Features

Woman smuggled baby into UK using fake birth story

Published

10 months ago

2025/07/14

Priyan

Last summer, a woman was arrested at Gatwick Airport after she arrived from Nigeria with a very young baby girl.

The woman had been living in West Yorkshire with her husband and children, and before leaving the UK for Africa had told her GP she was pregnant. That was not true.

When the woman returned about a month later with the baby, she was arrested on suspicion of trafficking.

The case, the second the BBC has followed through the Family Court in recent months, reveals what experts say is a worrying trend of babies possibly being brought to the UK unlawfully – some from so-called “baby factories” in Nigeria.

The woman, who we are calling Susan, is Nigerian, but had been living in England since June 2023, with her husband and children.

A careworker with leave to remain in Britain, Susan claimed she was pregnant. But scans and blood tests showed that wasn’t true. Instead, they revealed Susan had a tumour, which doctors feared could be cancerous. But she refused treatment.

Susan insisted her previous pregnancies had been invisible on scans, telling her employer, “my babies are always hidden”. She also claimed she’d been pregnant for up to 30 months with her other children.

Susan had travelled to Nigeria in early June 2024, saying she wanted to have her baby there, and then contacted her local hospital in Britain, to say she had given birth. Doctors were concerned and contacted children’s services.

Arriving back in the UK with the baby girl – who we’re calling Eleanor – Susan was stopped and arrested by Sussex Police.

She was bailed and the lead police force on this confirmed there is no active investigation at the moment. After her arrest, Susan, her husband, and Eleanor were given DNA tests. Eleanor was taken to foster carers. “When the results show that I am Eleanor’s mother, I want her to be returned immediately,” Susan said.

But the tests showed the baby had no genetic link with Susan or her husband. Susan demanded a second test – which gave the same result, and then she changed her story.

She’d had IVF treatment before moving to Britain in 2023 with a donor egg and sperm, she said, and that’s why the DNA tests were negative.

Susan provided a letter from a Nigerian hospital, signed by the medical director, saying she’d given birth there, as well as a document from another clinic about the IVF treatment to back up her claims.

She also provided photos and videos which she said showed her in the Nigerian hospital’s labour suite. No face is visible in the images and one showed a naked woman with a placenta between her legs, with an umbilical cord still attached to it.

The Family Court in Leeds sent Henrietta Coker to investigate.

Ms Coker, who provides expert reports to family courts in cases like this, has nearly 30 years experience as a social worker. She trained in Britain, and worked in front-line child protection in London, before moving to Africa. Ms Coker visited the medical centre where Susan claimed she’d had IVF. There was no record of Susan having had treatment there – staff told her the letter was forged.

She then visited the place Susan said she’d given birth. It was a shabby, three bedroom flat, with “stained” walls and “dirty” carpets.

There Ms Coker was met by “three young teenage girls sitting in the reception room with nurses’ uniforms on”. She asked to speak to the matron and was “ushered into the kitchen where a teenage girl was eating rice”.

Ms Coker then tracked down the doctor who’d written a letter saying Susan had given birth there. He said, “Yes, someone had given birth”.

Ms Coker showed him a photograph of Susan, but it wasn’t her, the doctor said. “Impersonating people is common in this part of the world,” he told Ms Coker, suggesting that Susan might have “bought the baby”.

Supplied A woman in a pattern jumpsuit and sandals sits on a wall infront of the ocean, posing and smiling for the picture — *Henrietta Coker has decades of experience as a social worker [BBC]*

The practice of “baby farming” is well known in West Africa, Ms Coker later told the court. At least 200 illegal “baby factories” have been shut down by the Nigerian authorities in the last five years, she said.

Some contained young girls who’d been kidnapped, raped, and forced to give birth repeatedly. “Sometimes these girls are released,” Ms Coker said, “other times they die during childbirth, or are murdered and placed in the grounds of the organisation.”

It’s not clear where baby Eleanor might have come from – though the doctor told Ms Coker he believed she would have been given up voluntarily. Ms Coker was unable to establish who Eleanor’s real parents are.

She gave evidence to the Family Court in Leeds in March this year, along with Susan, her husband, her employer and a senior obstetrician.

At an earlier hearing the judge asked for Susan’s phone to be examined. Investigators found messages which Susan had sent to someone saved in her address book as “Mum oft [sic] Lagos Baby”.

