Features

Colombo’s most popular caricaturist in a bygone era

Published

2 years ago

2024/02/25

by Avishka Mario Senewiratne

With the passing of time, Lorenz did not have the time he would like to dedicate to the arts as before. The demand on his time in other fields such as in law and politics necessitated him to mainly if not totally focus on those aspects. However, his pencil and sketchbook never left his side. When inspiration struck him, out came a fine caricature. It has been over 150 years since his death and most of his once famous caricatures have been lost. A few have been reproduced as plates in some important publications over the last 100 years and preserved for posterity.

Caricatures have always been endearing pieces of art which have commented on sophisticated matters. In the dynasty of Lankan caricature artists such as J. L. K. van Dort, Bevis Bawa, Aubrey Collette, W. R. Wijesoma and Gihan de Chickera, C.A. Lorenz can be safely positioned as the ‘pioneer’.

One of the oldest surviving caricatures by Lorenz is that of the famous Wansapurna Dewage David (alias Gongalegoda Banda), leader of the 1848 Matale rebellion and pretender to the Kandyan throne. Upon being captured by the British, Gongalegoda Banda was brought to the Borella Criminal Gaol. It was here that Lorenz had the chance to see him and be inspired. Curious too. His pen did the rest. The result was a lovely caricature of the National hero. Perhaps the first and only live caricature of Banda.

This illustration was hitherto unknown for nearly 75 years until it was published in 1932 in G.K. Pippet’s A History of the Ceylon Police: Volume 1. Here it is mentioned that the illustration was in the possession of Dr. Andreas Nell, nephew of Lorenz’s wife, Eleanor. This sketch was signed and dated by Lorenz on March 3, 1849. Gongalegoda Banda would pass away later that year from a stomach ailment in Malacca where he was exiled.

When Lorenz and his wife left for England in 1853, he once again found some time on his hands as the voyage from Ceylon to Europe would take at least three months. Onboard the ship, Lorenz spent a lot of time drawing caricatures of the crew and various islands and features the ship sailed by. During the long trip to England, Mrs. Lorenz who was uncomfortable with the movements of the ship, fell ill quite often. Lorenz drew a few caricatures of her in this state captioning them as “cribbed, cabined and confined”.

After their arrival and briefly settling in England, Eleanor Lorenz began to regain her health. Lorenz did more illustrations of her. One was captioned as follows: “Ellen is literally rosy, and after a walk in the Park, comes home as red as a boiled crab, as if one could light one’s pipe at her nose.” (Blaze, p. 3)

Morgan and Lorenz caricatures

Sir Richard Morgan was one of Ceylon’s most beloved lawyers and legislators in the mid-19^th century. A few years senior to Lorenz, he was one of the first to join the Colombo Academy (later Royal College) in its original batch. Lorenz and Morgan, who shared many interests and were on the same wavelength were great friends. In 1856, Morgan, while serving as the Burgher Member of the Legislative Council and Leader of the Unofficial Bar, was made District Judge of Colombo by Governor Sir Henry Ward. By this time, Morgan who had considerable power in the Colony and its affairs was nicknamed “Governor”. Overjoyed by his friend’s appointment to the high rank, Lorenz drafted the following brief note and caricature of himself celebrating Morgan’s appointment:

Hooray ! ! !

My dear Governor,

The language at my command couldn’t do it. But I’ve tried it in a sketch. So, I says Hooray again!

Yours very sincerely,

C. A. Lorenz

11^th July, 1856

Sporting a beard then, upon hearing the news Lorenz leaps with joy. His top hat falls. The rooster crows ‘Hooray’ and the dog joins in the celebration. Sketch by Lorenz himself in 1856.

