Ashanthi's BIO

ashanthi bio Ashanthi, ‘Queen of Sri Lankan Hip Hop music’, is the only artiste in the Island to be signed to an internationally recognized record label (Universal Music). Touring the globe, wowing audiences worldwide on stages from the Sydney Opera house to The O2 in London, The Cannes film festival in France and beyond. This singer, rapper, songwriter and producer has made her mark in the music industry as the number one contemporary female music icon in Sri Lanka.

Ashanthi's industry experience spans three best selling albums in her native language – Sinhalese; Oba Magemai (Sony Music), Sandawathuren (Universal Music), Daas Paanawa (Universal Music). She has proven to be a voice to be reckoned with, winning countless awards locally and internationally. Her most recent accolades include Bite My Music Global Awards (The Grammy’s of Independent International music) - Best Pop Act (GOLD), IndieGo Music Awards Asia – Best Female Singer (GOLD), Best Pop Act of Asia (SILVER), Best Hip Hop Act of Asia (Silver), Honorary Award for Most Creative & Innovative Act (2011), TOYP (Ten young outstanding personalities award) for her contribution to the Arts in Sri Lanka (2012) and Best Baila Music Video of the year for ‘Papare’ Derana Music Video Awards, Sri Lanka (2011). Ashanthi also released the single ‘Raavanan Raajyam' together with Dinesh K for the UK Movie ‘Tooting Broadway’, an official selection for the London Indian Film Festival, which premiered in June 2012.

Not satisfied with just conquering home ground, Ashanthi has spread her wings into the global market with Universal Music. With the release of her very first International crossover album in English titled ‘Rock the world’, the pop star is set to create new waves in the international arena. “Rock the world is a contemporary pop album written and produced by myself, every melody and lyric I have written comes straight from my heart and I feel can easily be related to. It took a lot of time and effort to put this album together because I wanted to create something unique. It was a very different experience for me but I loved every minute of it!” Ashanthi goes on to say “I wanted to show the world what we, as Asians, could offer the international music industry, Contemporary pop music is sometimes under estimated when it comes from Asia. I want to change that mind set and prove to the world we are capable of producing a sound on par with any mainstream global act”.

Raising the bar in the Sri Lankan music Industry, Ashanthi has placed Sri Lanka on the map yet again, being the first Sri Lankan female to release an album internationally together with a major label – Universal Music and is also the first Sri Lankan to release an English album Internationally with a major label. Universal Music will be distributing the album globally, while Asian Music Publishing UK will publish the album worldwide.

The album has a distinctive urban sound, coupled with soulful R&B vocals, tear jerkers that will make your heart melt and dance beats that will make you wanna take to the dance floor. The album features collaborations with International artistes Reshmonu (Malaysia) and Benny Dayal (India) and Sri Lankan rapper Randhir. The entire album was self produced by Ashanthi at her recording studio ‘Ethno Entertainment Studios’, all tracks were programmed by Shenal Maddumage at ‘Ethno Entertainment Studios’ and mastered by Ranga Dassanayake at ‘Hit Factory’.

A single from the album, 'Let's give peace a chance' featuring Benny Dayal, was chosen as the official theme song for the De Paix Yatra peace project – a motorcycle journey from India to the UK honouring unsung war heroes and promoting peace among youth across 8 nations. A video for the song, which was officially launched at the Album press conference in Colombo, is scheduled to be aired on all major TV stations in India, launching the album into the Indian market.

Breaking into the UK music industry with a storm, the singer has also released her debut international single ‘Get out of my head’ on UK radio in collaboration with Asian Music Publishing UK and FNIK PR featuring UK rappers Raxstar and Menis.

“It is a really exciting time for me and a brand new experience. I worked extra hard on this single cause I felt it had to be perfect for the UK market” says Ashanthi. The song was written and produced by Ashanthi.

Compared to Artistes like Mariah Carey, Rihanna and Pink, Ashanthi breaks the barriers of contemporary music with her unique vocals and performance style. Her influences in music range from Boys to Men, Brian Mc Knight, Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Mariah Carey, Jessie J and Maroon 5. Ashanthi has definitely proved to us that she is ready to take on the challenge of breaking boundaries in the International industry and is ready to ‘Rock the world’, making Sri Lanka proud.

Discography

Oba Magemai (Sony Music 2003)

The Ashanthi‘n’Ranidu album ‘Oba Magemai’ produced under the Sony Music & M Entertainment labels in 2003, was a phenomenal success in the Sri Lankan market selling over 60,000 copies in the first 3 months of release

Sandawathuren (Universal Music 2006)

Branching out as a solo artiste with her debut solo album ‘Sandawathuren’ (2006), Ashanthi has taken the Sri Lankan music industry by storm with a sound unique to her alone. The album features many popular hits - ‘Sandawathuren’ which topped the charts even before the release of the album, ‘Alavanthiyak’ - the tune that shot straight up to the charts with the phenomenal music video and made the whole of Sri Lanka rock the floor, the soulful tear jerkers ‘Oba Ven vi’ and ‘Denayana Hamuwe’ which set new standards in female music in Sri Lanka are only but a few of the many favourites to be mentioned on the album Sandawathuren’.

Daas Panawa (Universal Music 2011)

Ashanthi has release her 2nd solo album – Daas Paanawa in January 2011. Singles ‘Pem Kumara’, ‘Piyanani’, ‘Papare’ & Tharappu Peliye have soared to No. 1 within the first week of release on all Radio & TV Channels in Sri Lanka, making Ashanthi one of the most requested and most sought after youth icons in the music field in the island. The groud breaking album has proved to merge the gaps between urban and mass markets catering to a wide listenership and fanbase islandwide.

