Ranidu Lankage
Encyclopedia
Ranidu Lankage is a Sinhalese R&B and hip hop
artist who raised the international profile of Sinhalese RnB/pop. Lankage is the first Sinhalese artist to be played on BBC Radio 1
and the creator of the first Sinhalese single to be played on MTV
and channel V and Z music India. A graduate in Economics from Yale University
, Ranidu currently works at Google
.
Advanced Level
exam in 2000 and went on to study economics at Yale University
on a full scholarship. He had represented Sri Lanka in squash at the Asian junior championships and played cricket for Royal College.
n music. In 2007, DeLon
's single "Nasty Girl" debuted at #36 on the Billboard Charts
. Lankage's first single with Ashanthi, "Oba magemai," gained popularity and made Ranidu & Ashanthi the youngest Sri Lankan artists to be signed by an international record label, Sony Music India. Ranidu followed his first single with four Top 20 hits: "Obe ath allagena," "Sinasenna," "Kandulen midee" and "Sadaa." The "Oba Magemai" (Your mine) album was one of the top-selling albums in Sri Lanka.
In summer 2003, he returned to the studio to create the album "Diviyapura" (All my life) Released in summer 2004, the album included the single "Ahankara Nagare," which climbed to the top of the charts within days and became the biggest original Sri Lankan single in a decade. The song also charted on the BBC's Asian Music list, which led to its becoming the first Sinhalese single to be included in an internationally distributed compilation,.It became one of the most successful albums by a Sri Lankan artist of all time.
Lankage followed up with "Kelle," which landed on the BBC Asian Chart, received rave reviews, and got worldwide airplay.
The album "Iraj" featured three tracks by Lankage, "Ninda noyana handawe", "Madumathiye" and "Playas lounge". Composed and sung by Lankage, "Ninda noyanawas" was the most popular love ballad to come out in 2005.
In March 2005, Lankage performed at the Sydney Opera House
in Australia
with Iraj Weeraratne
and his group.
That summer, Ranidu embarked on his first major tour in Sri Lanka
; all shows were successful. Ranidu collaborated with Iraj to produce " Mata Aloke Genadevi Sansaraye," a Sri Lankan No. 1 that was aired on BBC Radio 1
, BBC Asian Network
, 1 Xtra. Aloke was also included in the "Bombay Bronx" compilation by the BBC's DJ and Ranidu and Iraj's mentor DJ Nihal. Ranidu appeared on the Adil Ray
show of the BBC's Asian network to promote the single's inclusion in the station's main playlist.
, Anson of the DID Crew from Trinidad
, Holee Smokez and the MDT crew from New York
, Yohan Rakapakse, Yauwanan, Ranga D (The god) and many more. One song, "Herde Keniththuwa" produced by Iraj, was the theme for the 2006 movie "Anjalika". The first official single "Paa salamba sala- ft Anson" was released on Radio 1 and BBC Asian Network
in December 2006 and was the first Sinhalese single to be on the “A” list of the Asian network. Lyrics for the album were provided by Bandula Nanayakkarawasam, Chanaka Jayasekera, Kelum Shreemal, Vasantha Dukgannarala and a childhood friend of Ranidu’s Anuradha Uduwage. Ranidu along with Iraj and the crew are planning a tour of the US, Canada
, Australia
, Dubai
, Cyprus
and the UK.
Oba Magemai (2003)
Sinasenna (2004)
Ahankara nagare (2005)
Kelle (2005)
Ninda Noyana Handawe (2005)
Unmada dethol (2007)
Paa salamba sala(2008)
Hinahenne mung/Nil Nayaniye(2009)
Mage Nangi (2009)
Sebalanani (2009)
Athamita kasi/Fake Friendz (2010)
Amme mathakai nam (2010)
Meghatthin Nanam(2011)
Dile Ape tharu/Sri Lanka Cricket world cup ICC Official theme song (2011)
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
artist who raised the international profile of Sinhalese RnB/pop. Lankage is the first Sinhalese artist to be played on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
and the creator of the first Sinhalese single to be played on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and channel V and Z music India. A graduate in Economics from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
, Ranidu currently works at Google
Google
Google Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
.
Education
Ranidu was educated at Royal College, Colombo, where he was ranked fourth in Sri Lanka, third in Colombo district in the competitive General Certificate of EducationGeneral Certificate of Education
The General Certificate of Education or GCE is an academic qualification that examination boards in the United Kingdom and a few of the Commonwealth countries, notably Sri Lanka, confer to students. The GCE traditionally comprised two levels: the Ordinary Level and the Advanced Level...
Advanced Level
Advanced Level
The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...
exam in 2000 and went on to study economics at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
on a full scholarship. He had represented Sri Lanka in squash at the Asian junior championships and played cricket for Royal College.
Career
Lankage has produced hits that have revolutionized Sri LankaSri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n music. In 2007, DeLon
DeLon (rapper)
Dilan Jayasingha better known as his stage name, DeLon, is an aspiring American hip hop artist and record producer.DeLon is the first Sri Lankan artist to place on the U.S...
