Lankan Powerhouse in Music: Ashanthi De Alwis
1st August 2022
Interviewed By Stefania Perera
Written By Kusali Rupasinghe
Illustration by Shenuka Corea
In a male-dominated industry like the music business, breaking in requires tremendous effort. Ashanthi De Alwis, however, did just that. As a rapper, singer, and songwriter, she did not only break into the industry; rather, she established a significant and long-lasting presence for herself. Ashanthi is the only female Sri Lankan musician who has signed deals with not one, but two major record companies: Sony and Universal. One might underestimate how challenging her journey was after seeing her as the formidable figure we know her to be today, but Ashanthi remembers it well. This is illuminated when asked for an artefact, that is, any object which reminds her of her journey, she says, “for me more than a physical object, I think that it’s always been inner strength”. She reiterated this by saying, “having a lot of inner strength and courage to take every single step towards the bigger picture has gotten me this far”
From a young age, Ashanthi was interested in music. Laughing, she recalls how she used to grab her elder sister’s Walkman from its hiding place and listen to music. “When we were kids, we didn’t have Google or YouTube. It was all a cassette tape and writing your own lyrics. No professional vocal coaches who taught you how to sing”, she says, illustrating how different it was back then and how she had to perfect the art by herself. She fondly recalls how the first cassette she found was a Mariah Carey tape which she used to listen to “on repeat”. When she flipped the said tape and saw the words “Sony Music” on it, nine-year-old Ashanthi thought to herself, “One day I am going to be signed to Sony Music”. Talk about manifestation! “I believe so strongly in manifestation. Because if you have a vision, clearly think about it, and don’t let go of your goals, make sure that your whole activities and your thoughts are aligned, you can really manifest what you want”, says Ashanthi.
Elaborating on her journey Ashanthi recalls her mother’s importance to it. Antoinette De Alwis too was a pioneering musician back in the 70s. Describing her mother as “the ground beneath [her] feet” and “[her] role model”, she recalls how her mother juggled a sick husband, a music career and two kids. Ashanthi owes her strength to her mother saying, “I think it made me stronger. Because when you see those things, you don’t take things for granted. You appreciate everything that you’ve been given. And you also tend to have your feet on the ground because you can see the reality of life”.
Her grounded nature is evident as she doesn’t shy away from being vocal when the need arises, despite usually presenting herself publicly as apolitical. What matters to her is not politics, but the people. "I’m not supporting a party. I'm supporting the Sri Lankan people, freedom of speech, the freedom to have and exercise our fundamental rights as human beings," says Ashanthi. When she saw the struggles of everyday Sri Lankans, she knew she had to use her platform and speak up. She states with conviction, "As an influencer or an artist if you don’t do that for your people, there is no point in being an influence in the country at all. So, it's a job we have been given to take responsibility for on behalf of ourselves and others who don't have a voice. If we don't use our voice, what's the point? "
This is not the first time however that Ashanthi has raised her voice for important social causes. Instead of focusing on solely creating commercial music, she focused on using music as a medium to talk about causes that she is passionate about such as depression, suicide prevention and bringing awareness to gender-based violence. Two of her famous tracks addressing these issues are Hitha Danna Mithuranne and Rajiniye, which went on to win some international awards. Continuing this legacy, her latest release Maharani celebrates women’s strength, confidence, and individuality. The song further reflects Ashanthi’s commitment to creating music that empowers women while encouraging conversations around identity and self-worth. Ashanthi reflects, “Our culture is such a closed culture. We don't talk about anything; everything is on the surface. How are you feeling? I'm good, you will never even think twice before answering a question like that”. Ashanthi herself is no stranger to such treatment, especially within the music industry. In her own words it took her “double the strength, double the courage, double the energy and double everything” to be in this industry. “We have to fight twice as hard. Because we have to prove, hey, yes, I’m a woman but I also can do this”, she says.
As a rapper, singer, and songwriter, one might think Ashanthi has more than enough on her resume, but nothing brings her more joy than teaching at her music academy, Ashanthi School of Music. She founded the academy in 2009 to teach everything she knew about pop music. “When I come into a classroom to teach, I’m at complete ease”, says she. She mentions a few of her students who are now producing their own music, her school and her students with pride, love, and fondness. She’s particularly excited about teaching Sri Lankan kids in foreign countries, she says, “It's keeping Sri Lankan kids close to their culture in terms of teaching an experience, and it’s connecting Sri Lankans who are connected in music across the globe with each other”.
Despite all her impressive feats, Ashanthi strives to be humble and approachable. She attributes this nature to her mother whom she speaks of with pride. Ashanthi recalls, “Seeing my mom as a celebrity and on a stage, I learnt so much from that to be humble and have humility. Because I saw that character onstage and offstage, who was my mom who did everything that they are supposed to as a mom for me”. She wishes that people saw celebrities in the same light as they do a doctor or a lawyer, as just another person with a job. Nevertheless, one thing she’s very proud of is that her music with a cause has become a conversation starter on difficult and under-discussed matters. With pride, she says, “You can read the YouTube comments on the videos, and I have literally seen people saying ‘this song saved my life’… it’s a huge victory”
The primary source of happiness for Ashanthi is her work. “My whole day is filled with music. And I cannot even imagine, every day, how much joy and happiness that brings to me without even knowing… I’m blessed to be able to have my passion as my job”, she explains. If somebody asked someone to tell what they would say to their younger self, many would say something along the lines of "Do this instead of that", but not Ashanthi. She muses and firmly states, “If I’m to go back and tell my nine-year-old self, what to do, I’d say, do exactly the same thing that you did, without knowing. Because that is what got you here”.
Reference Links and Further Reading
Ashanthi De Alwis, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashanthi_De_Alwis
Ashanthi De Alwis – Another side to the Lankan queen of pop, The Morning, 2020 https://www.themorning.lk/brunch-page-1-ashanthi-de-alwis/
Championing causes through music, The Sunday Times, 2020 https://www.sundaytimes.lk/201011/magazine/championing-causes-through-music-419203.html
Notes
This article is pending support to be translated into Sinhala and Tamil. Please email storiesofslwomen@everystorysl.org if you would like to support us with translations or if you have any questions.
(Stefania Perera was the former the Finance and Operations Manager at Everystory. Apart from the fact that she is an ardent believer in the need for both Equity and Equality for all girls/women in Sri Lanka, her interests revolve around the area of social democracy and anti-corruption. Stefania holds an LLB (Hons) from the Staffordshire University and is an Attorney-at-Law of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka)
(Kusali Rupasinghe was a former Intern at Everystory. In addition to being a passionate young feminist who hopes to make a difference someday, she enjoys reading, listening to music, and, above all, watching movies. She has been running an Instagram film account, @cinemaismonamour, since April 2022, where she shares her passion for cinema. Kusali is a student at the University of Colombo's Faculty of Arts.)
