COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, April 2021: Despite the several challenges posed by the pandemic, Sri Lanka Unites (SLU) was able to host the second season of Beats of One Nation (BOON) recently. Adapting to the new normal and keeping in line with the health precautions implemented by the authorities, SLU creatively managed to conduct the concert – live streaming it via Facebook and YouTube. Six songs that were created originally for BOON Season 2 were performed on the day. SLU invites you to watch the live concert on their Facebook page or even listen to the songs individually!

We were also able to have special guest appearances by Danu Innasithamby who hosted the event, and the Singing Potatoes who graced the audience with their incredible performance! A special mention must also be made of Randhir Witana who performed at the concert but more importantly serves as the Music Director at SLU, heading the music department. This project was also supported by Ken Lappen who produced the album and dedicated his time to the young artists, training them for the live performance. The artists were backed by his band ‘The Outlaws’ at the launch.

Beats of One Nation (BOON), as a project, is a grant awarded by the U.S. Embassy to Sri Lanka and The Maldives under The Small & Mighty Grants Program which is quite unique in nature. SLU believes that music has the capacity to bring the various communities in Sri Lanka together. SLU has 14 years of experience in engaging over 3500 student leaders from all 25 districts at our annual conferences and has proven to be a great pilot for this theory. Young men and women of various backgrounds have had their first positive experience across ethnic or religious lines, often as a result of the music and arts section at our conference.

SLU looks to engage the broader audience across the nation. We believe that initiatives such as BOON, with celebrity musicians and diverse local talent, will attract a new audience that may not usually attend a reconciliation event – thereby giving us the ability to reach youth who are at a higher risk of engaging in violent extremism. It is also important to note that in developing countries like Sri Lanka, parents mainly emphasise on academia and fashioning a career out of traditional choices like commerce, science, medicine and law. Music and arts are often not options to pursue. We believe that an initiative that helps them experience the possibility of a career in the arts will also have a positive impact on society.

For each season, SLU invites youth from across the nation to apply for an opportunity as we select one from each province. This time, SLU held auditions in all nine provinces where Sri Lanka Unites has its offices. A total of 178 contestants participated in the same, from which seven fresh talents were discovered representing all ethnic and religious groups in Sri Lanka.

SLU continues to work towards engaging with youth across ethnic and religious lines through a variety of creative initiatives and would like to invite anyone who wishes to volunteer their time and expertise to join us!

For those of you who do not know about Sri Lanka Unites, please visit our website www.srilankaunites.org or follow us on Facebook and Instagram to get updates on all our initiatives and programs.