's single "Nasty Girl" debuted at #36 on the Billboard Charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
. Lankage's first single with Ashanthi, "Oba magemai," gained popularity and made Ranidu & Ashanthi the youngest Sri Lankan artists to be signed by an international record label, Sony Music India. Ranidu followed his first single with four Top 20 hits: "Obe ath allagena," "Sinasenna," "Kandulen midee" and "Sadaa." The "Oba Magemai" (Your mine) album was one of the top-selling albums in Sri Lanka.
In summer 2003, he returned to the studio to create the album "Diviyapura" (All my life) Released in summer 2004, the album included the single "Ahankara Nagare," which climbed to the top of the charts within days and became the biggest original Sri Lankan single in a decade. The song also charted on the BBC's Asian Music list, which led to its becoming the first Sinhalese single to be included in an internationally distributed compilation,.It became one of the most successful albums by a Sri Lankan artist of all time.
Lankage followed up with "Kelle," which landed on the BBC Asian Chart, received rave reviews, and got worldwide airplay.
The album "Iraj" featured three tracks by Lankage, "Ninda noyana handawe", "Madumathiye" and "Playas lounge". Composed and sung by Lankage, "Ninda noyanawas" was the most popular love ballad to come out in 2005.
In March 2005, Lankage performed at the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
with Iraj Weeraratne
Iraj Weeraratne
Iraj Weeraratne is an Sinhalese R&B and hip hop artist and music producer who raised the international profile of Sinhalese RnB/pop.-External links :*...
and his group.
That summer, Ranidu embarked on his first major tour in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
; all shows were successful. Ranidu collaborated with Iraj to produce " Mata Aloke Genadevi Sansaraye," a Sri Lankan No. 1 that was aired on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, BBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network is a British radio station serving those originating from and around the Indian subcontinent. The music and news comes out of the main urban areas where there are significant communities with these backgrounds. The station has production centres in Birmingham, Leicester and London...
, 1 Xtra. Aloke was also included in the "Bombay Bronx" compilation by the BBC's DJ and Ranidu and Iraj's mentor DJ Nihal. Ranidu appeared on the Adil Ray
Adil Ray
Adil Ray is a British radio and television presenter, and actor born 26 April 1974 in Birmingham, England.- Background :Adil Ray is of Pakistani and Kenyan origin. He began his career as a radio host on a pirate radio station in Huddersfield while studying at the University of Huddersfield and...
show of the BBC's Asian network to promote the single's inclusion in the station's main playlist.
Current life
His self-titled third album, which contains Sinhalese Neo Soul, Asian hip hop and reggae music, is the first to combine Sri Lankan music with American- and Caribbean-style Rap. Ranidu sang all the vocals and produced all the tracks. Ranidu is collaborating with many artists on this album including Iraj, West coast Rapper DeLonDeLon (rapper)
Dilan Jayasingha better known as his stage name, DeLon, is an aspiring American hip hop artist and record producer.DeLon is the first Sri Lankan artist to place on the U.S...
, Anson of the DID Crew from Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, Holee Smokez and the MDT crew from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Yohan Rakapakse, Yauwanan, Ranga D (The god) and many more. One song, "Herde Keniththuwa" produced by Iraj, was the theme for the 2006 movie "Anjalika". The first official single "Paa salamba sala- ft Anson" was released on Radio 1 and BBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network
BBC Asian Network is a British radio station serving those originating from and around the Indian subcontinent. The music and news comes out of the main urban areas where there are significant communities with these backgrounds. The station has production centres in Birmingham, Leicester and London...
in December 2006 and was the first Sinhalese single to be on the “A” list of the Asian network. Lyrics for the album were provided by Bandula Nanayakkarawasam, Chanaka Jayasekera, Kelum Shreemal, Vasantha Dukgannarala and a childhood friend of Ranidu’s Anuradha Uduwage. Ranidu along with Iraj and the crew are planning a tour of the US, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and the UK.
Diviya Pura (2004)
- Ahankara Nagare
- Diviyapura
- Sansaraye
- Kelle
- Minisathkame
- Obe Adare (Osuwak Wage)
- Get Up Get Down
- Kali Yugaye II
- Sanda Thaniwela
- Oben Mulawennam
- Ahankara Nagare (Iraj's Punjabi Mix)
Ranidu (2007)
- Unmada Dethol (New York Mix)
- Sithuwili
- Surangana As
- Paa Salamba Sala
- Jeevana Mera Thu
- Herede Keniththuwa
- Palayanne Naa Maa
- Mata Adara Asena Ime
- Mage Adare Namin
- Samanaliye
- Oba Aa Nisa
- Unmada Dethol (Bhangra Mix)
- Nasty Girl
- Kelle (Hitfactory Mix)
Singles
VideosOba Magemai (2003)
Sinasenna (2004)
Ahankara nagare (2005)
Kelle (2005)
Ninda Noyana Handawe (2005)
Unmada dethol (2007)
Paa salamba sala(2008)
Hinahenne mung/Nil Nayaniye(2009)
Mage Nangi (2009)
Sebalanani (2009)
Athamita kasi/Fake Friendz (2010)
Amme mathakai nam (2010)
Meghatthin Nanam(2011)
Dile Ape tharu/Sri Lanka Cricket world cup ICC Official theme song (2011)