Taking place between February 1st to 4th in the city of Matara, the lineup includes New York-based singer-songwriter Rolex Rasathy, alternative act The Soul, Indian electronic artist Paloma, Amila Sandaruwan and more
Anurag Tagat
Jan 31, 2024
The Matara Festival for the Arts this weekend will feature Amila Sandaruwan, Rolex Rasathy and The Soul on the lineup.
Among the southernmost cities in Sri Lanka, Matara turns host for a revival of live music and arts in the country, with the Matara Festival for the Arts taking place between February 1st and 4th across multiple venues.
While photography, art, food and film are also part of the programming, three days of the festival includes plenty of music. New York-based Sri Lankan-origin artist Rolex Rasathy is among the key performers, plus mainstay bands like The Soul and Orange Mango, the Matara Jazz Quintet, Brazil-born bossa nova, samba and jazz artist Paula Almeida Reis, seasoned singer-songwriter Amila Sandaruwan, Sri Lanka-based Indian DJ Paloma and New Zealand’s multi-instrumentalist Reuben Derrick, a part of the group Baliphonics.
While the festival’s finale is a concert called Freedom Sounds (which also celebrates Sri Lanka’s Independence Day) on February 4th at Mahinda Wijesekara Grounds in Matara Fort, there’s also a workshop crafted for women called The Listening Room: Women Voicing Change, featuring Paloma, Paula and Rolex Rasathy on February 2nd. The same day, an open mic night takes place at the Dutchman’s Café featuring the Matara Jazz Quintet and Orange Mango.
An independent festival hosted in coordination with the president and presidential secretariat of the country, Matara Festival for the Arts is part of a series of events along the south coast of Sri Lanka which run from January to March to revitalize tourism and create local opportunities, according to the organizers. Additionally, the Freedom Sounds concert is primarily supported by USAID, with the U.S. embassy in Colombo bringing down Rolex Rasathy.
The Matara Festival is co-founded by artist and archaeologist Jagath Weerasinghe, who is also the art curator for the event, Jayanthi Samaraweera Gunewardena and Chanchala Gunewardena. Music is curated by artist Sumudi Suraweera, founder of music education organization Music Matters.
Get more details on the Matara Festival for the Arts here.
