Touching souls with Music – Soundarie David
17th October 2022
Written By Rachithra Sandanayaka
Reviewed By Noor Aziz
Illustration by Danushri Welikala
Soundarie David Rodrigo is renown in the local and international choral music community for her many achievements in the field. She is a qualified pianist and a piano accompanist, and graduated from the prestigious Royal College of Music in London. She is the founder and the Music director of Sri Lanka’s premier female ensemble “Soul Sounds” – the first choir in the country to perform and win awards internationally over the last 20 years. She continues her music journey through nurturing young musicians and by developing a path for them to explore new opportunities through the Soul Sounds Academy.
Hailing from a musical family, Soundarie developed her love and inspiration for music through her grandfather, who was also a church organist. Even her chosen artefact was given to her by her beloved Grandfather - a little iron cross which fits into her palm, with 1938 written behind it. Soundarie describes her artefact as “something [I] never travel without, I never sleep without it, it's always under my pillow”. She explains that the cross gives her strength to overcome the myriad of challenges she has to go through in her life – “it's just something that gives me a lot of confidence, the constant reminder of … the fact that it's my grandfather's and it's with me”.
Soundarie attended Holy Family Convent in Bambalapitiya for her primary and secondary education, and she still considers it a second home. She reminisces this phase of her life amusingly recounting how she “was always very cheerful… I would be up to no good,” playing harmless and silly pranks on her classmates. She also notes that while she was keen on music, she was also very ambitious, and very clear about who and what she wanted to be.
In all this her biggest ally and partner in crime was her father. He was her biggest inspiration, and he always (together with her mother) gave Soundarie her space to follow her dreams. When he passed away due to a sudden heart attack in April 2022, Soundarie’s life was changed, and it has not been easy to navigate through life without his presence. She also has a supportive and patient family and husband who have always given her the space to follow her dreams. Soundarie always wanted to do her best in everything she pursued, whether in academics or music. Driven by her determination, she went on to study Law at the University of Colombo and qualified as an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. She also has a masters in Law from the University of California, Berkeley.
Throughout her demanding legal studies, she also managed to keep up her music practice, balancing two very demanding areas with commitment, dedication, and passion. She mentions how “everybody at law faculty was studying 24/7, and there I was at the Lionel Wendt”. Her criminal law professor at the time gave her valuable advice which helped her get through this time - “you need to do quality work in that amount of time you have… if you have only 5 hours, it will be more productive than somebody sitting with a book for 24 hours”, and for Soundarie, this advice helped balance many things at once and multi-tasking things even later in life. This sense of discipline and determination allowed her to complete her music studies at the Royal College of Music in London and to continue her career in Music even after becoming a lawyer.
Her family describes her as talkative, stubborn and moody, to this she says “I'm kind of very edgy sometimes, especially if I have performances. And then they don’t speak to me, they just let me be alone [before] performances”. For her, her family’s understanding was the biggest support - being edgy before a major performance is not so unusual for an artist of her calibre, it's what makes them human. To have a family that “gets” her and supports her through those nervous times helped her become who she is today. Soundarie also had many other supporters and allies growing up: she fondly remembers all her music teachers who inspired her from the beginning; her violin and piano teacher, the late Mrs. Billimoria - “she [was] really looked upon as one of the best teachers [who produced] a lot of musicians in the country and she was super, super straight. When I started and asked to go for my lessons, I used to have this stomach-ache because I was so nervous. But I kept practising to make sure my lesson goes well without getting scolded”. She also notes Mrs. Ramya De Livera Perera and Aunty Mary-Anne, the latter being who first introduced her to choral singing. Soundarie also looked up to two role models while she was studying Law at the University of Colombo – Dr. Radhika Coomaraswamy and later on, the former Indian Foreign Secretary, Nirupama Rao.
