Akilesh Mirthika Epa

Today on the Buzz, I speak to a young Fashionista who is making a name for himself in the US for his spark on the ramp. New York Fashion Week is a dream for many, but for little Akilash, it’s now second nature. Living in Texas he has been walking the ramp and doing shows all over the US. Today I sit with him and his mother Sureka, to speak about this experience and what he hopes to do in the future.

Long Term Suffering

Stockholm Syndrome is a coping mechanism to a captive or abusive situation. People develop positive feelings toward their captors or abusers over time. From what I learn about the situation in this country, there seems to be many who suffer from this syndrome. There are many in the city and elsewhere who go through different forms of abuse on a daily basis but yet carry on with their marriage since they are made to feel that they would be unworth

Champion Slice New York Style Pizzas with a Twist!

If you’re a fan of pizza, then you know that New York Style Pizza is THE pizza; it has a thin crust, a tangy sauce, and a generous amount of toppings that make it the perfect pizza. And if you’re in Colombo, then you don’t have to look any further than Champion Slice to get a taste of this iconic pizza style. Champion Slice is a relatively new pizzeria that opened its doors in 2022, and they’re quickly making a name for themselves as one of the b

Shangri–la hambantota Seven years of excellence

The recovery of the tourism industry after many problems since the 2019 Easter attack, Covid pandemic in 2020 and the economic crisis appears to be on a positive note. The tourism industry stake holders are optimistic and working hard towards brighter days in the coming months. It is a delight to see the hospitality industry starting to boom with the increase in tourist arrivals to Sri Lanka. With a gala Avurudu celebration after almost four yea

Rozanne Diasz

Today I speak to the queen of the runway, Rozanne who has walked and graced many shows locally and internationally. She has always been working to introduce many new faces to the main

Food for Thought, Fashion with a difference, Gourmet Cuisine.... International Women’s Day

Interbrand in association with the Daily FT concluded their International Women’s Day [ IWD ] 2023 – , focusing on the themes DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality and #EmbraceEquity , at a gala forum on 7 th April at the Oak Room of Cinnamon Grand Colombo, commencing 7 pm. A stellar line up of speakers, the crème de la crème of Sri Lanka’s entertainment, a galaxy of young professionals who walked the ramp on the theme of Embrac

Tymo

When I met Tymeron Carvalho around 13 years ago, I knew this talented young boy would make a success of himself. At 16 years he starred in TV commercials, which he gave up, continuing with his studies and thereafter going to Fashion College. Tymo has now made a name for himself in designing and modelling. A winner of many pageants, he chats about his love for bharata natyam and training up and coming models.

From Passion to Purpose Cloth Art Enthusiast Uses Proceeds from Classes and Sales to Support Charitable Causes

There are few things as fulfilling as using your skills and talents to make a positive impact on the world. For one woman, embracing her love for cloth art has led to not only personal fulfilment but also a way to help others in need. Nazly Zuhyle stumbled upon cloth art inadvertently. An acquaintance from Canada had returned to Sri Lanka on a visit, and she spoke of cloth art that she had learned at a senior citizen’s group back in Canada.

Alhambra

I recently visited one of Colombo’s oldest Indian restaurants - Alhambra at Ramada by Wyndham. While I had dined at Alhambra many times before, I hadn’t been there recently and wanted to see if the food was still as good as I remembered. I’m happy to report that Alhambra did not disappoint. Starting off with the Papdi Chaat, I loved the unique combination of sweet mint, potato masala and tamarind chutney. The crunchy fried wheat flour wafer added

Ping! ’Virtually Everything Is Fine’ Hits The Stage

Stages Theatre Group proudly presents their latest production PING! Virtually Everything is Fine running from the 27th to the 29th of April, 2023 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. Set in a middle-income apartment complex in contemporary Colombo, PING! explores the lives of four families centering on the lives of their teenage children, particularly of Dirk Anthonisz, a mysterious, broody 17-year-old who carries an intriguing reputation and a devastati

Support The Establishing Of Stroke Units In Sri Lanka

Mr. D, 30-year-old backhoe operator from Anuradhapura was brought to the emergency of the Anuradhapura Teaching Hospital with a sudden onset paralysis of his right side of the body and speech difficulties. He was diagnosed to have suffered a major stroke and despite the emergency treatment by the medical team, he was left with a significant disability. Howeve

GANU-DENU to help those in need...

“Give what you can. Take what GANU-DENU you need” This is how the motto reads for the latest endeavor-named the GANU-DENU programme by the Annapoorna initiative, aimed at sharing bounty, promote empathy and foster a sense of oneness among people. Launched on 22nd April 2023, the programme is aimed to be stationed at restaurants and cafes where consumers visiting the venues will have the opportunity to generously pay for an extra vegetarian

A Retrospective

A Retrospective - an exhibition tracing the artistic journey of Kamala Vasuki, a woman-artist and feminist activist coming from north and east is took place in Batticaloa. Through multiple mediums of individual and collective art, Vasuki’s work bears witness to the scarred histories of pain, hope and healing of her home Sri Lanka, over the past thirty years. Sitting with

Crop damage in Sri Lanka Does sending Toque Macaques to China solve the problem?