About four weeks before the alleged date of birth Susan wrote a text message which read:

*“Good afternoon ma, I have not seen the hospital items”*

The same day, Mum Oft Lagos Baby responded:

*“Delivery drug is 3.4 m*

*“Hospital bill 170k.”*

Assuming those sums to be Nigerian Naira, they would be in the region of £1,700 and £85 respectively, the Family Court judge, Recorder William Tyler KC said.

*[pic BBC]*

The local authority pointed out the messages were set to “automatic self-destruct mode” – and said they represented evidence of a deal to purchase a baby.

Susan tried to explain the messages in court. The Recorder said her attempts were “difficult to follow and impossible to accept”.

Recorder Tyler, sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court, found Susan had “staged a scene” which she falsely claimed showed her giving birth to Eleanor in Nigeria.

He said Susan and her husband had put forward a “fundamental lie” to explain how Eleanor came to be in their care, and had tried to mislead authorities with false documents.

They’d both caused the little girl “significant emotional and psychological harm”, he said.

In early July, the BBC attended the final hearing in Eleanor’s case, held remotely.

In one little square of the Teams meeting we could see Susan and her husband, sitting upright, barely moving, focused closely on what the advocates said.

They wanted Eleanor returned to them. Their barristers said their own children were thriving – they wanted to offer her the same love and care.

Susan’s husband saw Eleanor as “a fundamental part of their family unit”.

Vikki Horspool, representing the child’s guardian, a social worker from the Independent Children and Family Child Advisory Service challenged that. She said that the couple “continued to be dishonest” about Eleanor’s real start in life and how she came to be in their care.

The judge ordered that baby Eleanor be placed for adoption, and also made a “declaration of non parentage”. He said he was aware of the “pain” this would cause Susan and her husband.

The barrister for the local authority told the court that the baby is “very settled” with her foster carer, taking part in activities in her community and getting medical treatment.

When Eleanor is adopted she will have a new identity and British nationality – but she may never know who her real parents are.

Eleanor’s story echoes the case of ‘Lucy’ – who was brought into Manchester Airport in 2023, by a man claiming to be her father.

Ms Coker believes it is likely that more children have been brought unlawfully to the UK from West Africa. She told the BBC she has worked on around a dozen similar cases since the pandemic. In her experience, baby trafficking is commonplace. “Money is getting exchanged for children on a large scale” she said – not just in Africa but “across the global south”.

Since 2021 the UK government has restricted adoptions from Nigeria, partly because of “evidence of organised child trafficking” within the country. British authorities have been aware of the problem for many years, and there have been several cases in the Family Courts over the last 20 years.

Two hearings in 2011 and 2012 involved Nigerian couples who had fertility treatment that led to a miracle baby. These “treatments” continue, as recently exposed by investigative journalists at BBC Africa Eye.

In 2013, the UK High Commission in Lagos required DNA tests in certain circumstances before newborn babies could be taken from Nigeria to Britain.

Among 12 couples investigated was a former Oxford academic, prosecuted for immigration offenses. However this process has been stopped. In 2018 officials were advised that such DNA testing was unlawful.

They were told they could not make people undergo DNA testing when they were asking for a visa or passport in support of an application relating to immigration status – and that had been the case since 2014.

Ms Coker said some clinics offer “packages” that include registering the baby’s birth. It will cost anywhere between £2,000 and £8,000, excluding any airfare, she said.

She thinks more people in Britain should be aware of this activity.

It is hard to tackle, she said – perhaps DNA testing of newborn babies and purported parents would help.

But she wasn’t sure the British government can do much to stop it, she said, “the issues start in countries where the children are born”.

Patricia Durr, CEO of the anti-trafficking charity ECPAT said cases like this were particularly “heinous” because they denied a child right to their identity.

She said: “Every effort must be made to prevent these egregious crimes occurring.”

A government spokesperson said: “Falsely claiming to be the parent of a child to facilitate entry to the UK is illegal. Those found doing so will face the full force of the law.

“Border Force is committed to protecting individuals who cross the border and where concerns are raised, officers will take action to safeguard individuals who could be at risk.”

The BBC contacted the Nigerian High Commission for comment but they did not respond.

***[BBC]***

Getty Images Pregnant woman, Lagos, Nigeria — *Henrietta Coker has decades of experience as a social worker [BBC]*

The practice of “baby farming” is well known in West Africa, Ms Coker later told the court. At least 200 illegal “baby factories” have been shut down by the Nigerian authorities in the last five years, she said.