Caricatures in the Christmas Debates 1860-65

In a lecture on July 6, 1929, at the Dutch Burgher Union, E. H. Van der Wall says the following about Lorenz:

“Lorenz was as gifted with the artist’s pencil as with his pen. During the sittings of the Legislative Council, while pleading at the Bar, and even on the Bench at Chilaw, he often found a few moments for a humorous sketch of passing events. A few words of description or a few strokes with his pencil and the picture was true to life, for Lorenz had the unmistakable artist’s touch.” (Journal of the Dutch Burgher Union, Volume XIX, p. 58)

The debates were initially published in the Ceylon Examiner during 1860 and 1868, with the exception of 1862. Among Lorenz’s many literary pursuits, the Christmas Debates of 1860-65 are widely considered his magnum opus. A true masterpiece, this work printed in 1866 by John Maitland consists of five short reports of Debates and Council Meetings supposed to have taken place on Christmas Eve of each relevant year. Full of humour, wit and facts, the Christmas Debates is an endearing piece of work which was essentially enhanced by Lorenz’s sketches and skilful caricatures.

The then custodian of most Lorenziana, Guy O. Grenier published the Christmas Debates again in 1925 with some additions such as an introduction and blurbs by famous personalities praising them. In both books, the illustrations depicted were hand-pasted photographs of the sketches, possibly taken by W. H. Skeen & Co. in sepia tone and included with a blue circular border.

Personalities pre-eminent in the mid-19^th century of Ceylon and who may be labelled as ‘legends’ such as Sir Richard Morgan, George Wall, Thomas Skinner, Sir Muttu Coomaraswamy, etc. as well as British officials like Governor Sir Charles MacCarthy and C. P. Layard are featured in the Christmas debates. The caricatures of these personalities bear an uncanny resemblance to them. It was known that when Lorenz had little work to do during the sittings of the Council or Committees, he would employ his time by sketching the members. Only those published in the Christmas Debates have survived up to today. In the 1866 preface to the Christmas Debates, Francis Fonseka, the printer of that volume comments as follows:

“The illustrations annexed to the said several Debates shall be deemed and construed to represent the person or persons, whom they are intended to represent, and no other”

This writer has made every effort to trace the identity of the 10 caricatures drawn by Lorenz by comparing them with photographs of certain members of the Legislature at that time. Lorenz did not caption the original sketches in the book. One must read the book through to understand what sort of an individual is depicted in the illustrations. However, without knowing what these personalities looked like in reality, it is hard to identify them. Sir Richard Morgan, who is included in the Christmas Debates as well as other illustrations by Lorenz, commented on this masterpiece of Lorenz as follows:

“When Christmas came around and relatives and friends met to express to each other the glad wishes of the Season, the Christmas Supplement of the Examiner; the Mock Council Debates, the rich songs and the richer jokes with which they abounded and his inimitable pen and ink sketches, the gift he had of hitting off a person at almost the first view and perpetuating his peculiarities and idiosyncrasies, gave us no end of merriment and joy.” (Quoted from Grenier, G.O. (Ed.), (1925), Christmas Debates of the Island of Ceylon, p. i)

We had last week inadvertently dropped a painting illustrating “Charles Amrose Lorenz: an unsung artist of the 19th century by Avishka Mario Senewiratne” which is reproduced here. Much of the writer’s text referred to that illustration appearing above. We apologize for the error.

Caricatures of various figures drawn by Lorenz in the Christmas Debates

Muniandi

In 1869, the Examiner press endeavoured a very enthusiastic project by chartering a magazine called Muniandi.. Lorenz’s old friend and colleague in the legislature, John Capper who had just returned from England was made its editor. This magazine, full of satire, illustrations and humour was in the style of the British Punch Magazine. Though Punch lasted till the 21^st century, Muniandi had only a brief but notable period of existence. Priced one shilling, the ten-page Muniandi was a good way of amusing the government with its satirical outlook on the affairs of that time. By then, Charles Lorenz was facing the travails of the illness that would result in his early death. Therefore, for this reason, as well as his involvement in multiple fields, disallowed Lorenz to be active in Muniandi as much as he would have liked.

