Yohani de Silva

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Her hit rendition produced a mass following of cheerleaders

Against the backdrop of multiple crises on various fronts, 2021 proved to be another difficult year for Sri Lanka. With challenges ranging from the pandemic, ‘travel restrictions’ and lockdowns, to environmental and human rights concerns, and political skulduggery – not to mention ballooning debt, rising prices and dwindling forex reserves on the macroeconomic front – the country and its citizenry have had to navigate an obstacle course in pursuit of a post-COVID revival.

It was simply a case of survival of the fittest…

Having said that, Sri Lankans have displayed their resilience yet again with leading corporates and businesspeople being commended for their diehard efforts to get the country back to some sense of normalcy.

And there were illustrious citizens from other walks of life and numerous fields who also elevated the nation’s image on the international stage with their eye-catching feats. What’s more, they raised our spirits from time to time during what was a gut-wrenching year, following months of pandemic induced misery.

Be it by representing the country in the international sporting circuit or being identified as members of the academic and scientific community who have made global waves through invaluable contributions in their fields of expertise, these Sri Lankans have been the torchbearers of the nation’s pride – the image setters, so to say.

Among them was a young musician who shot to international fame with her rendition of ‘Manike Mage Hithe.’

Yohani de Silva’s heroics on the global stage and string of successes produced the positive vibes that we desperately needed, in addition to turning the spotlight on our precious nation – perhaps more than anyone else in 2021 – for all the right reasons.

Given the extent of Yohani’s contribution to enhancing the nation’s image to date and potential to do much more, the millennial trailblazer was conferred LMD’s Sri Lankan Of The year (SLOTY) award for 2021.

“While it cannot be denied that a number of Sri Lankans have served their country with pride and panache over the past year, and are equally deserving of LMD’s accolade, we are honouring Yohani de Silva as a first among equals, for she has connected with her fellow citizens as well as the wider international community across the troubled seas,” our January 2022 Cover Story summed up.

And Ashwini Vethakan’s tribute to Yohani remarked: “With the advancement of technology, the power of social media has increased in leaps and bounds. What began as a mere source of entertainment and means to communicate with one another remotely has become one of the most powerful tools in the world.”

“This tool has been used for both the destruction and betterment of society. Over the years however, many citizens of the world have found fame overnight – many hidden gems have been discovered and put on the right path, thanks to the world of social media. In this new world, becoming a viral phenomenon isn’t beyond the ordinary citizen; but what’s difficult is getting there for the right reasons,” she added.

Ashwini continued: “As luck would have it, young Yohani de Silva gained a mass following with her soothing rendition of Manike Mage Hithe – and the cheerleaders included fans from across the globe when Bollywood superstar and internationally acclaimed actor Amitabh Bachchan shared a TikTok video of a scene from his classic movie Kaalia, which was edited with the popular song.”

“All it took was a single share by Bachchan… and Yohani’s world changed overnight. It’s been refreshing to watch Sri Lanka making the headlines on international forums since September – for the first time in a long time, for the right reasons!” she quipped.

Call it a cult following or sensationalism but this millennial musician has entertained fans across the seas with her dainty soprano tunes, vibrant personality and refreshing character. And Yohani’s credits distinguish her as an artiste, a producer and a rapper – quite the collection of talents, let it be said.

As 2021 drew to a close, Yohani de Silva’s groundbreaking cover Manike Mage Hithe had more than 185 million views on YouTube from around the world while her Instagram followers and YouTube channel subscribers had increased dramatically… by the millions, in fact.

And as a matter of fact, LMD’s January SLOTY cover post on Facebook garnered more than 1,000 ‘Likes.’

Ashwini summed up in LMD: “If there is one lesson Yohani has taught the young and impressionable gen Z and Alpha populations out there, it’s that any youngster can realise his or her dream by working hard… and cultivating a positive mindset that says ‘anything is possible’.”