Some contained young girls who’d been kidnapped, raped, and forced to give birth repeatedly. “Sometimes these girls are released,” Ms Coker said, “other times they die during childbirth, or are murdered and placed in the grounds of the organisation.”

It’s not clear where baby Eleanor might have come from – though the doctor told Ms Coker he believed she would have been given up voluntarily. Ms Coker was unable to establish who Eleanor’s real parents are.

She gave evidence to the Family Court in Leeds in March this year, along with Susan, her husband, her employer and a senior obstetrician.

At an earlier hearing the judge asked for Susan’s phone to be examined. Investigators found messages which Susan had sent to someone saved in her address book as “Mum oft [sic] Lagos Baby”.

About four weeks before the alleged date of birth Susan wrote a text message which read:

*“Good afternoon ma, I have not seen the hospital items”*

The same day, Mum Oft Lagos Baby responded:

*“Delivery drug is 3.4 m*

*“Hospital bill 170k.”*

Assuming those sums to be Nigerian Naira, they would be in the region of £1,700 and £85 respectively, the Family Court judge, Recorder William Tyler KC said.

*[pic BBC]*

The local authority pointed out the messages were set to “automatic self-destruct mode” – and said they represented evidence of a deal to purchase a baby.

Susan tried to explain the messages in court. The Recorder said her attempts were “difficult to follow and impossible to accept”.

Recorder Tyler, sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court, found Susan had “staged a scene” which she falsely claimed showed her giving birth to Eleanor in Nigeria.

He said Susan and her husband had put forward a “fundamental lie” to explain how Eleanor came to be in their care, and had tried to mislead authorities with false documents.

They’d both caused the little girl “significant emotional and psychological harm”, he said.

In early July, the BBC attended the final hearing in Eleanor’s case, held remotely.

In one little square of the Teams meeting we could see Susan and her husband, sitting upright, barely moving, focused closely on what the advocates said.

They wanted Eleanor returned to them. Their barristers said their own children were thriving – they wanted to offer her the same love and care.

Susan’s husband saw Eleanor as “a fundamental part of their family unit”.

Vikki Horspool, representing the child’s guardian, a social worker from the Independent Children and Family Child Advisory Service challenged that. She said that the couple “continued to be dishonest” about Eleanor’s real start in life and how she came to be in their care.

The judge ordered that baby Eleanor be placed for adoption, and also made a “declaration of non parentage”. He said he was aware of the “pain” this would cause Susan and her husband.

The barrister for the local authority told the court that the baby is “very settled” with her foster carer, taking part in activities in her community and getting medical treatment.

When Eleanor is adopted she will have a new identity and British nationality – but she may never know who her real parents are.

Eleanor’s story echoes the case of ‘Lucy’ – who was brought into Manchester Airport in 2023, by a man claiming to be her father.

Ms Coker believes it is likely that more children have been brought unlawfully to the UK from West Africa. She told the BBC she has worked on around a dozen similar cases since the pandemic. In her experience, baby trafficking is commonplace. “Money is getting exchanged for children on a large scale” she said – not just in Africa but “across the global south”.

Since 2021 the UK government has restricted adoptions from Nigeria, partly because of “evidence of organised child trafficking” within the country. British authorities have been aware of the problem for many years, and there have been several cases in the Family Courts over the last 20 years.

Two hearings in 2011 and 2012 involved Nigerian couples who had fertility treatment that led to a miracle baby. These “treatments” continue, as recently exposed by investigative journalists at BBC Africa Eye.

In 2013, the UK High Commission in Lagos required DNA tests in certain circumstances before newborn babies could be taken from Nigeria to Britain.

Among 12 couples investigated was a former Oxford academic, prosecuted for immigration offenses. However this process has been stopped. In 2018 officials were advised that such DNA testing was unlawful.

They were told they could not make people undergo DNA testing when they were asking for a visa or passport in support of an application relating to immigration status – and that had been the case since 2014.

Ms Coker said some clinics offer “packages” that include registering the baby’s birth. It will cost anywhere between £2,000 and £8,000, excluding any airfare, she said.

She thinks more people in Britain should be aware of this activity.

It is hard to tackle, she said – perhaps DNA testing of newborn babies and purported parents would help.

But she wasn’t sure the British government can do much to stop it, she said, “the issues start in countries where the children are born”.