Though there are hardly any signatures or initials differentiating the artists of these satirical caricatures, many scholars then and now have widely accepted that J. L. K. Vandort is one of the leading artists. However, if one is familiar with the works of Lorenz, it is more than fair to assume that Charles Lorenz himself was one of the illustrators in Muniandi. Yasmin Gunaratne in her monumental work English Literature in Ceylon confirms the above as follows: “Muniandi… illustrated almost entirely by a talented Burgher artist, J. L. K. Van Dort, although Lorenz contributed in some drawings.” (Gunaratne, Yasmin, (1968), English Literature in Ceylon 1815-1878, Tisara Press)

The illustration depicted below published in Muniandi is assumed to be by C. A. Lorenz.

Some other work

Even though his busy public life took much of his time, on a few occasions Lorenz did not hesitate to use his prowess in composing music. On one occasion as stated by J. R. Toussaint of the Ceylon Civil Service (1956, p. 51), Sir Richard Cayley during his early stage of serving Ceylon, lived in Lorenz’s Elie House in Mutwal, Colombo. Here they both produced a popular song. Cayley wrote the words and Lorenz arranged the music for the pianoforte. Titled The Pipe of Clay, the two of them performed this song when among friends. Accompanied by Lorenz on the piano, Sir Richard Cayley; who would go on to be a Chief Justice of Ceylon, did the singing. The following are the words:

The Pipe of Clay

To Beauty’s charms or wars alarms

Let others tune their lay, Sir,

But as for me my theme shall be

My rare old pipe of clay, Sir,

Though bowls of wine may be divine

To drive dull care away, Sir,

Yet there’s no bowl can ease the soul

As the bowl of a pipe of clay, Sir.

What incense breaths from fleecy wreaths,

Of vapour lightly rising,

As we sit at night with our pipes alight

All care and strife despising.

Though Fortune flees, though Friendship dies,

Though Hope may fade away, Sir,

Yet there’s a friend that’ll last to the end

In the rare old pipe of clay, Sir.

A note on the art of Lorenz

Among the many artists who followed Lorenz in the 19^th century, no one came to prominence or to the brilliance of J. L. K. van Dort. Lorenz invited this fellow student of the Colombo Academy in 1850 to collaborate with him in the Young Ceylon magazine. Van Dort was only 18 years old then. One of the most conspicuous features of the inaugural Young Ceylon magazine was the caricature of The Giant of Matura based on a real-life 6’6 tall man who picked coconuts in Matara.

As the illustration was not signed many readers believed it to be of Lorenz. However, the truth was that it was by van Dort, who though not in his heyday and on the threshold of his fame, had a very similar style to Lorenz. B. R. Blaze comments that Lorenz inspired young van Dort in his early work and that the ‘Lorenz touch’ in van Dort was not ambiguous.

Only a handful of illustrations of Lorenz have survived to date. They are nearly all what was published in Blaze’s Life of Lorenz, the caricatures in Christmas Debates, Muniandi and the Examiner. Dr. Andreas Nell, the nephew of Eleanor Lorenz had a fair collection of Lorenz’s illustrations. However, their fate is not known. Guy O. Grenier who owned a large number of letters, illustrations and memorabilia of Lorenz sold them to the Royal Asiatic Society in the early 1960s.

Some of the contents of that collection remain to date. Unlike the artists who followed in the 20^th century such as Keyt, Daraniyagala, Amarasekere, etc., the art of Lorenz may not win the collector’s interest or value. From the perspective of its historical significance, the art of Lorenz is phenomenal, special and endearing. Intertwined with humour, wisdom and knowledge, his caricatures will surely linger for generations not born.

