The French Spring Festival is coming back in Sri Lanka from 24 June to 13 July!
It’s the 11th edition of the festival organised by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka and the Maldives and the network of Alliances Francaises in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Starting with the Fête de la Musique on 24th of June with an Open Mic at the Alliance Française of Colombo in the afternoon (from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and a Live Music Concert at the Sri Lankan Foundation Institute in the evening (6 p.m. onwards), with French Singer Léa Paci as the guest of honour and Sri Lankan bands The Soul, Radiesha and Tha Youngest.
International Music Day, or Fête de la Musique, is celebrated every year on 21 June. The first International Music Day was observed in the year 1982 in France when people were urged to play music outdoors to participate in festivities. Since then, International Music Day has spread to other parts of the world and is now a global celebration of music. International Music Day is organised within the framework of the French Spring Festival organised every year by the French Embassy in Sri Lanka and Maldives together with the Alliance Française network in Sri Lanka and Maldives, with the support of sponsors and official partners.
Meet the artists!
Léa Paci
Léa Paci, the French singer-songwriter was born and raised in the city of lights, Paris. She developed a passion for theater and acting early on at age 6 leading her 10 years later to become a self-taught musician. After turning down french TV hooks several times (The Voice…) and with the encouragement of her close circle, she began posting covers on YouTube, catching the attention of successful producers.
Léa went on to collaborate with international artists such as James Blunt on the track “Cold” who invited her on his tour in the biggest french venues (zénith). In 2021, she collaborated with Japanese artist Tigarah on an electro cover of Louise Attaque’s hit « J’t’emmène au vent », an unexpected but obvious project for Léa who grew up with electronic and French pop music.
It’s 2023 and with 100 million streams and counting, Léa is back as an independent artist with a new sunny EP, delving into themes of love, fear, and the desire to live fully. She is no longer 20 and these last few years have pushed her in an accelerated and brutal way into adult life and all the trials and tribulations that go with it.
Radiesha
Unlike most artists, Radiesha only discovered her voice at 16, through singing self taught Bhajans in San Diego. She proceeded to sing at centers in Brazilia and London. To her singing bhajans inspired a connection to the higher self, and this spiritual awakening led her to explore tunes of Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, & Susheela Raman. She was the lead female vocalist in a band called ‘CodeRed’ in 2009 and went on to win Best Female Vocalist at the Yes Fm All Stars. Radiesha was the lead vocalist in her second band ‘The Brahminy Kites’ in 2013, who went on to produce their own EP. They opened for ELSZ, when she launched her first album Chasing Rainbows.
Today, a decade later, she’s decided to get back into music to explore new vulnerabilities in her voice and hopes to discover her sound by sharing it with the wider music community.
The Soul
The Soul has built a name for itself in the Sri Lankan music industry with their blend of originality from experimental, pop, blues, rock reggae and sound art, coming to be recognized primarily for their original music and the high standard of musicianship in their live shows. A five-piece unit, The Soul is composed of Khazim, Sarani, Uvindu, Dave and Divanka.
« We are The Soul is what you will hear us say, at the end of a flowing nights play. Our home is Sri Lanka, a tropical island situated right at one of the lowest gravitational points on planet Earth. Right now we are utterly in love with making music together and it is our dream to play this music around the world. If you are reading this, humbled we are that you have shown the interest and we hope that our original music entices and touches you in some way. »
Tha Youngest
Nadim Sham alias “Tha Youngest” is an aspiring Swiss born Sri Lankan DJ. His passion for music was founded in his love for dance which started 15 years ago. His roots are firmly planted in Hip Hop, Funk and Reggae/Dancehall and draws inspiration from Masters such as Jazzy Jeff, DJ Shortkut, Deejay Puffy and more… Although his career as a DJ started not long ago, Tha Youngest aims to bring a fresh selection of music to Sri Lanka and to share and create a wider appreciation for the genres he loves.
Nadim, known in the dance world as “Wiz” is a Krump dancer from Warriorz Crew (Switzerland). During his career, he has participated in numerous international competitions either as a competitor, guest or as a judge. His most notable accomplishments was being a Finalist at the International Royal Rumble, as well as being a Judge and Teacher at the Indian Krump Festival 8 & 9, the biggest Krump competition in India. He continues to dance in Sri Lanka and trains specific talent under his own crew “House of Wiz”.