Patricia Durr, CEO of the anti-trafficking charity ECPAT said cases like this were particularly “heinous” because they denied a child right to their identity.

She said: “Every effort must be made to prevent these egregious crimes occurring.”

A government spokesperson said: “Falsely claiming to be the parent of a child to facilitate entry to the UK is illegal. Those found doing so will face the full force of the law.

“Border Force is committed to protecting individuals who cross the border and where concerns are raised, officers will take action to safeguard individuals who could be at risk.”

The BBC contacted the Nigerian High Commission for comment but they did not respond.

***[BBC]***

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Features

Cricket and the National Interest

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

The appointment of former minister Eran Wickremaratne to chair the Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee is significant for more than the future of cricket. It signals a possible shift in the culture of governance even as it offers Sri Lankan cricket a fighting possibility to get out of the doldrums of failure. There have been glorious patches for the national cricket team since the epochal 1996 World Cup triumph. But these patches of brightness have been few and far between and virtually non-existent over the past decade. At the centre of this disaster has been the failures of governance within Sri Lanka Cricket which are not unlike the larger failures of governance within the country itself. The appointment of a new reform oriented committee therefore carries significance beyond cricket. It reflects the wider challenge facing the country which is to restore trust in public institutions for better management.

The appointment of Eran Wickremaratne brings a professional administrator with a proven track record into the cricket arena. He has several strengths that many of his immediate predecessors lacked. Before the ascent of the present government leadership to positions of power, Eran Wickremaratne was among the handful of government ministers who did not have allegations of corruption attached to their names. His reputation for financial professionalism and integrity has remained intact over many years in public life. With him in the Cricket Transformation Committee are also respected former cricketers Kumar Sangakkara, Roshan Mahanama and Sidath Wettimuny together with professionals from legal and business backgrounds. They have been tasked with introducing structural reforms and improving transparency and accountability within cricket administration.

A second reason for this appointment to be significant is that this is possibly the first occasion on which the NPP government has reached out to someone associated with the opposition to obtain assistance in an area of national importance. The commitment to bipartisanship has been a constant demand from politically non-partisan civic groups and political analysts. They have voiced the opinion that the government needs to be more inclusive in its choice of appointments to decision making authorities. The NPP government’s practice so far has largely been to limit appointments to those within the ruling party or those considered loyalists even at the cost of proven expertise. The government’s decision in this case therefore marks a potentially important departure.

National Interest

There are areas of public life where national interest should transcend party divisions and cricket, beloved of the people, is one of them. Sri Lanka cannot afford to continue treating every institution as an arena for political competition when institutions themselves are in crisis and public confidence has become fragile. It is therefore unfortunate that when the government has moved positively in the direction of drawing on expertise from outside its own ranks there should be a negative response from sections of the opposition. This is indicative of the absence of a culture of bipartisanship even on issues that concern the national interest. The SJB, of which the newly appointed cricket committee chairman was a member objected on the grounds that politicians should not hold positions in sports administration and asked him to resign from the party. There is a need to recognise the distinction between partisan political control and the temporary use of experienced administrators to carry out reform and institutional restructuring. In other countries those in politics often join academia and civil society on a temporary basis and vice versa.

More disturbing has been the insidious campaign carried out against the new cricket committee and its chairman on the grounds of religious affiliation. This is an unacceptable denial of the reality that Sri Lanka is a plural, multi ethnic and multi religious society. The interim committee reflects this diversity to a reasonable extent. The country’s long history of ethnic conflict should have taught all political actors the dangers of mobilising communal prejudice for short term political gain. Sri Lanka paid a very heavy price for decades of mistrust and division. It would be tragic if even cricket administration became another arena for communal suspicion and hostility. The present government represents an important departure from the sectarian rhetoric that was employed by previous governments. They have repeatedly pledged to protect the equal rights of all citizens and not permit discrimination or extremism in any form.

The recent international peace march in Sri Lanka led by the Venerable Bhikkhu Thich Paññākāra from Vietnam with its message of loving kindness and mindfulness to all resonated strongly with the masses of people as seen by the crowds who thronged the roadsides to obtain blessings and show respect. This message stands in contrast to the sectarian resentment manifested by those who seek to use the cricket appointments as a weapon to attack the government at the present time. The challenges before the Sri Lanka Cricket Transformation Committee parallel the larger challenges before the government in developing the national economy and respecting ethnic and religious diversity. Plugging the leaks and restoring systems will take time and effort. It cannot be done overnight and it cannot succeed without public patience and support.