“He (Lorenz) was an admirable artist…”

– Dr. R. K. de Silva, 1998 in 19^th Century Newspaper Engravings of Ceylon

References

1. Blaze, B.R., (1948), Life of Lorenz, The Associated Newspapers of Sri Lanka Ltd.

2. Toussaint, J.R., (1956), Lorenz and his Times, Dutch Burgher Union

3. Roberts, Colin-Thome, Raheem, (1989), People Inbetween, Sarvodaya

4. Lorenz collection in the Royal Asiatic Society Library

5. Lorenz, C.A., (1866), Christmas Debates,

6. Mahendran, M.S., (1918), A Brief Sketch of the Life of Charles Ambrose Lorenz, American Ceylon Mission Press

7. De Silva, R.K., (1998), 19^th Century Newspaper Engravings of Ceylon, Serendib Publishers

8. Pippet, G.K., (1932), A History of the Ceylon Police, Volume 1

9. Warnapala, K, (2012), ‘Caricaturing Colonial Rule in Sri Lanka: An Analysis of Muniandi, The Ceylon Punch?’, Early Popular Visual Culture, Vol.10, No.3, pp. 227-244

10. Jayawardena, K., (2012), Erasure of the Euro-Asians

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Features

The challenge of being positive about SAARC

Published

18 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

The RCSS forum addressed by SAARC Secretary General Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar in progress. (Pic courtesy RCSS)

It was a few years back that a former President of Sri Lanka took it on himself to pronounce SAARC ‘dead’. Since then there have been other sections of Sri Lankan opinion that have joined the critics of SAARC and taken the solemn stance that SAARC has indeed died what may be called a natural death.

Their fatalism is understandable. SAARC has failed to meet at heads of government or state level for the past several years to take the SAARC process notably forward. Regional cooperation has more or less been only an appealing idea. No substantive concrete projects have taken off to make the idea a hard reality. ‘Inner paralysis’ seems to be SAARC’s lot. Hence the fatalism in these circles.

However, being one of the worst cash-strapped regions of the world and a teemingly populated one with people virtually left to their devices, what choices do the ‘SAARC Eight’ have other than to try their best to band together and continue with their cooperation efforts, however small they may be?

There is no escaping the mounting debt trap for many of these countries and bankrupt Sri Lanka is a glaring example, but ‘throwing in the towel’ and abandoning themselves entirely to the diktats of the strongest economies and their agencies will prove a ‘living death’ for many countries in the SAARC fold.

The gains may be meagre but giving-up on SAARC cooperation in full would prove self-defeating for the organization and South Asia. Right now, the collective intention ought to be to salvage what the region could from the tenuous cooperative efforts. Moreover, such initiatives could go some distance to generate a degree of goodwill among the Eight and help in sustaining a dialogue process.

Given this backdrop it proved ‘a stich in time’ for the Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo, to recently host the SAARC Secretary General Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar to a round table discussion on the unifying potential of SAARC and its future possibilities, besides other related issue areas.

Held on June 24th and moderated by RCSS Executive Director and former ambassador Ravinatha Aryasinha, the forum brought together a vibrant, wide ranging audience comprising academicians, diplomats, senior public servants, civil society activists and many others. Following the presentation by Ambassador Golam Sarwar titled, ‘Reigniting SAARC: Achievements, Challenges and the Way Ahead’, a lively Q&A followed.

The above forum could be described as an act of lighting the proverbial ‘candle’ rather than ‘cursing the darkness.’ It surely is a ‘darkness’ that could be seen as daunting considering that the region’s pivotal powers, India and Pakistan, are failing to act in a spirit of accord but are engaged in bitter finger-pointing on a number of questions of vital importance to SAARC.

On the other hand, what is the rest of the region doing to bring the above sides together? It is disappointing that to date the rest of SAARC has failed to launch a major diplomatic drive to bring peace between the feuding regional heavyweights. It needs to act without delay and establish its earnestness and this effort would need to prove SAARC’s staying power in the unfolding months and even years.

In assessing SAARC’s seeming failure local opinion in particular has failed to factor in what could be described as weak leadership. Since Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh, the founding father of SAARC, the region has failed to produce a visionary leader who could advance the SAARC cause with charisma and drive.

Among other reasons, weak leadership accounts considerably for the faltering and stuttering status, as it were, of SAARC. Badly needed are leaders who could go the extra mile, think less of narrow national interests and work diligently towards the collective well being of the region but SAARC’s millions of ordinary people have been made to wait in vain for leaders of such stature. Instead, they have been burdened with politicians who seem to be relishing the apparently moribund state of SAARC.