The Sri Lankan government’s plan to send 100,000 toque macaques to China has been frowned upon by animal rights groups, conservationists and the nature-loving fraternity. While the government states that this plan is a remedy to minimise crop damage, conservationists believe that funds and resources that will be utilised to capture and transport the animals to China could be allocated for better purposes such as looking at alternative means of co

Unsung Heroines A striking performance presented by the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka

Enveloped in a sphere of light sitting with grandeur in the centre of the stage was an extremely beautiful concert grand piano, along with arrangements to perform the Piano Trio composed by Clara Schumnn. ‘Unsung Heroines’ presented by the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka, at the Lionel Wendt Theatre on 31st March aimed to honor 4 of the greatest women composers of all time,

Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs Leveraging the power of social media to grow their businesses

Despite being faced with an uncertain economic future and gender-related barriers, women entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka have risen to the challenge and demonstrated remarkable resilience and

Fashion Week

Ajai Vir Singh has been instrumental in crafting modern Sri Lankan style. He founded Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) in 2003. It has been a tremendous effort and a lot of hard work that Ajai has invested in to sustain this CFW. The ups and downs as well as the highs and lows Ajai has gone through can only be imagined. Kudos to Ajai as CFW celebrated its 20th anniversary this year.

A ‘Locally Sourced’ culinary experience with Celebrated Chef Simon Toohey

Following a week’s expedition around the island, dynamic TV Chef and MasterChef Australia finalist Simon Toohey presented a rare culinary experience to a select crowd before he returned to his homeland.

Community-based fencing project Helping Mitigate Human-Elephant Conflict

Uga Ulagalla, the pristine 58-acre property nestled in Thirappane, Anuradhapura, renowned for its unspoiled cultural allure, has partnered with the Centre for Conservation and Research (CCR) to launch its first-ever community-based village fencing project in Pittala Konderama and Karambe. The initiative aims to mitigate human-elephant conflicts (HEC) in the area. Commenting on the project Managing Director, Priyanjith Weerasooria said, “We embar

International Women’s Day celebrations Crème de la crème of Sri Lanka’s entertainment on stage

Interbrand in association with the Daily FT will celebrate International Women’s Day [IWD ] 2023, focusing on the themes DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality and #EmbraceEquity, at a gala forum on 7th April at the Oak Room of Cinnamon Grand Colombo, commencing 7 pm. Inte

Intelligent design and colour at the fore Day 4 CFW 20th Anniversary

CFW’s 20th anniversary show Summer 23 which provided four days of back to back fashion drew to a close on Saturday night at the Shangri-La Colombo. Dimuthu Sahabandu is a diminutive designer who is just packed with talent. From the way he re-engineers fabric to give it new dimension, he also displays intelligence in fashion. Fashion can be used as a powerful tool to make a social commentary or to convey a message and that is what Sahabandu’s

Yearning to be a Star

It is a trend these days where everyone yearns to be a star. On social media the number of people who are desperate to become somebody is obvious. With the great influence of Master Chef and like programmes airing on TV a cooking trend began, for instance. What really caught on like the plague was the baking of cupcakes. Suddenly, cupcakes were available for purchase in every corner.

Emal Gunasekera

Today on the Buzz we are speaking to another young future leader, who is well on his way in making changes that this country deserves to see. Sameera Emal Wickramasinghe Gunasekera is the eldest of a family of 03 children. Emal was born to Earl Gunasekera and Sujatha Ranjani Gunasekara a reputed well established business family in the country. Emal Guna

The Newest Café In Colombo Elpodio

The newest restaurant entering the culinary scene in Colombo is ElPodio, a family-friendly restaurant that aims to offer unique culinary experiences to their guests. Located in the heart of Rajagiriya, casually tucked away at the busy but serene Royal Gardens, ElPodio officially opened for business on 24th March 2023.

Changes through refinement

Everything in the Universe is energy. All life forms, including humans, are comprised of subtle electrical fields that affect vital functions such as growth, metabolism, health, thought, emotions and movement. At the quantum level, the human body composed of ions, minerals and water is a conductor of electrical energy. Billions of electrical impulses regulate the activity of every living cell affecting our human body’s well being and its ability

A chat with Himaya Miss Earth Australia - Charity

Sri Lankan born Himaya Wijayaweera recently won one of the 5 national titles in the Miss Earth Australia National competition - Miss Earth Australia - Charity. Her love for modelling and pageantry began as a way to express herself and work in collaboration with other designers and brands. In an interview with the Daily Mirror Life, Himaya shares her experiences and challenges she faced during her pageantry journey. She also discusses the controve

Raja Jewellers’ ‘Be Yourself’ campaign empowers women on International Women’s Day 2023

‘Be Yourself’ campaign of Raja Jewellers, the undisputed monarch of the gold world, offers many discounts in celebration of International Women’s Day 2023. The campaign focuses on celebrating the multi-talented women who do what they love and showcase their passion and strength in the jewellery industry. Commenting on the campaign, Ranmini Eliyapura, Director at Raja Jewellers, stated, “Raja Jewellers celebrates the fearless and unstoppable spi

Of Pumpkin and Jak

The conversation at a casual Sunday lunch at Trixie’s segued to an article in the past week’s Daily Mirror where it stated that 59% of the Sri Lankan population either do not have access to or have a wholesome single meal for the day. Trixie’s neighbour, Haughty Katha Petti, callously butted in saying that the information was inaccurate as villagers have access to pumpkin or jak at any given time since both grow in their gardens and, therefore, t

Mad Curry Skills By Chari presents ‘Live Cooking’ Workshops

Home-based food business, Mad Curry Skills by Chari, run by home cook Charindi Meegasthanna together with her husband Chinthaka Dharmakeerthi is a known household name among the foodie community. Chari’s mad curry skills have made her famous for her signature lamprais and yellow rice and over the years, with a steady clientele in the build, the husband-and-wife d

Interbrand and Daily FT celebrate International Women’s Day 2023

Once again Interbrand in association with the Daily FT will celebrate International Women’s Day [ IWD ] 2023, the themes being – “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality, and #EmbraceEquity, recognizing the contribution of women and girls around the world. The celebration will be held at a gala event on 7th April at the Oak Room of the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, commencing 7 pm. Interb