Still, the best was yet to come and arrived in the form of the committee members behaving silly and putting “Carlotta” to shame, as they paraded in drag to Dr Siridev singing live, the Sri Lankan born Bill Forbe’s hit song “Ladies of Calcutta”. This segment wouldn’t have been out of place at a university revue and demonstrated that Royalists never baulk from putting their reputations on the line and moving out of their comfort zones. While the compere suggested, somewhat unfairly, that many of these habits were possibly picked up in school, there was no disputing the positive reaction of the audience (including spouses) after they recovered from the shock. Well before hoppers were served it was pretty clear that this was no ordinary family night and that the Royalists were proving to be special by putting on something special.
It says a lot that the “non” Sri Lankans in attendance had a unique experience. They all found the hosts and organisers to be warm, welcoming and friendly. One of them remarked that Royalists sure knew how to party. Others praised the family friendly ambience which prevailed. Yet another took stock of the variety of dresses (worn by the ladies rather than the men) and the various ways in which people enjoyed themselves. Without exception all of them praised the food. Despite expressing reservations about the spiciness of the food they nonetheless went for seconds and thirds. One lady was so impressed she extracted the secrets to hopper making from a member of the cooking staff. Interestingly enough, even those who didn’t dance had a great time, which speaks volumes for the atmosphere, food, the people and the choice of music, which was pleasant to the ears, and left many hoarse from hours of singing along.
Very few DJs read the mood of an audience as well as DJ Neil, who is an old Royalist himself. He was the undisputed hero of the night. Sensing there was an Elvis fan in the house he played a few of the King’s classics. In celebration of Royal’s big match victory in the late sixties, and the presence of the captain of that particular game making his “debut” appearance at a Royal old boys function, DJ Neil played ”The summer of 69”, which had many singing along.
Neil catered to those who danced formally as much as to those who preferred to gyrate solo. For the benefit of the ballroom dancers he played waltzes, R & R, jive, salsa and numerous tracks suited for fox trot/slow rhythm. While it was inevitable that he would cater to the staple musical diet of Royalists whose party motto is ”Dance or depart”, by playing baila, he maintained good music mix of east and west and kept the crowd on a high throughout the night. It was a night of nostalgia for many Royalists to whom the music was the soundtrack of their youth, and triggered memories of vernacular and western music sung at parties, and the romance of the Royal-Thomian – but not to the exclusion of those with a passion for contemporary social dance.
It was quite obvious by now, to non Sri Lankans, that the Royal OBA is a democratic institution where members Sri Lanka’s minorities can feel at home, just as much as they did when attending the red brick institution at Reid Avenue. At a time when Sri Lankan expatriate organisations tend to be ethnically biased, the Royal OBA is an exemplar of inter communal harmony and camaraderie. This is demonstrated by the composition of the over fifties cricket team as much as by the atmosphere on the night in question. It is this spirit of inclusiveness which embraced non Sri Lankans and made them feel at home.
In 2004 I purchased a t-shirt in Memphis which reads “No white, no black, just the blues”. Likewise, the composition of participants in activities organised by the Royal OBU, and the ecumenical spirit promoted, justifies the slogan – “no Sinhalese, no Tamils, no Muslims, no Burghers, just Royalists”. Further, the ambience of the Hopper Night, from the school song and music, to the food and the skit (based on a comedy quintessentially English), embodied a main stream and cosmopolitan flavor which allowed the audience to flick between their dual Royal and Australian identities. Many of the “non” Sri Lankans admitted to having the time of their lives which is the finest endorsement of the efforts of the OBU President and others behind the scenes, particularly their spouses.
DISCE AUT DISCEDE
Eardley Lieversz
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