Soul Sounds’ journey, starting out as an all-female school alumni choir to becoming recognised locally and internationally for its vibrant, skillful performances, has been the biggest challenge Soundarie had to encounter. However, she also views these challenges that have come her way as what drove her to do and strive for better. She believes that pushing past challenges and seeing something through to the end is what gives her joy- “so I guess my message would be, don't give up on something if you think it's right.”
She remembers fondly those who stood in solidarity with her during those challenging times, especially during the time she studied at the Royal College of Music. She shares how all her colleagues were brilliant musicians and helped each other through the final recitals as opposed to being jealous and competitive with each other – “[there was] so much unity and solidarity…and these are friendships that we still maintain today”. The international choral directors community has also been a source of immense support to her, particularly during the pandemic, where they shared ideas and online events to learn from each other to navigate a challenging time. Locally, well-wishers and other artists have been there throughout her journey, from helping with the technicalities of music recording to providing opportunities. Soundarie is recognised as a respectable musician among fellow musicians in the country - this is reflected time and time again through the collaborations she does with many local artists, companies, and organisations.
Through many acclaimed performances all over the world, she was able to place Sri Lanka on the map of the International Choral Music world. Furthermore, she has performed with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka playing Beethovan’s piano concerto number one and the famous Greig Piano Concerto. She has also performed the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Bombay Chamber Orchestra in 2009. In 2015, she performed the Rhapsody in Blue with the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka. She enjoys collaborating with various singers and instrumentalists for recitals.
Soundarie has helped to change the course of choral music in Sri Lanka in an enormous way. But more importantly she feels that “if you can touch someone's soul with music, and if you can convey a message just by someone listening to you, for me, that is all that matters”. There’s no doubt that Soundarie has achieved this in so many ways. Soundarie's experience studying abroad, particularly at the Royal College of Music in London, together with her extensive exposure to international musical communities, inspired her vision of creating a music academy that would combine artistic excellence with inclusivity. Drawing from these experiences, she founded the Soul Sounds Academy as a vibrant space where people of all ages can discover, develop, and celebrate their love for music.
Over the years, the academy has grown beyond its foundations in vocal training to offer lessons in piano, violin, and guitar, providing students with a well-rounded musical education. More than simply teaching music, the academy has fostered a supportive community where creativity, confidence, and meaningful connections flourish through shared musical experiences. At the heart of Soundarie's vision is the belief that music should be accessible to everyone. Guided by this philosophy, the academy offers integration through music for children with special needs, using music as a means of encouraging learning, expression, and inclusion. The academy has also expanded its outreach through initiatives such as a Senior Choir for adults aged 60 and above and a Parent Choir, ensuring that opportunities to make music extend across generations.
Soundarie is one of the most skilled pianists and instrumentalists of our time. It is a difficult task for a Sri Lankan musician to achieve what she has achieved and to make a mark internationally in these renowned musical communities, which she continues to do through her diverse, innovative, and passionate approach to the practice. Soundarie David Rodrigo, who is not only a brilliant pianist and a musician but also a Choral Director, Intellectual Property Lawyer, Music Educationist and Adjudicator, has indeed touched our Souls with her music.
Further Readings:
The Soul Sounds Academy: http://soulsoundsacademy.org/soundarie-david-rodrigo/
Soundarie David Rodrigo, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundarie_David_Rodrigo
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.
(Rachithra Sandanayaka was the former Finance and Operations Manager at Everystory Sri Lanka and the first Curator and Coordinator of the Young Feminist Network and its newsletter. Before this, she was a Finance associate for two years in a corporate setting and moved into the development space in 2020. Her passions are Theatre and Music.)
(Noor Aziz is a writer, social worker, and the Programme Manager for Stories of Sri Lankan Women at Everystory Sri Lanka. Grounded in psychology, social work, and gender justice, she works toward building ethical, inclusive workplaces. Driven by her love for literature, the arts, and human connection, she is endlessly curious about how culture shapes the spaces we share.)