Looking back, it could be said that it was the dynamic leadership factor that led to the launching of the Non-Aligned Movement and for its sustenance for a few decades. True, it could be seen in some quarters that NAM is no more, but as in the case of SAARC, the former too has been unfortunate to be burdened over the years with politicians who lack the vision and drive to unflaggingly advance the fortunes of the South. NAM and SAARC lack the dynamism and vision of leaders of the stature of Jawaharlal Nehru, for example, to give them the required guidance and intellectual depth.

The reasons are complex for there not being among us currently political leaders with the vision and the steadfast commitment to advance the legitimate interests of the South. However, it could be stated with conviction that the majority of Southern leaders have too easily caved in to the demands of the global North and its financial agencies.

These leaders have failed to see, for instance, that the largely market economy oriented Northern governments would not view with favour a centrist economic model that attaches priority to the interests of the dis-empowered publics of the South. This realization ought to have dawned on the current government in Sri Lanka, for instance, some while ago but it has no choice but to abide by IMF dictates since economic survival at present is unthinkable without the latter’s succour.

Accordingly for SAARC this should be the time for some soul-searching. Priority needs to be attached to ending the feuding between India and Pakistan since at present the material fortunes of the region hinge largely on these regional giants giving peaceful relations among them a try. This is no easy challenge to meet but some daring, visionary diplomacy needs to take hold among the rest of SAARC.

There is some sense in SAARC bringing the peoples of the region together through programs that address their best collective interests. A meeting of minds among SAARC nations could enable SAARC and its agencies to build a region-wide people’s movement for progressive political and economic change that could in turn lead to the region’s political leaders sensitizing themselves more to the neglected needs of their publics.

However, the time is ‘now’ for the initiation of these progressive changes and the voice of SAARC well wishers would need to drown out those of their critics.

Features

OPA seminar examines Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, resilience and growth pathways

Published

18 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

(L to R) Dr Achinthya Koswatte, Anushan Kapilan, Dr Harsha Aturupane, Bhanu Wijeyaratne, Vice President, OPA and moderator of the discussion, and Eng Chamil Edirimuny, General Secretary, OPA, at the head table.

A seminar, “Sri Lanka’s Economic Crossroads: Navigating Recovery, Resilience and Growth” was recently held by the Organisation of Professional Associations of Sri Lanka (OPA) at the OPA Auditorium, bringing together economists, OPA members, and professionals from diverse fields for an insightful discussion on Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and future growth prospects.

The event was held under the patronage of Jayantha Gallehewa, President of the OPA, and was jointly organised by the National Issues Committee (NIC) and the Seminars, Workshops and Programmes Committee of the OPA. The event reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to advancing professional excellence, fostering insightful intellectual engagement, facilitating interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and creating a constructive platform for informed dialogue on issues of national importance.

The panel of speakers comprised Dr. Harsha Aturupane, Lead Economist and Programme Leader for Human Development at the World Bank for Sri Lanka and the Maldives; Dr. Achinthya Koswatta, Senior Lecturer in Economics at the Open University of Sri Lanka, and Anushan Kapilan, Lead Economist at Verité Research.

In his welcome address, the President of the OPA emphasised that Sri Lanka was at a critical juncture in its economic recovery journey where sustained reforms, effective implementation, and collective national commitment are essential to achieving long-term stability, resilience and inclusive growth. He noted that the country had experienced one of the most severe economic crises in its history with the economy contracting by 7.8 percent in 2022 and a further 11.5 percent in 2023, resulting in significant economic and social challenges.

Delivering his introductory remarks Bhanu Wijeyaratne, Vice President of the OPA and Chairman of the National Issues Committee, underscored the need to move beyond short-term economic stabilisation towards a comprehensive agenda of structural transformation. He observed that the economic crisis had revealed deep-rooted weaknesses within the economy, including persistent fiscal pressures, rising public debt, foreign exchange limitations, and insufficient diversification of the export base. He stressed that addressing these challenges through strategic reforms, institutional strengthening and long-term economic planning would be essential to establishing a more resilient and competitive economy.