New Recognition

There is also a need for realism. The appointment of Eran Wickremaratne and the new committee does not guarantee success. Reforming deeply flawed institutions is always difficult. Besides, Sri Lanka is a small country with a relatively small population compared to many other cricket playing nations. It is also a country still recovering from the economic breakdown of 2022 which pushed the majority of people into hardship and severely weakened public institutions. The country continues to face unprecedented challenges including the damage caused by Cyclone Ditwah and the wider global economic uncertainties linked to conflict in the Middle East. Under these difficult circumstances Sri Lanka has fewer resources than many larger countries to devote to both cricket and economic development.

When resources are scarce they cannot be wasted through corruption or incompetence. Drawing upon the strengths of all those who are competent for the tasks at hand regardless of party affiliation or ethnic or religious identity is necessary if improvement is to come sooner rather than later. The burden of rebuilding the country cannot rest only on the government. The crisis facing the country is too deep for any single party or government to solve alone. National recovery requires capable individuals from across society and from different sectors such as business and civil society to work together in areas where the national interest transcends party politics. There is also a responsibility on opposition political parties to support initiatives that are politically neutral and genuinely in the national interest. Not every issue needs to become a partisan battle.

Sri Lanka cricket occupies a special place in the national consciousness. At its best it once united the country and gave Sri Lankans a sense of pride and international recognition. Restoring integrity and professionalism to cricket administration can therefore become part of the larger task of national renewal. The appointment of Eran Wickremaratne and the new committee, while it does not guarantee success, is a sign that the political leadership and people of the country may be beginning to mature in their approach to governance. In recognising the need for competence, integrity and bipartisan cooperation and extending it beyond cricket into other areas of national life, Sri Lanka may find the way towards more stable and successful governance..

by Jehan Perera

Features

From Dhaka to Sri Lanka, three wheels that drive our economies

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

Court vacation this year came with an unexpected lesson, not from a courtroom but from the streets of Dhaka — a city that moves, quite literally, on three wheels.

Above the traffic, a modern metro line glides past concrete pillars and crowded rooftops. It is efficient, clean and frequently cited as a symbol of progress in Bangladesh. For a visitor from Sri Lanka, it inevitably brings to mind our own abandoned light rail plans — a project debated, politicised and ultimately set aside.

But Dhaka’s real story is not in the air. It is on the ground.

Beneath the elevated tracks, the streets belong to three-wheelers. Known locally as CNGs, they cluster at junctions, line the edges of markets and pour into narrow roads that larger vehicles avoid. Even with a functioning rail system, these three-wheelers remain the city’s most dependable form of everyday transport.

Within hours of arriving, their importance becomes obvious. The train may take you across the city, but the journey does not end there. The last mile — often the most complicated part — belongs entirely to the three-wheeler. It is the vehicle that gets you home, to a meeting or simply through streets that no bus route properly serves.

There is a rhythm to using them. A destination is mentioned, a price is suggested and a brief negotiation follows. Then the ride begins, edging into traffic that feels permanently compressed. Drivers move with instinct, adjusting routes and squeezing through gaps with a confidence built over years.

It is not polished. But it works.

And that is where the comparison with Sri Lanka becomes less about what we lack and more about what we already have.

Back home, the three-wheeler has long been part of daily life — so familiar that it is often discussed only in terms of its problems. There are frequent complaints about fares, refusals or the absence of meters. More recently, the industry itself has become entangled in politics — from fuel subsidies to regulatory debates, from election-time promises to periodic crackdowns.

In that process, the conversation has shifted. The three-wheeler is often treated as a problem to be managed, rather than a service to be strengthened.

Yet, seen through the experience of Dhaka, Sri Lanka’s system begins to look far more settled — and, in many ways, ahead.

There is a growing structure in place. Meters, while not perfect, are widely recognised. Ride-hailing apps have added transparency and reduced uncertainty for passengers. There are clearer expectations on both sides — driver and commuter alike. Even small details, such as designated parking areas in parts of Colombo or the increasing standard of vehicles, point to an industry slowly moving towards professionalism.

Just as importantly, there is a human element that remains intact.

In Sri Lanka, a three-wheeler ride is rarely just a transaction. Drivers talk. They offer directions, comment on the day’s news, or share local knowledge. The ride becomes part of the social fabric, not just a means of getting from one point to another.

