'Bob Marley is big in Sri Lanka'

Updated On: 08 February, 2016 08:37 AM IST | | Krutika Behrawala

<p>Sri Lanka-based DJ/music producer Emanuel, who was in town last weekend, chats about how Bob Marley continues to be every rickshaw wallah's favourite in the island nation</p>

Sri Lanka-based DJ/music producer Emanuel,

From Indian ghazals and Celtic chanting to German new-age electronic music project Enigma conceived in 1990, Sri Lanka-born DJ/music producer Emanuel was privy to a variety of music while growing up. “When I was 10, one of my mother's friends gifted me a bunch of CDs, including albums from Faithless (Electronic), Coolio (Rap) and Cameo ('80s Disco). In my early teens, I heard politically conscious Hip-Hop from America and later, discovered that Techno, House and Disco stem from social movements and have roots in Soul, Blues or Jazz,” shares the artiste, whose sets include all these influences, along with sounds from the island nation. With an aim to expand Sri Lanka's native sound-scape, Emanuel recently founded Luna Terrace, an infinity pool bar in the southern part of the island, which hosts gigs featuring international artistes. Excerpts from an interview: