History..............!!!!!!
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The beginning......................

Twins - Rohitha J. and Rohans story......

At the age of 4, in Montissorri ( Kindergarden), when they got two little guitars as presents from their Grandfather......The Twins Rohitha J. and Rohan,... fell in love with music...!!!... and from then.. their destiny was assured..!! Born in a West coastal town Chilaw in Sri Lanka, to fulfill their childhood music dreams......with self made wooden guitars, Drums made out of Tins, Cans, Grandmamas Pot- top Cymbals and 7 Cousins....at the age of 8..."7 BIRDS" was their first band. When the others loose their interest with the time-run,.. Twins continued music as a subject  at Maris Stella College Negombo, where they studied.... and singing in Church choirs.

At the age of 13-14, with two Marist Brothers (Milton & Victor),.... their teachers who really taught them how to play guitars... the band "SERENDIB" was born. Performing "Live" for School Events, private functions and winning several Song Contests....They made their feet firm on the local music scene. Twins fathers PROMISE  " If you get through well in the O/L (Ordinary Level) Examination, You will get Sound Equipment and Instruments for the band"... was a CHALLENGE..!!! They did it..!!! with the best results in the College..!!!  Rohithas love for drumming changed from pots and pans to a real Ludwig drum set, Rohans wooden Bass became real... a Jazz Bass..!!! under fathers management.... The Proffessional  music career has begun. Taking Jazz, Modern Drum and Percussion lessons under a pioneer of Srilankan drum Guru K.Ziad and Bass techniques from the veteran bassist Donald, made the way for perfection on their instruments.

" We were very lucky...!!! and greatfull to our Parents, Teachers, Relations (...Loku Uncle, Anton Uncle..),Band members (Wasantha, Anton -Sunflower, Anil -Xperiments, Ranjith) Boodee and all our Friends ( too many to mention.. U know who U are..!!)  for all the support and guidence,... all of them are a part of our journey..... RESPECT..!!!"

Inspired from Idols and Legends from the 70`s, 80`s ,..... Bob Marley, Third World, Bowie, Floyd, Shanker, Khan,... and locally Clarence, Pandit Amaradewa.., SERENDIB was always different  in music and performances for sold-out Concerts "SERENDIB in Concert" to mark the youth year 1985, EXPLOSION `86 - Peace Concert, Flash Night `87.....gained popularity in and around Tourist circuits in the West coast  Sri Lanka.

The countries situation around late 80s, starting 90s.... did not play a friendly role for the up and coming youths.......with an invitation from a friend, in early 1989 Rohitha J. took wings to  AUSTRIA to continue his further studies in Architecture at the University of Fine Arts in Vienna.....there he saw, to achieve their goals and dreams in the international music scene is closer. One half was missing.. for both...!!! In 1991 Rohan also left the Island to join his brother....together...a new START..!! new CHALLENGE..!!! in a new WORLD..!!

 


JAYASRI TWINS with their first guitars.......

 

 

The Crossroads.....!!! in 1996 summer, ATOLL the floating discotheque on the Danube river in Vienna where Rohitha J. use to spin as a DJ with Reggae-Ragga-Cool Vibes...!!! the threesome Rohitha J., Rohan and Aruna met...!!! A new Beginning..!!!

 

the birth of JAYASRI...........................

JAYASRI......the Beginning.......1996-97...!!!!

The three adventurous musicians decided to seek greener pastures in Europe they knew they had to work hard for their dreams to become a reality. Hard work it was. Because in Europe you can not be laid back and expect Lady Luck to sympathetically drop nuggets of fortune on your lap. So the threesome Rohitha J., Rohan and Aruna brainstormed to be different from the rest, experimenting a traditional project the image of Sri Lanka (Asia) to the European audiences and the result was JAYASRI .... a highly creative, original music and act was born...!!!

The other Live, Creative Heads of JAYASRI - King Parvez (Bangladesh), Sumal (Sri Lanka), Moses (Nigeria) were always around them jamming with their other projects in the Vienna music scene (Rootsman, Serendib with Chiran, Ruwan, Kurt)......together.....a new scene...!!!!

Their sound was rich, textured, natural and sometimes sophisticated incorporating many interesting and diverse influences from traditional and modern Asia, Africa, Europe and Carribean. In 1998 they build-up their own label, studio and rehearsal room JAYASRI POWER POT in Vienna....with their feet firmly planted in the worlds of producing, recording, remixing, live performing and scene making.......effortlessly blending rich vocals, raggamuffin, classical raggas, live instrumentation with the beats, loops and digital technology of contemprory electronics where it necessary and fits,...they started producing a fusion that is listenable and danceable in equal measure.

 The name JAYASRI....??? " We wanted to have a strange name that people talk about,  also to have an identity of our own in the world music scene. The sinhala letter " SRI (Shri) " is mystic, artistic, endless, also it is holy in our Asian culture. JAYASRI means.... wish you  success, victory, fortune, happiness, Goodluck...!!!! (JAYA- victory,success; SRI- fortune, happiness) also used during the ancient times to greet the Kings in Sri Lanka....."JAYASRI...!! Maharaja."                                          


 



 




 



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