While acknowledging recent positive developments, including improved inflation management, tourism recovery and signs of economic stabilisation, Wijeyaratne stressed the need to advance reforms aimed at strengthening fiscal discipline, enhancing productivity, improving competitiveness, developing human capital and reinforcing governance and institutional effectiveness.

He further highlighted the important role of professionals, businesses, academia and other stakeholders in contributing to evidence-based dialogue and supporting Sri Lanka’s journey towards a resilient, inclusive and sustainable economic future.

Delivering the keynote presentation, Dr. Harsha Aturupane provided a comprehensive assessment of Sri Lanka’s economic prospects within the broader context of global economic transformation. He argued that Sri Lanka functioned as a small open economy whose performance is significantly influenced by developments in the global marketplace. External factors could not be controlled, and the country must strengthen its domestic capacity and resilience to respond effectively to international economic shifts, he noted.

Tracing the evolution of global economic systems, Dr. Aturupane highlighted the transition from ideological divisions between state-controlled and market-oriented economies towards increasingly pragmatic approaches focused on growth, competitiveness and development. He noted that Sri Lanka’s own economic journey reflects a similar evolution, with contemporary policy debates now centred on practical solutions for sustainable economic progress.

The presentation also examined the transformative impact of globalisation. Dr. Aturupane observed that global economic integration had enabled several East Asian economies, including South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong, to achieve remarkable economic advancement through export-led growth strategies. Sri Lanka similarly benefited from this process through the expansion of its apparel industry and increased integration into global value chains.

Turning to Sri Lanka’s recovery programme, Dr. Aturupane emphasised that the ongoing stabilisation process should be viewed as a national programme supported by the International Monetary Fund rather than solely as an IMF initiative. He observed that strong worker remittances, improved tourism earnings, enhanced government revenue mobilisation and prudent import management have contributed significantly to economic stabilisation.

Despite this progress, he cautioned that rebuilding foreign exchange reserves and meeting future debt obligations remain major challenges. He underscored the need to strengthen export performance, attract investment and generate sustainable foreign exchange earnings to ensure long-term economic resilience.

The discussion also focused on monetary stability, inflation management and exchange-rate policy. Dr. Aturupane stressed that maintaining price stability was fundamental to sustainable growth and household welfare, while sound monetary policy remains essential for preserving economic confidence.

Looking beyond stabilisation, he argued that Sri Lanka must transition towards a broader economic transformation agenda. Sustainable growth, he noted, will depend on expanding productive capacity through investment, technological advancement, innovation, skills development and structural reforms.

Among the key constraints identified was the high cost of energy, which continues to affect competitiveness and investment attractiveness. Dr. Aturupane emphasised the importance of improving efficiency and affordability within the energy sector to enhance Sri Lanka’s business environment.

He further highlighted the social dimensions of the crisis, noting the rise in poverty and economic vulnerability among households. Strengthening social protection systems and ensuring inclusive growth, he argued, must remain central components of the national development agenda.

Another critical challenge identified was Sri Lanka’s demographic transition. With an ageing population, outward migration and evolving labour market dynamics, the country is increasingly confronting labour shortages in several sectors. Dr. Aturupane suggested that greater automation, increased labour-force participation and strategic workforce planning would be necessary to address these emerging realities.

Concluding his presentation, he emphasised the need to improve governance, strengthen institutions, enhance competitiveness and create an enabling environment for private sector investment. Sri Lanka’s future success, he noted, will depend on its ability to move decisively beyond crisis management towards a development model founded on resilience, innovation, productivity and inclusive growth.

Dr. Achinthya Koswatta reiterated the importance of policy consistency and predictability in fostering investment and industrial development. She observed that frequent policy changes create uncertainty and discourage long-term investment decisions, whereas stable and coherent policy frameworks build confidence and support sustainable economic transformation.

Meanwhile, Anushan Kapilan highlighted the substantial progress achieved in restoring macroeconomic stability following the recent crisis. He noted significant improvements in fiscal performance, including increased government revenue, reduced reliance on debt financing and a historically low fiscal deficit.

