2Forty2 will grace the Invercargill Workingmen’s Club with their genre-fusing sounds and dynamic, multi-lingual show which has made them a household name and one of the ‘‘top five bands in Sri Lanka.’’
The 12-piece band included Invercargill on their New Zealand national tour after BL Production event organisers Banura Jayawardhane and Lahiru Dias convinced them to play in the Deep South.
Mr Jayawardhane said they were grateful that the band agreed to do a performance in Invercargill because their music had meant so much to different generations of the Sri Lankan community.
‘‘The songs they play are very iconic ... they are songs that we grew up with and they really take you back to your childhood and make you think about your homeland,’’ Mr Jayawardhane said.
Their version of a classic Sri Lankan hit Amathanka Karannepa (‘‘I will remember’’) by artist Gypsies would guarantee an audience sing along.
The band sing in multiple languages including Sri Lanka’s Sinhala and Tamil, as well as in Hindi, Spanish and English.
They perform covers of beloved traditional Sri Lankan songs as well as original material lead by main vocalist and co-band founder Billy Fernando.
Sri Lankans from as far as Nelson, Christchurch, Dunedin and surrounding Southland areas had already snapped up 400 out of the 500 tickets on sale for the event.
Event promoter Lahiru Dias said the concert was a great opportunity for everyone, not just Sri Lankans, to enjoy celebrating their culture and music.
‘‘Music is a universal language ... like any community, regardless of what language you speak, music is something that heals the mind as well as provides entertainment,’’ Mr Dias said.
The audience could expect a unique family-friendly event which will include a kids’ corner so parents can enjoy the show while the children are being cared for.
