Chitral Somapala
| Chitral "Chity" Somapala | |
|---|---|
Chitral Somapala performing live with Civilization One in 2008
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Chandana Chitral Somapala |
| Born |
4 November 1966 Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| Genres | Rock, Heavy metal, Power metal |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist and Composer |
| Instruments | Vocals, Keyboards, chapman stick, Bass & Guitar |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Labels | Allister Records, Omega Records, EMI, Dwell Records, MTM Music, Massacre Records, Century Media Records, Metal Heaven, LMP, |
| Associated acts | Power Quest, Civilization One, Rekuiem, Red Circuit, Firewind, Avalon, Faro, Domain, David Shankle – Group |
Chitral "Chity" Somapala (born 4 November 1966) is a Sri Lankan hard rock and heavy metal vocalist. He is known for his work with European power metal bands Firewind, Power Quest, Avalon, Faro, Red Circuit and Civilization One. Somapala gained popularity in his home country due to his Sinhala track "Nadee Ganga" which was released in 1998.
Chitral "Chity" Somapala was born into a famous musical family in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 4 November 1966. Chitral was educated at Isipathana College - Colombo 05 / Sri Lanka. Both parents, P.L.A. and Chitra Somapala, were renowned Sri Lankan singers. They both contributed on the soundtrack of the film Asoka. P.L.A. Somapala was working as a film music director.
At the age of 10, Chity started guitar lessons. He switched to electric bass at 14 and began singing soon thereafter. At the young age of 17 he was able to hit the Top 40 nightclub circuit in Colombo, and ended up gigging with the leading bands and artists of the country. In 1985, he joined the Sri Lankan band Shock, an alternative band founded by Diliup Gabadamudalige, the pioneer of computer-based music production in Sri Lanka and main figure of the modern music scene of the country.
In 1986, Somapala traveled to Europe (Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Finland) as the bassist and singer of a Top 40 band called Rendezvous, later renamed "Friends". The band managed to back many well known artists in these countries. After touring for some time from club to club, playing Top 40 Hits, he decided in 1994 to leave this scene to concentrate on performing only as a vocalist to follow his dream of playing original hard rock/heavy metal. In 1996, he joined a popular German underground metal act called Court Jester and recorded the album Forced to Believe, which received favourable reviews throughout the European press.
In 1998, he contributed the song "Nadee Ganga Tharanaye" in which the melody was based on "Many rivers to cross" by Jimmy Cliff for a TV/radio commercial for the Lion beer company in Sri Lanka, which was very much in demand in the country, unique as it was a song with lyrics in Sinhala language sung with a hard rock/metal touch. He joined Avalon, a German melodic power/progressive band as frontman and lead singer. In cooperation with others, Avalon was produced by Charlie Bauerfeind (who also produced such acts as Helloween, Gamma Ray, Blind Guardian, Saxon, etc.). Avalon's third album, Vision Eden, received excellent reviews in the international press and the Vision Eden tour saw Avalon as a support act for bands like HammerFall, Uriah Heep, Metallica, Motörhead, Royal Hunt, Pink Cream 69, and many others.
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