Rock the World (Universal Music 2012) – The International crossover album

Not satisfied with just conquering home ground, Ashanthi has spread her wings into the global market with Universal Music. With the release of her very first International crossover album in English titled ‘Rock the world’, the pop star is set to create new waves in the international arena. Raising the bar in the Sri Lankan music Industry, Ashanthi has placed Sri Lanka on the map yet again, being the first Sri Lankan female to release an album internationally together with a major label – Universal Music and is also the first Sri Lankan to release an English album Internationally with a major label. Universal Music will be distributing the album globally, while Asian Music Publishing UK will publish the album worldwide.

Music Business

Ashanthi is one of the only Sri Lankan Pop Stars with a Professional Music School to her name. ‘Ashanthi’s School Of Music’ nurtures aspiring young musicians from a very young age, grooming them into artistes for the professional stage from vocals, showmanship to attire and showbiz ‘know how’.

‘Ethno Entertainment Audio & Video Productions’ is also the brainchild of Ashanthi, a professional production house that caters to Sri Lanka’s best musicians and Advertising Agencies for all their creative needs.

Background info on the Artiste

The daughter of the famous Sri Lankan pop/jazz vocalist Antoinette de Alwis, Ashanthi is a past pupil of Ladies College Colombo, where she was actively involved in music from her childhood years under the supervision of Mrs. Christine Perera and was Choir leader in the year 2001 under the supervision of Mrs. Sharmini Wettimuny. Ashanthi was also a student of the Wendy Whatmore Academy of Speech and Drama under the supervision of Mrs. Anthea Peiris Flambert. She is also a past pupil of Mrs. Marianne David - Merry An singers where she had her formal training in Operatic and classical music.

Ashanthi has been the voice of many English / Sinhalese Radio / TV jingles from the tender age of 6 and currently voices 75% of the advertisements in Sri Lanka for Radio & TV.
Popular Advertisements to her credit are –

Kandos - (Kandos smile), Marmite, Newdale, Sunsilk, Tang,
Samsung - (Samsung Digital), Dialog - (Dialog Global), Ole - (Ole cream soda) Coca Cola, Anchor - (Anchor Boneeto), Union
Assuarance, Arpico, Sunlight, D.S.I - (D.S.I exclusive), Lipton Late and a host of others….

National & International Awards / Achievements

TOYP (Ten young outstanding personalities award) for her contribution to the Arts in Sri Lanka, awarded by the Junior Chamber of Commerce (2012)
Winner of Bite My Music Global Awards (The Grammy’s of Independent International music) - Best Pop Act (GOLD)
Winner of IndieGo Music Awards Asia – Best Female Singer (GOLD) Best Pop Act of Asia (SILVER), Best Hip Hop Act of Asia (Silver), Honarary Award for Most Creative & Innovative Act (2011)
Ashanthi released the single ‘Raavanan Raajyam' together with Dinesh K for the UK Movie ‘Tooting Broadway’, an official selection for the London Indian Film Festival, which premiered in June 2012.
Winner of Best Baila Music Video of the year for ‘Papare’ Derana Music Video Awards (2011)
Team Leader / Judge on Sri Lanka’s most watched reality show ‘Sirasa Mega Sangeeth’ (Sri Lanka’s equivalent to ‘the Voice’) that is currently making waves in the revolution of reality TV in Sri Lanka. (2011 – 2012)
Brand Ambassador for Dialog Telekom’s pre-paid brand ‘KIT’ (2006 – 2009)
Winner of the ‘Most promising Singer award’ at the Shanghai Asia music festival, where she represented Sri Lanka in China (2000)
Winner of ‘song of the year’ for her Solo hit ‘Angel’ on the ‘Oba Magemai’ album at the Golden Clef Music Awards in Sri Lanka (2003)
Winner of Best Hip Hop Video of the year at The Derana Music Video Awards (2008)
Judge for Sri Lanka’s own version of American Idol music reality TV show ‘Yes Superstar’ (2010)
Ashanthi is also actively involved in Advertising (lyric writing & production) and has created many Ad’s / theme songs / Original songs which have been aired on international TV stations such as BBC, Channel V & MTV

Performances with Major Label Artistes on the International stage

Ashanthi has performed alongside the following Major Label Artistes globally

Aqua – Shanghai, China 2000
Moffats – Shanghai, China 2000
Venga Boys – Colombo, Sri Lanka 2001
Ali Campbell and UB 40 – Colombo, Sri Lanka 2002
Vanessa Amarossi – Sydney Opera House 2005
Anthony Caleah (Winner of Australian Idol) – Sydney Opera House 2005
Sean Paul – Colombo, Sri Lanka 2010
IIFA Awards (International Indian Film Awards) alongside Salim Suleiman – Colombo, Sri Lanka 2010
Asha Bhosle (India’s no. 1 film singer of all time) – Colombo, Sri Lanka 2011

International Tours & Performances

Ashanthi has performed on many a stage within the country as well as overseas. Namely in India, Malaysia, Thailand, China, Australia, New Zealand, UK, France, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Canada, USA and other countries, performing to international audiences worldwide.

Milestones in performances overseas include…..

Millenium dome (London, UK) 2003
Child aid concert for Tsunami relief at the Opera house (Sydney, Australia) 2005
ITB World Conference (Berlin, Germany) 2005
Cannes film festival (Cannes, France) 2005
IIFA Awards (Colombo, Sri Lanka) 2010