BiographyCharith Wasantha Kumara Abeysinghe was born on the 27th of November 1982 , at Horana, a suburb of Colombo , the Sri Lankan capital. His initial schooling was at the Horana Taxila Primary school from whence he moved on to the Vidyarathne University College; Charith’s first taste for music was at Vidyarathna College, the alma mater of some of Sri Lanka’s leading singers and musicians, including such luminaries as Janaka Premalal, Saratha Kumarasinghe and Ravindra Yasas. However, before music could take hold of the budding youngster, a more abrasive past time came calling; at the age of 11, Charith took up boxing, going on to represent his school as well as district in age group boxing competitions.
In 1996, while at the height of his school career in boxing, Charith came across another sport that would become all-consuming later on in life; much like the rest of Sri Lanka , young Charith was spellbound by the stupendous success of the Sri Lankan cricket team which won that year’s World Cup in a famous encounter with Australia in Lahore . Charith’s interest in the game was galvanized by the occasion, prompting him to join the school cricket team as an opening batsman, once again confirming his prowess for sporty pursuits.
While engaging in sporting activities, Charith’s parents also encouraged the development of other areas of his personality as well; urging him to pursue other interests, particularly in the broadcast and voice-related fields including a stint on the acclaimed Sri Lankan children’s radio program ‘Guwan Viduli Lama Pitiya’, Charith’s first taste in the broadcasting field, a taste that would plant the seeds of his lifelong love of show business.
Soon after sitting for the Ordinary Level examination, Charith decided to join a friend’s’ music outfit, as is customary in the late teens and finally found his true calling. While the band itself was in its infancy, they were not found wanting for talent and enthusiasm. That talent and enthusiasm and the undoubted buzz that comes with music and the stage remained with Charith for he plunged head long into the music scene soon after completing his Advanced Level Examination.
His subsequent ascent in the local music scene was nothing short of remarkable. His first foray into professional music was with a group calling itself Venus, following which he was head hunted for the iconic Saman and the Clan. Then followed stints with Top Ten and finally, Seedewa Sakura. His relative young years and his enthusiasm also meant that the boy from Horana was a keen student of every aspect of the music industry, from the creative to the commercial. The difficulties that are inherent in life on the road also gave the young man a hard edge, grounding him and opening his eyes to the thrills as well as spills of traveling and performing, standing him in excellent stead for his exploits later in life.
His travels – both in Sri Lanka and abroad – also provided Charith with the opportunity to be exposed to other segments of show business as well; resulting in roles in several teledramas including “Wassanaye Hiru Avidin” and “Sonduru Kedella”. In 2004, armed with a desire to further explore the intricacies of music and performing, Charith migrated to London, where he began honing his finance and entrepreneurial skills whilst also performing with ‘The Islanders’, perhaps the most well known and sought after Sri Lankan music outfit in the UK over the past two decades which counted being the only Sri Lankan bank to perform at Buckingham Palace as its list of achievements. A mere 12 months after his arrival in the English capital, Charith established “Uniforex”, his very own financial services business which was ultimately a means to an end borne of dreams.
One of those dreams had been the release and publication of his own records; in early 2007 that first dream was realized with the release of “Sumudu Umudu” which became a cult hit in Sri Lanka . The single was followed by an equally successful, self-titled album. His musical success and the drive and ambition that Charith had shown also garnered him accolades from the community; Charith was named the ‘Young Achiever of the Year’ at the inaugural Community Excellence Awards, organized by UKLanka Times magazine, the leading community publication in the UK, held in late 2007.
The past 24 months have indeed been an overwhelming time for Charith Abeysinghe, barely past his 25th year in life. In December 2007, he embarked on his most audacious and ambitious journey yet; ‘Julia’, his first motion picture, as an actor and producer through his financing vehicle ‘Studio X Films’. Months before its’ release ‘Julia’ had already established itself as an historic endeavour in the context of the Sri Lankan motion picture industry; becoming the second most expensive Sri Lankan movie ever made, the first Lankan film to be shot entirely in cutting edge High Definition and the first ever Sri Lankan picture to be finished at the world renowned Pinewood Studios facility in London, home to Harry Potter and James Bond.
While his single minded ambition and urge to aim higher than is required has become the stuff of legend, numerous individuals have contributed to the remarkable journey of Charith Abeysinghe as well. Notable among them are; Ajith Withanage, Mike Cooke, Upali Fernando, Chandika Perera, Raja Mendis, Namal Atygalle, Nuwan Thenuwara, Gamini Samarasinghe, Jagath Nissanka, Jamie Numm, Alan Knott, his teachers, true friends and of course his family, in particular his beloved parents, uncle and grand mother.
