Dilanjan Seneviratne Writes Yohani's First Original Songs

Aaye, Sitha Dawuna and Merry Christmas Baby | 27 August to 21 December 2020 | lyrics, a rap verse, and two videos he shot

Between 27 August and 21 December 2020, Dilanjan Seneviratne wrote the words for Yohani's move from covers to original music, with lyrics on two of her first four singles and a rap verse on a third.

The songs came out of a year without live shows. With concerts stopped by COVID-19, Pettah Effect turned its studio time to original material, and Dilanjan turned to writing.

Highlights include:

Aaye, 27 August 2020: Dilanjan wrote the lyrics, with melody and music by Yohani, who produced the track in her home studio. The Sunday Observer later named it her debut record on the Pettah Effect label.

Sitha Dawuna, 8 September 2020: Yohani with the rapper Hiyum, produced by Chamath Sangeeth. Dilanjan wrote the rap Yohani performs, and shot, colour-graded and edited the video.

Merry Christmas Baby, 21 December 2020: Dilanjan wrote the lyrics in November 2019, set to Yohani's melody, and directed and shot the video. Music, mixing and mastering were by LAK at Pettah Effect Studios, and Yohani introduced it as her first original English music video.

A fourth single, Rawwath Dasin with Chanuka Mora, a tribute to Yohani's father, premiered on 5 December 2020 as a Theewra production.

The four songs set the pattern for the decade that followed: Yohani's voice and melodies, with Dilanjan on words and pictures.