In Dhaka, the scale of the city leaves less room for that. The interaction is quicker, more direct, shaped by urgency. The service is essential, but it is under constant pressure.

What stands out, across both countries, is that the three-wheeler is not a temporary or outdated mode of transport. It is a necessity in dense, fast-growing Asian cities — one that fills gaps no rail or bus system can fully address.

Large infrastructure projects, like light rail, are important. They bring efficiency and long-term capacity. But they cannot replace the flexibility of a three-wheeler. They cannot reach into narrow streets, respond instantly to demand or provide that crucial last-mile connection.

That is why, even in a city that has invested heavily in modern rail, Dhaka still runs on three wheels.

For Sri Lanka, the lesson is not simply about what could have been built, but about what should be better managed and valued.

The three-wheeler industry does not need to be politicised at every turn. It needs steady regulation — clear fare systems, proper licensing, safety standards — alongside encouragement and recognition. It needs to be seen as part of the solution to urban transport, not as a side issue.

Because for thousands of drivers, it is a livelihood. And for millions of passengers, it is the most immediate and reliable form of mobility.

The tuk-tuk may not feature in grand policy speeches or infrastructure blueprints. It does not run on elevated tracks or attract international attention. But on the ground, where daily life unfolds, it continues to do what larger systems often struggle to do — show up, adapt and keep moving.

And after watching Dhaka’s streets — crowded, relentless, yet functioning — that small, three-wheeled vehicle feels less like something to argue over and more like something to get right.

(The writer is an Attorney-at-Law with over a decade of experience specialising in civil law, a former Board Member of the Office of Missing Persons and a former Legal Director of the Central Cultural Fund. He holds an LLM in International Business Law)

by Sampath Perera recently in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Features

Dubai scene … opening up

Published

2 hours ago

2026/05/5

Sahan Weerasooriya

Seven Notes: Operating in Dubai

According to reports coming my way, the entertainment scene, in Dubai, is very much opening up, and buzzing again!

After a quieter few months, May is packed with entertainment and the whole scene, they say, is shifting back into full swing.

The Seven Notes band, made up of Sri Lankans, based in Dubai, are back in the spotlight, after a short hiatus, due to the ongoing Middle East problems.

On 18th April they did Legends Night at Mercure Hotel Dubai Barsha Heights; on Thursday, 9th May, they will be at the Sports Bar of the Mercure Hotel for 70s/80s Retro Night; on 6th June, they will be at Al Jadaf Dubai to provide the music for Sandun Perera live in concert … and with more dates to follow.

These events are expected to showcase the band’s evolving sound, tighter stage coordination, and stronger audience engagement.

With each performance, the band aims to refine its identity and build a loyal following within Dubai’s vibrant nightlife and event scene.

Pasindu Umayanga: The group’s new vocalist

What makes Seven Notes standout is their versatility which has made the band a dynamic and promising act.

With a growing performance calendar, new talent integration, and international ambitions, the band is definitely entering a defining phase of its journey.

Dubai’s music industry, I’m told, thrives on diversity, energy, and audience connection, with live bands playing a crucial role in elevating events—from corporate shows to private concerts. Against this backdrop, Seven Notes is positioning itself not just as another band, but as a performance-driven musical unit focused on consistency and growth.

Adding fresh momentum to the group is Pasindu Umayanga who joins Seven Notes as their new vocalist. This move signals a strategic upgrade—not just filling a role, but strengthening the band’s front-line presence.

Looking beyond local stages, Seven Notes is preparing for an international tour, to Korea, in July.

Bassist Niluk Uswaththa: Spokesperson for Seven Notes

According to bassist Niluk Uswaththa, taking a band abroad means: Your sound must hold up against unfamiliar audiences, your performance must translate beyond language, and your discipline must be at a professional level.

“If executed well, this tour could redefine Seven Notes from a local band into an emerging international act,” added Niluk.

He went on to say that Dubai is not an easy market. It’s saturated with highly experienced, multi-genre bands that can adapt instantly to any crowd.

“To stand out consistently you need to have tight rehearsal discipline, unique sound identity (not just covers), strong stage chemistry, audience retention – not just applause.”

No doubt, Seven Notes is entering a critical growth phase—new member, multiple shows, and an international tour on the horizon. The opportunity is real, but so is the pressure.

However, there is talk that Seven Notes will soon be a recognised name in the regional music scene.