By Venessa Anthony
The talented singer Devashrie de Silva is back with a new single titled “Lowa Nissala”. The song, released yesterday (17), speaks of what a peaceful night it was when Christ was born. The Morning Brunch had the pleasure of discussing her latest song with her.
“This is actually a remake of an old song I participated in,” explained Devashrie. “Many years ago, this song was written and sung by Billy Fernando. It was originally part of a Christian album consisting of Christmas songs. So back then, he wanted me to join him on a few songs on that album.”
She explained how the remake came to be. “Billy and I were just sitting around talking about Covid, and suddenly, we realised we had this album from way back. All the songs on that album are very peaceful tracks, and now, everyone seems very restless and anxious. So we thought one or two songs may be ideal for this Christmas.”
They had a listen to the songs on the album, and decided to settle on this particular one. Elaborating on the message behind the song, she said: “It was a night where peace was shared, and love was born, and the Christ child gave all of us the ability to rise above things.” She added that she wants the song to bring peace this season, and to be a source of comfort for everyone during these turbulent times.
De Silva described the struggles of filming a music video during a pandemic. “We had to keep the concept of the music video very simple, because we had to shoot indoors. We filmed, recorded, and produced in one studio, and only three people were involved.”
She explained that Billy Fernando played a huge part in the mixing and mastering of the song, the guitar arrangement, and many more key elements. She also mentioned that they wrapped up the whole process in just one take, which is quite an impressive feat.
She went on to mention how the pandemic affected her. “It’s been very challenging. I was in the UK, finishing my Master’s in Performing Arts. I was just about to audition for a production in London, and just when I was about to land the role, Covid happened. I don’t have any family in London, so I packed just one suitcase, and came back home.”
She added that she felt immensely discouraged, but realised she was not alone in this situation; she got back on her feet and decided to do something productive while she remained in Sri Lanka. “I’m incredibly grateful my family stood by me during all this, and still continue to support me in all my endeavours.”
“I’ve been creating art and teaching a bit online as well,” she responded, when asked what else she’d been up to. “This is a very eye-opening time in life. We realised what’s important in life and how much our loved ones mean to us. Life is unpredictable; we could have all these grand plans, but we’re really insignificant in the grand scheme of things. I’ve learned to take one day at a time.”
She left us with a heartwarming message to ponder on for the season. “It’s been a challenging year for everyone. Last year, none of us expected this to happen. It’s okay to feel what you’re feeling. If you find peace within yourself, then everything will slowly be okay.”