Features
Beauty,plus brains… and she’s got it all
Yes, I’m quite aware that Ishini Fonseka is a wonderful singer/entertainer and is moving up the ladder of fame at a rapid pace. But…I didn’t know that my article, last week, ‘No singing, but…,’ would generate so much of interest from readers.
Of course, they all know about Ishini’s achievements as a singer, but quite a few wanted me to give them a background of Ishini’s past activities – school days, etc., – before she came into the spotlight, as a performer. That’s quite a tall order! However, I was able to put together, a little bit, about those schoolgirl days of Ishini Fonseka.
In fact, quite a few of our present day artistes do have illustrious backgrounds; Sohan (of X-Periments fame), is from St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, and is a qualified lawyer, while Benjy (from the group Aquarius) studied at St. Benedict’s, Kotahena, and played football for the school team
I’m told that Ishini excelled in her studies, and got through her GCE A/Level, with flying colours; District rank 17th, Island rank 57th, and was awarded ‘Best A/L Results’ from the school.
Her professional qualifications include HND Psychology Graduate, and BSc (Hons) Psychology. She has done the final year, and is now awaiting the results, she says.
In addition to her educational qualifications, her involvement in sports, included chess and badminton, and, while at school, she was a member of the dancing troupe and the Sinhala drama club, and President of the school design club (2015).
Ishini is certainly beauty, plus brains, and she has many other achievements to her credit, and I’m sure even this page would not be sufficient to highlight all of them.
So, for benefit of the music-minded public, let’s checkout her achievements as a singer:
. Semi finalist at CSN Music Runway Idol 2012
. Semi finalist at ‘Vocalize 2013’ (All island singing competition)
. Finalist (placed 4th) in ‘Vocalize 2014’
. 2nd place at Sri Lanka Festival of Music, Speech and Drama 2013
. 2nd place at the annual School Sinhala Singing Competition 2014
. Selected to represent the group of singers to sing the National Anthem at the Independence Day celebrations 2015
Ishini’s dancing skills are also very impressive, being a former dancer with the ‘Torrential Dancing Troupe,’ and ‘Royal Warriors.’ And, that’s why we see lots of action from Ishini, when she is on stage!
She was a member of the C.A Gavels club (Chartered Accountants institute), won Best Speaker (2015), participated in the 29th International CA Students Conference (2015), Editor of the CA student’s committee for the conference (2015), and also Interviewed Sujeewa Rajapakse, the former President of CA, and Aruna Alwis, the CEO of CA
And, guess what? Ishini was a finalist at Miss World Sri Lanka 2017, and has also modelled for fashion brands.
What is so special about Ishini is that, despite her fame, as a singer, etc., she is involved in charity work – founder at ‘Hidden Light’, a charity organization which aims on conducting music, writing, exercise, art therapies and counselling sessions to orphanages, island-wide.