Born with a boon for music | Daily News

Born with a boon for music

Picture by Thushara Fernando
Picture by Thushara Fernando

Nilukshi the Nightingale of Sri Lankan Tamil music began to sing at the age of 5 and still continues to captive all of us with her honey dripping voice. For her music is a happy accident.

“As a kid my interest lied in Classical dancing and not singing. Music was a happy accident .When I was five years old my parents took me to watch a Tamil movie called ‘NeeramMaarathaPookal’. It was an Illaiyaraaja musical. I was utterly enthralled by the music and kept on humming the tunes. My aunt noted this talent of mine but none of us took it seriously,” she recalled.

Almost a decade later when she was 15 years old her aunt asked her to sing a song for her and when she finished she was astonished by the way Nilukshi sang.

“She encouraged me to take part in competitions but I was shy and reluctant .My father persuaded me to take part in Rupavahini’s Sangamam. It was a very popular show back then. More than 150 musicians had come to take part. I grew anxious and wanted to go back home because they were selecting only a limited number of participants and the rest were eliminated. I feared rejection but my father encouraged me to go ahead,” she confessed.

“My turn finally came. The judges gave me a loud applause and asked me to sing once again. That was the turning point of my life. I took music seriously after that .I joined few music classes but none of them worked for me. So I self-taught by listening to songs,” she added.

Later Nilukshi joined a few bands and performed as a lead singer.

“I’ve sung songs in all the genres but I mostly perform cinema songs because that’s what the audience like to listen to. Even though I was doing fine as a singer I didn’t see much growth in my career. So I decided to do freelancing and I did see changes in my career,” Nilukshi said.

Everyone enjoys singing but only a few are born with a beautiful tone and Nilukshi is one of them.

“Everyone I meet tell me that I have a beautiful voice. When I was young I didn’t care much about it. I realized the value of my voice much later and I have taken extra care of it ever since .I practice hard but I make sure I don’t strain my voice too much,” Nilukshi said.

Taking a nostalgic route by recalling her roots Nilukshi adds, “Fifteen years ago Lions Club Colombo filtered the best out of the best. I was one among them. I was given the golden opportunity to sing with the legendary singers SPB and Yesudas in Chennai, India .It was a surreal experience. Sharing the stage with the people you admire the most was bigger than my imagination. The grandeur of the event didn’t strike me then. Only now I cherish those priceless moments,” she expressed.

Talking about her favourite tunes Nilukshi says, “Illaiyaraaja music is music for the soul. I grew up listening to his wonderful music but that doesn’t mean that I don’t enjoy other music directors’ music. I love to perform to A R Rahman’s music and it makes more sense for us to perform to A R Rahman ‘s music because that’s what’s in trend. My current favorite is D Imman. His music is a blend of both Illaiyaraaja and A R R.”

Performing on stage is a source of income for some but Nilukshi says that it is a divine journey.

“It’s been 20 years since I started performing on stage. Initially I was very shy and afraid. It took me five years to learn to position a mic. I’m certainly more confident than before but I don’t take the stage for granted. Even today I climb on stage with the same excitement and respect I had on my first day. The stage is like a temple to me .The stage means the world to me,” Nilukshi stated.

Speaking about those who helped her in her success Nilukshi says, “Choosing music as a career is not favored by many but my parents were very supportive. My father in particular was with me all the way. He was the captain of my ship. He sailed my career towards the right path by making the best decisions and giving advice at difficult times. While I was at the peak of my career I met with an accident and was bedridden. I couldn’t perform for a while. I was heartbroken but my father never lost hope and taught me to be strong and courageous. My father is the pillar of support. I’m here because of him,” she reminisced.

“I have toured European countries, middle east and India but the most memorable performances are from Sri Lanka .It’s always a pleasure to sing for the home crowd,”she added with a smile.

Nilukshi and her husband, KaruppaihpillaiPrabhakaran, have started a band called ‘Aarohana’. The band aims to launch passionate singers into the industry and also plans to help needy artists. 


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