Alston Koch says Colombo Christmas Street will elevate festive season

The highly-anticipated Colombo Christmas Street which is to be held from 21-23 December at Green Path will feature Sri Lankan born Australian singer-songwriter, film producer, record producer and actor Alston Koch, who will be performing a series of Christmas carols to make the event more memorable and festive. In an interview with Daily FT yesterday, Alston Koch outlined what we can expect from him at the event and shared advice for local young artistes on how to make a mark in the competitive music industry. Following are excerpts:

• Colombo Christmas Street to feature famous singer-songwriter Alston Koch
• ‘Event shows that we are a country of peace and tolerance’

By Shannon Jayawardena

Q: Being a world-renowned artiste who has won multiple awards, such as the Global Officials of Dignity Award, what inspired you to get into the field of music?

A: I have always been very interested in music and I belonged very much to the church. Like Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond and so on, who were all inspired by gospel music which is performed in churches, that where I drew my inspiration from, and it eventually grew and grew. I then found that I could not concentrate on my studies as I always wanted to do something in the field of music, so this was my initial experience.

Q: As this is your first performance at Colombo Christmas Street, what are you expectations of the event and do you hope to perform at such events in the years to come?

A: Yes, I am looking forward to the event because it’s something very unique and I have not seen an event on such a grand scale anywhere else in the world. It is very commendable because Sri Lanka is actually a Buddhist country and for the President, Prime Minister and all other officials to make this event a reality is truly great.

Q: The Colombo Christmas Street which was held last year for the first time proved to be a great success, attracting both local and foreign tourists. What are your views on the event?

A: This event really shows the world that we are a country of peace and tolerance and today tolerance is very important. When we look around the world, we have Muslims fighting against Muslims, Christians fighting against Christians and so much violence. Being a Buddhist country and to do something like this is fantastic and I’m proud to be a part of it.

Q: What are some of the songs that you are hoping to perform at the event?

A: Unfortunately I will be only performing Christmas songs since this is the festive season. John Lennon’s ‘So This Is Christmas’ which I have changed a little bit with a twist of my own, ‘O Holy Night’ and the much-loved ‘Silent Night’ are a few of the carols I’ll be singing.

Q: Will you be performing on both days and at what times?

A: I’ll be doing four shows back to back during my stay in Sri Lanka which I’ve never done before. I’ll be performing for the President, Prime Minister, at the Arcade, and of course at the Colombo Christmas Street. I will be performing on both days of Colombo Christmas Street from about 7 p.m. onwards, when the lights come on.

Q: How do you think this event will contribute to the festive season in the country, which is quite often understated in comparison to other countries?

A: I think already from the number of phone calls, flowers and emails that I’ve been getting, the people are very excited about the whole thing. I think it has already created a really fantastic momentum in the country.

Q: As a song writer, what inspires you and what’s your favorite aspect of the writing process?

A: I’ve been writing music all my life and I write from my own experiences. I’ve had to start my life all over again in many different places. I was born and educated in Sri Lanka and went to Australia which was very tough because the competition is unbelievable. They would never believe that talent can come out of Asia because if you look around the world, most of the biggest artistes are from countries elsewhere. England had the Beetles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John; America had Michel Jackson and Europe had ABBA; but there has never been a huge star from Asia who has been able to take over the Western world. So it’s about time Asia took its stand on the international stage as well, hence this has been my favorite part of the process.

Q: What advice do you have for the local young artistes who are striving to compete in the music industry?

A: I think the time will come for Asia to make its mark as they are already doing so in the financial world as well as in the music industry. If you look at Sri Lanka, its growth is truly remarkable. Therefore entertainment wise we have to do something stronger. Be original, which is the most important thing. If you are original, you can do great things in the world. In music if you play your original tune and melody, that is the first step towards success.

Pic by Ruwan Walpola