The Khemadasa FoundationThe Khemadasa Foundation was established in Sri Lanka in 1992 by Premasiri Khemadasa to foster the musical talents of low-income youths, especially from underprivileged parts of the country. All training and courses given to these students has been free of charge. Since its inception the foundation has trained hundreds of singers and musicians, who have performed major compositions in Sri Lanka and abroad. The opera “Doramandala,” which made 3.7 million rupees on opening night, the renowned buddhist cantata “Pirinivan Mangalyaya,” and the operas, “Sonduru Varnadasai” and “Agni” are a few of the acclaimed foundation productions. Many students of the Khemadasa Foundation have become veteran performers all across Sri Lanka. The foundation has maintained, from its founding, the mission to create an alternative vision for the nation, one which can generate a socio-cultural transformation and eliminate the barriers (and animosity) between the Sinhala and Tamil ethnic groups. The foundation’s uniqueness lies in its human-rights agenda based on the teamwork and respect vital to music and the performing arts. There is nothing else like it in Sri Lanka. Since the death of Premasiri Khemadasa, the “Maestro,” in 2008, the foundation has been reorganized under a new board of directors and strives to continue its work of musical charity and artistic bridge-building. Address: No.51/5, email: anupa_perera@yahoo.com |