He further observed that public debt levels are declining faster than anticipated, economic growth has exceeded expectations and inflation has been brought under control more rapidly than forecast. Nevertheless, he cautioned that the recovery remains uneven, particularly within the industrial sector and that many households have yet to experience a meaningful improvement in living standards.

The seminar was expertly coordinated by Eng. Chamil Edirimuni, Vice President of the OPA and Chairman of the Seminars, Workshops and Programmes Committee, while the technical moderation and interactive discussion session were facilitated by Bhanu Wijeyaratne, Vice President of the OPA and Chairman of the National Issues Committee.

The event was attended by Tisara De Silva, President-Elect of the OPA, Eng. Ravi Rupasinghe, General Secretary, Past Presidents, members of the Executive Council, representatives of the General Forum and professionals representing a wide range of disciplines.

The seminar concluded with a vibrant exchange of ideas and perspectives, reaffirming the importance of evidence-based policy dialogue, institutional collaboration and collective national commitment in advancing Sri Lanka’s economic recovery, resilience and sustainable growth.

Features

Her roots run deep in Sri Lanka

Published

18 hours ago

2026/07/16

Sahan Weerasooriya

Samantha Kay: Now based in the UK Samantha’s biggest passion is helping people, especially women, build confidence and believe in themselves Today, her focus is on radio, podcasting and coaching women Whenever she visits Sri Lanka, she says she loves spending time on the beautiful south coast, especially Hikkaduwa and Mirissa She released a song with 90s music icon Angie Brown, which reached No. 9 in the UK Club Charts

Yes, for UK-based presenter and artiste Samantha Kay, home is where the heart – and the roots – are. And her roots run deep in Sri Lanka.

In an exclusive interview with The Island, Samantha says “I’m proud to be Sri Lankan. My mum is from Kandy and my dad is from Colombo, so Sri Lanka has always held a very special place in my heart.

“Whenever I visit Sri Lanka, I love spending time on the beautiful south coast, especially Hikkaduwa and Mirissa. It’s somewhere I always feel connected to my roots and completely at peace.”

Now living in Bournemouth, on the south coast of England, where, she says, she is lucky to be close to some of the UK’s most beautiful beaches, including the iconic Sandbanks, Samantha has built a career that refuses to fit into one box.

She is a radio presenter, podcast host, singer-songwriter, personal trainer and life coach.

“I genuinely love the variety because every role allows me to connect with people and, hopefully, make a positive difference in someone’s day.”

Of course, music has taken her far.

One of her proudest achievements, she says, was releasing a song with 90s music icon Angie Brown, which reached No. 9 in the UK Club Charts.

She also reached the final stages of The X Factor and performed at Wembley Stadium in front of thousands.

Beyond music, Samantha competed in bikini bodybuilding across the UK, winning several titles. “It taught me discipline, resilience and self-belief,” she recalls.

Today, her focus is on radio, podcasting and coaching women. Her podcast encourages people to live life on their own terms rather than feeling pressured to follow society’s expectations.

Says Samantha: “Whether someone is single, changing careers, travelling solo or simply trying to find their purpose, I want them to know that it’s never too late to create a life that feels authentic. If you’ve ever felt like you don’t fit into the box, maybe you were never meant to.”

Samantha Kay also spent a year in Dubai, performing at five-star hotels, including FIVE, and coaching at the iconic outdoor gym on Palm Jumeirah.

“I taught strength and conditioning classes, and hosted wellness retreats, combining my passion for music, health and inspiring others.”

However, with family matters calling her back to the UK, she made the choice to return. “Family comes first,” she says.

Looking ahead, Samantha plans to grow her radio and podcast work, release more music, and expand her wellness retreats.

“My biggest passion is helping people, especially women, build confidence and believe in themselves,” she says.

“Wherever my career takes me, I hope to continue inspiring others to live with courage, kindness and authenticity, while never forgetting my Sri Lankan roots.”