By Mahika Panditha ---- There is never a wrong time to find some new music. Introducing Sénàra, who you may know as Nisini Rodrigo. She is a young artiste who has released two songs thus far, and also does the occasional cover on Instagram – you can check them out on her page @nisini_rodrigo. Nisini is currently studying law and pursuing her passion for music on the side. “I have always had a passion for music and songwriting since I was little. I started singing at a very young age and eventually taught myself how to play instruments such as the piano, violin, and guitar in order to broaden my musical passion. I also started to write my own songs because I felt that I could really express my emotions through my writing and tell a story to the listener. However, there’s also this fun side to my music where I sing EDM (electronic dance music)/dance-type genres and those really get people on their feet!” she commented. She hopes to be a successful lawyer fighting for equality and fairness in this world, and we wish her all the best. Apart from her degree and music, she is also a model on the side! She also loves food and crime shows (I am right there with you!) We had the chance to speak to her earlier this week, and here is what she had to say. Hi Nisini. Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m a 19-year-old, born and brought up in Dubai. I was quite sporty back when I was in school and constantly competed in athletics; I was a member of my basketball team as well. I also did ballet and took part in cultural shows as well as sang for various events at school. As a girl now studying law in the UK, my passion for law grew initially when I took part in the World Scholar’s Cup and got chosen to go to Malaysia. Once I completed high school, I also got into a bit of modelling after being approached by talented photographers. I now continue to work on all three aspects of my life. Looking back, I realise I’ve come a long way and I can’t wait to see what the future holds with my music and law career. Talk to us about your journey with music. After moving to Sri Lanka in 2018, I found that my music really started to gain a lot more recognition and I was faced with many wonderful opportunities to record my music. It was a lifelong dream that was finally coming true. This was only possible as I had such supportive family and friends. I started off with just posting covers on my social media platform, to then being asked to professionally record music and eventually was invited to perform for the F2020 event by YES FM after my two original songs hit the charts. What is the story behind Pills and Potions? How did that song come about? Pills and Potions isn’t like your usual dance-type track. The lyrics hold meaning in the reality of some relationships. However, the house beats and groove to the song allow you to “dance the pain away”. The initial idea for the song came about when we noticed that people often love to dance to music that they could perhaps relate to. In other words, they enjoy music that holds real meaning behind them with topics such as love and life. Pills and Potions does just that and allows listeners to embrace their gloom and dance away! You worked with producer Eve Alai. Talk to us about that partnership. I initially got to know Eve Alai when he first approached me on social media and was interested to have me sing for his upcoming album. After listening to his music, I instantly fell in love with his beats and immediately looked forward to working with him. It was an amazing opportunity for me to also further recognition for my music as he is based in Singapore. We got on very well and began trying out different vibes and testing out lyrics until we were happy with a final piece. Once that was all set, it was straight to the studio to record! I absolutely enjoy working with Eve Alai as he’s extremely talented in his production and songwriting skills. Aside from Pills and Potions, you also have a song called For Life that was released recently. What is the story behind that? For Life was inspired by sets that were played in clubs here in Colombo. It consists of deep house blends and nu-disco influences. The song is catered specifically for the dancefloor and is guaranteed to get you off your feet and dancing! This song defines what nightlife truly is and will 100% allow you to enjoy a night out! Any more songs we can look forward to in the future? I do post covers on my Instagram page. However, I have been planning to release my own singles in the near future as I do my own little bits of songwriting. Eve Alai and I also plan to continue to come up with some amazing singles to be released in the near future! Where do you hope to be in the next five years? In the next five years, I’d love to have completed my master’s degree in law and hopefully go on to getting a job as perhaps a solicitor, specialising in criminal law/family law. In terms of my music, by then I’d love to have released more original singles and hopefully allow my music to touch thousands of more people. So far, in your music career, what has been your favourite memory? I would have to say my favourite memory would be meeting people. My music career has allowed me to come across a variety of such talented individuals and that in itself has shaped me into a person I never thought I’d be. I’m extremely proud of where I am today and am blessed to have had so many opportunities to spread my music and get to know more people. Do you have any advice for aspiring artistes? My advice for aspiring artistes would be don’t ever give up on what you love to do. You’ll always have people that criticise you and people that just aren’t on the same page as you. Use that as strength as an opportunity to show people how amazing your talent is. I myself went from a girl who would only sing ever so quietly in my room to a person who performs for live audiences and has released her own songs. With that being said, keep doing what you do and don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Trust me when I say you’ll be surprised at how far down the line you have come when you look back and notice immense progress! Aside from music, what do you like to do? Music aside, I love travelling, helping the less fortunate, and making friends!