- Enjoy the taste of the humorous blend of pop rock
By Dimithri Wijesinghe
DotDotay, a local contemporary pop rock band that is currently making waves with the release of their new music video Gamaralata Kotuwak Thibuna (ගමරාළට කොටුවක් තිබුණා), will be hosting their first exclusive live concert on 12 September at Barefoot Garden Café from 6 p.m. onwards.
Speaking to Sithija Dilshan of DotDotay about the event to come and what audiences can come to expect, he stated that this gig is actually quite special for them as it would be their very first concert featuring just themselves as a band. Sithija said that up until this point, they have only ever played as featured artists and it’s an honour to be able to have their own event.
Speaking candidly about their experience, he said they wished to be transparent in their journey and the reason why they have chosen to put together an event by themselves at their own expense is largely because, being an outfit that plays their original music, there weren’t many who were willing to sponsor them, considering cover music is what is able to draw in a crowd.
Adding that they have taken somewhat of a risk in deciding to play only original music, he said that as many artists would have experienced, Covid-19 has been a difficult time and they have been antsy at best, figuring out what their next step should be. This opportunity has come at a great time, he said.
About the origins of DotDotay, Sithija shared that it was originally put together by their vocalist Hidaayath Hazeer and Mewan Kaushike (lead and rhythm) as they were jamming together one day, and since then, Sithija himself has joined as a the drummer and Riyal Riffai joined as their bassist.
He said that as they played together, they noticed their chemistry and decided to not waste any time but to go ahead with recording some music. They went ahead with a song written by their vocalist Hidaayath, which then became their first single to be released immediately, after which they released their official music video that was received extremely well, catapulting the band into a happy medium where they’ve acquired a comfortable fan base.
Sithija said that the warm reception was quite unexpected and the music video, which is certainly an out-of-the-box creative endeavour, has since amassed an impressive amount of views on their YouTube channel.
Describing their style of music, Sithija stated that if you are looking for a genre, they feature sounds that are essentially contemporary pop rock. However, he said that they are rather confident that they have a unique sound which would be a refreshing experience for audiences. Their lyrics too, even while discussing serious topics, remain humorous. Sithija shared that their vocalist and so far lyricist Hiddayath who comes from a theatrical background bring that flavour of theatricality to their music and performances. “If you watch us live, it would definitely be sure to be a well-rounded experience of audio and visualm,” he added.
This unique flavour is quite evident in their promotional campaign leading up to the release of their first single, which features their chosen mascot the “gamarala puppet”, and the song itself is a humorous blend of nonsensical sounding lyrics and a fresh take on performance and musicality.
Catch DotDotay live in concert at Barefoot
. Entry by donation
. Limited passes available
. Email dotdotay@gmail.com or Instagram DM your name and telephone number to reserve