Release date – Sunday, the 22nd of August at 5.00 pm, and 25th August at 8.00 pm exclusively via Islandpulse.lk (Pulse). The official video will be premiered on youtube by 26th August. via Islandpulse.
‘If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration.’Nikola Tesla
The guitar’s ancestry can be traced back to the Lute and the ancient Greek Kithara believed to be over 4000 years old. There are those who attribute its origins to Spanish descent dating to the 15th century. Yet the guitar is a noble and ancient instrument that is widely loved because it is a polyphonic instrument that can be played solo or as part of an accompaniment. It is also portable, flexible, and approachable. Playing and mastering an instrument takes great discipline, patience, and dedication and the guitar is no exception. It is also known that playing guitar and bass can enhance verbal memory, spatial reasoning, and literacy skills by making one use both sides of their brain. Consider also that you can bend, use vibrato, hammer one, and pull-offs that you can’t do on many other instruments making it truly unique as it is an innovative invention.
Whether you hear the names of guitar-wielding icons like Tony Iommi, Jimmy Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Nita Strauss, Tosin Abbassi, Mark Knopfler, Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Satriani, Jason Becker, Dimebag Darrel, Chuck Shuldiner, Django Reinhart, Slash, Prince and George Benson or world-class bass players Steve Harris, Geddy Lee, Les Claypool, Flea, Ron Carter, Jack Bruce, Billy Sheehan, Tina Waymouth, Paul Chambers, Sheldon D’Silva, Victor Wooten, Cliff Burton, Tal Wilkenfield and Esperenza Spalding… what they all have in common is their sheer commitment to their craft, the love and masterful prowess of their instruments and the joy they have brought millions of people through their music.
Let us make no mistake, the guitar is a powerful, sonorous and magnificent instrument. Its therapeutic value cannot be undermined. Yet guitars are also prolific vocal instruments, so close to the human voice that the best guitarists in the world can make their instruments ‘sing’, paint sonic pictures in our minds, tug at our heartstrings, stir our very souls and tell stories that are emotionally stimulating, thought-provoking and evoke joy, poignancy, purpose, and harmony for the player and especially the listener.
The Sri Guitar Jam is a multi-cultural and diverse project uniting the foremost Sri Lankan guitarists from around the world as a collective. Sri Guitar Jam is special for a myriad of reasons. It is the first time something of such scope and magnitude has been conceptualized and brought to life. The idea for it originated and was given wings by Tennyson Napoleon, the guitarist and co-founder of Stigmata during the lockdown, as a means to unite guitarists and bassists of all genres and styles to partake and collaborate on an epic musical journey unlike anything heard or seen before. Sri Guitar Jam comprises a star-studded line-up of musicians; veterans and household sensations intertwined with new blood and young rising talent, all of Lankan origin from around the globe.
The first chapter of this momentous concept is titled Lemuria; inspired by a long-lost continent fabled to have been a civilization so advanced that it was rich with music, architecture, medicine, philosophy, sculpture, art, alchemy, magic, poetry, and mathematics. Lemuria is also known as Kumari Kandam is believed to have been located south of India in present-day Sri Lanka.
The first chapter: Lemuria is broken down into 4 expansive and elaborate volumes.
Volume I – OM: Emanate Previously released on 30 Oct 2020
Volume II – Lemuria: The Cradle of Civilization – latest release
Volume III – Kumari Kandam: The Aftermath
Volume IV – Rebirth: Utopia
What started as a very ambitious project for and in the name of Guitar-inspired music has grown into something so monumental that over 60 Guitarists; Ladies and Gents have now joined to be a part of this milestone project.
“Each music piece is original and a marvel of its own. It is a masterpiece of each and every creator who has joined the Sri Guitar Jam and is a part of it. The way it has grown and the sheer scope of it is truly overwhelming. I am blessed to have so many talented musicians to work with me to make this project a reality. This is truly for the love of Guitar based music but also to unite people through the power of music in these hard times to overcome and endure the pandemic and global crisis that has affected everyone from all walks of life” remarked Tenny (also known as Tenny Stigs), who is a stalwart of originality in the country for 20 Years, with a body of work consisting of 4 full-length albums with Stigmata, over 70 recorded original singles, artist collaborations which include his wife female Heavy Metal sensation Shehara’s debut album ‘Fountain of Memory’, song collabs with Classical Baritone Sanjeev Niles, and he was also given the honour to compose ‘Forever Young’ with Stigmata frontman Suresh de Silva for the historic 100 years at Mount Lavinia anthem of S.Thomas’ College by Warden Reverend Marc Billimoria in 2018. Tenny has toured around the world, performing and headlining festivals in Australia, New Zealand, Dubai, Malaysia, India, Maldives, and Bangladesh has been featured on The Discovery Channel and currently working on Stigmata’s 5th Album, recording it with Grammy-nominated UK based Lankan production icon Romesh Dodangoda who himself has produced music for Motorhead, Architects, Funeral For a Friend and Bring Me the Horizon. He is happily married with two sons and Professionally Tennyson is a Creative/Art Director in Advertising and the Creative Industry with 17 years experience.
The mammoth 50 + line-up features Guitarists and Bassists from multiple genres and musical styles: Allan, Amaranath, Amesh, Angelo, Anton, Ashen, Ashane, Avon, Chanaka, Derek, Delaine, Dennis, Dihan, Duleep, Dylan, Gayan, Gihan, Hiruni, Izzy, Jaaga, Kamal, Kavin, Khazim, Sarani and Uvindu, Lakshika, Madara, Mikhail, Mirshad, Misha, Nathan, Neuvi, Nisha, Prabudda, Prasad, Praveen, Primal, Rakitha, Ravin, Revon, Rewan, Riyal, Rohan and Rohitha, Sangeeth, Savindu, Shalinda, Shanaka, Shane, Sharman, Shashika, Shobi, Tenny, Tilak and Thisara.
The beauty of Sri Guitar Jam is that every artist is on board to lend their support to this unique project with the goal of creating original music with each other to share a positive message and give hope to other musicians, inspiring them to support one another. The 4 Volumes of Chapter One: Lemuria will be released free online as a Single and Video across digital formats so that each guitarist featured could push and promote themselves and improve their livelihoods in this difficult time.
For Volume 2: We have these amazing musicians who collaborated with the jam,
SARANI, UVINDU, KHAZIM, SHANAKA, DULEEP, PRIMAL, JAAGA, MISHA, AVON, DHANUSHKA, KAVIN, SHASHIKA, ROHAN & ROHITHA, THILAK, DYLAN, NEUVILLE, RIYAL, PRAVEEN, ANGELO, TENNY, THISARA, ALLAN, PRASAD, PRABUDDHA
Sri Guitar Jam would not have been possible if not for all the valuable Project Partners on board: Official PR Partner – TheGoodPR, Official Strategic Partner: Sandbox, Official Online Media Partner: Island Pulse and Pulse, Promotions and Online Partner: Decibel.lk, Podcast Partner: Channa Channa Channa, Promotions Partner: Sh3hara Sri Lankan Music, Promotions Partner: SL Bruh, Promotions Partner: Third Ear Productions, Promotions Partner: SL Metal Freak, Music Video Partner: Evil Cat Lab, Venue Partner: Wildchild Labz, Content Writer: Wordsmith.
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