Screams amidst a thundering applause was all that was ringing in our ears as we walked in to the Sugathadasa Indoor Stadium along with the masses to witness what was truly magical to each and every human eye. Yiannis Chryssomallis, the legend that he is, and his beautiful symphony orchestra had the audience in awe even before the show had begun. Words do injustice to describe the passionate musical journey we were taken through right here in Sri Lanka!

The night began with ‘Deliverance’ one of the popular numbers followed by ‘Santorini’ that kept the crowd at the edge of their seats. The music transported us to a different world with its largely varying spread of melodies and instantaneously we felt the message of peace and love in all our hearts. Emphasizing on love, Yanni says his compositions are mostly based on the strong emotions and endless love throughout his journey. ‘Felitsa’ was one such piece that carried unconditional love and in his own words – “Felitsa was my mother”
Yanni enlightened the audience with a message of inspiration and guidance, where he believed all humans should dwell in the positive energy to maintain a healthy way of life. The show ended with ‘One man’s dream’ and the audience was left with a powerful message.

‘Yanni Live in Sri Lanka’ is a part of the Yanni world tour 2014 and was presented by Wizcraft, AKG events and Amuseum special events in collaboration with the Hilton Colombo. Speaking to Yanni at the press conference held earlier last Sunday evening we were able to gather answers to some of the frequently asked questions by our readers.

What do you think of Sri Lanka?
- I love it! Everybody is warm and welcoming and I already feel a connection here. Even the drive from the airport tells you a lot about Sri Lanka. This is only the beginning and we will come back again.

Is there a reason behind performing at monumental sites?
- Even before we start playing, the audience is already in awe. But there is a lot of planning permission involved. We will do a few more in the future.

How did you discover the talents of your team to form the amazing orchestra that it is today?
- It’s very difficult to find musicians. Most of them are references from other musicians. It’s beautiful to discover people. They teach each other and that is magical. I’m looking not only for a great musician but a great human being.

Comments from the audience

I loved it! It was a childhood dream come true! – Bimsara

Electrifying atmosphere. It was very different and we enjoyed it! – Inosha and Ishani

It was brilliant! It gave me goose bumps. I really loved ‘Nightingale’ – Buddhi

Ardent fan since I was 13. The concert was special and exciting. My favourites were ‘Deliverance’ and ‘One man’s dream’. It was a powerful performance! – Buwenaka and Sadalika

Both heart and jaw dropping! Hope they come again. Our favourite was ‘Nightingale’ – Tharini, Yasara, Sugeesha, Tharaka and Minoli.

It was awesome! Best concert ever! – Nadeesh and Dilshan

Very enjoyable. Loved Yanni – He collects human talent and brings it together in the performance – Jackson Anthony

It was a great performance! We were very much in awe. – Suranjan and Pandula 

I've been a Yanni fan since I was four years old, and I always dreamt of attending one of his concerts. When they first announced that he was coming to Sri Lanka, I do admit, I was skeptic at first, but yesterday's performance was just mind blowing!!! Considering the rough times our country has been through, Yanni chose Sri Lanka well in passing his message of peace, love and ethnicity to us all, as one of his tracks say, "niki nana"(we're one). – Ushan

By Hasna Saleem
Pictures of the audience by Dilshan Senaratne