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The Music of ABBA From Sweden show Mount Lavinia Hotel

Tourism Minister draws inspiration from ABBA music at Arrival from Sweden concert

Daily FT Monday, 25 November 2024

Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath delivered a hopeful message on Saturday while attending the live performance of ‘Arrival from Sweden: The Music of ABBA’, an internationally renowned tribute band.

The event, which drew around 2,500 vibrant enthusiasts, was filled with music, nostalgia and entertainment, as the Minister shared admiration for the iconic band and one of his favourite songs, ‘I have a dream’.

 The Music of ABBA From Sweden show Mount Lavinia Hotel.Pic-Colombo Gazette

Referring to the song’s lyrics, Minister Herath expressed his optimism for Sri Lanka’s future. 

“The lyrics say, ‘I have a dream and I’ll cross the stream’. Today, people are happy and I am confident that all Sri Lankans share this desire to cross the stream he remarked to enthusiastic cheers and applause from the audience. “In few years, we will cross that stream together and achieve that dream of a better future,” Herath added. 

The Minister highlighted the importance of tourism as a key driver of economic growth, stating that the industry’s significance has been recognised in the Government’s vision for a prosperous and stable country.

 The Music of ABBA From Sweden show Mount Lavinia Hotel.Pic-Colombo Gazette

“Tourism is a vital industry to boost economic growth. It will contribute significantly in realising our shared dream of a thriving and prosperous country,” he said. 

The event which celebrated the timeless music of ABBA, also saw the participation of Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva, former Ministers, tourism industry champions, business leaders and local artists. 

 The Music of ABBA From Sweden show Mount Lavinia Hotel.Pic-Colombo Gazette

The brainchild of the event, Mt. Lavinia Hotel Chief Operating Officer (COO) Anura Dewapura expressed immense satisfaction with the success of the event, describing it as a culmination of six months of meticulous planning and coordination.

“The effort we put into organising this truly paid off,” he remarked, highlighting the significance of hosting such a landmark performance. 

 The Music of ABBA From Sweden show Mount Lavinia Hotel.Pic-Colombo Gazette

Dewapura also emphasised the broader vision behind hosting the concert, pointing to the importance of positioning Mt. Lavinia Hotel as a vibrant destination for high-profile events. 

 The Music of ABBA From Sweden show Mount Lavinia Hotel.Pic-Colombo Gazette

The print media partner of the event was Wijeya Newspapers Ltd.  The ABBA tribute show marked the debut performance in Sri Lanka with its full 17-member band, ‘Arrival from Sweden: The Music of ABBA’ renowned globally for their authentic and electrifying renditions of the iconic group’s music. With an impressive track record of touring over 80 countries and performing 120 shows in the UK alone, their arrival in Sri Lanka was a historic moment for fans of the legendary band.⍐

Pix by Waruna Wanniarachchi + Akila Jayawardena+Colombo Gazette

Anura Kumara Dissanayake should fully implement the “vision document” adopted with India last year-Ranil

 

The vision document emphasized on strengthening maritime, air, energy ties and people-to-people connectivity between India and Sri Lanka. It also envisaged accelerating mutual cooperation in tourism, power, trade, higher education and skill development.

Ranil in India, speaks about President AKD

News Wire November 23, 2024

Former Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Friday said his successor Anura Kumara Dissanayake should fully implement the “vision document” adopted with India last year.

President Dissanayake, elected to the top office in September this year, is scheduled to visit India in mid-December.

During his India trip in July 2023, then-President Wickremesinghe had signed a vision document with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, outlining areas of cooperation between the two countries, especially economic partnership.

“In the vision document signed by me and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, we have set out the areas of bilateral cooperation between the two countries. I am of the opinion he (Dissanayake) should move forward and we should implement this vision document in its entirety,” he told PTI.

Wickremesinghe, who attended an event at the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar school in Indore, was replying when asked what should be the areas of mutual cooperation when Dissanayake visits New Delhi next month and meets PM Modi and other Indian leaders.

The vision document adopted during Wickremesinghe’s tour emphasised on strengthening maritime, air, energy ties and people-to-people connectivity between India and Sri Lanka. It also envisaged accelerating mutual cooperation in tourism, power, trade, higher education and skill development.

Earlier, Wickremesinghe inaugurated a sports complex at the Sri Sathya Sai Vidya Vihar and later addressed the audience on the topic “Common Heritage: India and the Indian Ocean”.

Referring to India’s assistance during Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis, he said his country has benefited from this legacy during the most difficult period in its history.

Wickremesinghe, who has also served as prime minister of the island nation, thanked PM Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the financial assistance.

Notably, in April 2022, Sri Lanka declared its first-ever sovereign default since gaining Independence from Britain in 1948. The unprecedented financial crisis led the then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to quit office amid civil unrest.

India had then pitched in with about $4 billion in assistance to enable the island nation to recover from the crisis after it announced the default on over $51 billion in foreign loans.

Citing different examples at the school gathering, Wickremesinghe maintained India and Sri Lanka have had religious, trade, linguistic and cultural relations since ancient times. (Business Standard)⍐