylonintlfilmfestival
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From Sri Lanka to LA Jeevo makes his debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. He will reimagine his pop, hip-hop, and global sound with an orchestral arrangement. A story of an artist who finds God through tragedy and triumph. Jeevo is a family-oriented individual and one of his dreams has been to perform at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and he says God graciously made it happen this year. It was quite unexpected. For the last 15 years, he has released 7 albums and poured his heart and soul into this craft. He has created a lane in the world of music that had not been traveled. Jeevo has combined genres, spoken about his faith in unconventional ways, and done this without the backing of any established record label or funding. On July 22, 2023, he will be performing at a venue that is widely regarded as the best
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NuAsia, led by Roshan Seresinhe, brings a new sound and love to country music from Asia to America and Enters the Emerging 300 chart with its debut Single “Quiet Violence” at #140.  Please vote to rocket NuAsia up the charts: https://www.upcoming100.com/emerging300/9786/#9786 NuAsia’s debut album, Quiet Violence, released June 9, will break some new ground in country music. Judging from the title track, the album will draw many country fans and create some new ones. Most of the new ground, in case the band’s name doesn’t clue you in, is that all six of the musicians are of Asian heritage, by the design of the band’s drummer, leader, executive producer, and founder, Roshan Seresinhe, who is a Sri Lankan native. Another is the band’s lead singer and co-writer, Saint Cloud, a 22-year-old Boston woman of Vietnamese descent, a contestant from“The Voice,” whose voice can go from whispery and ethereal to clear
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This past weekend marked Weekend One of the two Coachella weekends for 2023. If you’re familiar with the festival, you’ve seen the massive art installations transforming the Empire Polo Field into a new universe. Seeing these large-scale art installations in person while attending the festival is quite something. We wanted to highlight this year’s Coachella installation created by Sri Lankan Kumkum Fernando. Kumkum is a Sri Lankan-born artist who creates masterpieces inspired by his Sri Lankan heritage. His work has been featured at the Singapore Art Museum, Ho Chi Minh Museum of Fine Arts, and in numerous publications. You can get a taste of his creations on his website kumkumfernando.com. For Coachella 2023, Kumkum created 3 massive sculptures titled “The Messengers”. The sculptures were between 65 and 75 feet tall and stood out prominently on the Empire Polo Field. He was joined by Coachella installation artists Güvenç Özel, Maggie West,
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On Saturday, December 10th, 2022, the Sri Lanka Foundation Academy of Performing Arts (SLF APA), founded in 2015 and Accredited in 2019, held its second inaugural graduation ceremony at the Mindfulness Meditation Center in Covina, California. Senuri Pilana Manage, with her indomitable courage, effort, and commitment, became another successful graduate of Kandyan dance in our second Siraspath Palandaweeme Mangalya (Graduation) ceremony. She is a senior student who participates in online and in-person dance classes at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sri Lanka Foundation (SLF APA). She was exploring to gain knowledge and new experiences through her learning process. Sri Lanka has a unique and rich traditional dance history of over 2500 years. Sri Lankan traditional dances offer worship, healing and meditation processes, sickness, and invoking blessings. Sri Lankan Traditional Dance graduation is called a “Kalaeli Mangalya.” When a Kandyan dance student has been dancing for several years and has
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Sri Lanka-themed virtual Global Celebration was launched in the United States on the Sri Lanka Foundation International platform introducing to a worldwide audience Sri Lanka’s historical heritage and culture, music, dance forms, and local food and products. All that and more, while being entertained by breathtaking cultural performances, was enjoyed lounging in the comfort of the attendees living rooms! This unique virtual event occurred on Saturday, the 13th, and Sunday, the 14th of August 2022, when traders, manufacturers, and service providers met virtually all under one roof to market their products, network, and do business.  Throughout the two-day festivities, the featured events staged from around the world when the sights and sounds and the unique taste of Sri Lanka virtually came alive. Mesmerizing dance and music performances were staged throughout the two days. It featured Sri Lankan traditional music, dances, art, and theatre produced by the USA, Sri Lanka, Australia,
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