Sri Lanka Culture and tourism are showcased
“Sri Lanka will continue to prosper in times ahead.“ – World Bank Executive
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WASHINGTON – The Embassy of Sri Lanka in Washington, D.C. and the Indian Executive Director’s Office of the World Bank organized a Sri Lankan cultural performance at the World Bank Headquarters earlier this week, as part of a continuing series of events marking Sri Lanka’s 64th Year of Independence.
The show featured a series of dances by Sri Lanka’s Channa Upuli Performing Arts Foundation and a performance by singer Vishaarada Jananath Warakagoda. It was attended by the staff of the World Bank, The International Monetary Fund and several U.S. federal agencies.
The audience also included top bank executives Mukesh Nandan Prasad, Executive Director of the World Bank for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan & Sri Lanka, Isabel Guerrero, the World Bank’s Vice President for South Asia and Arvind Virmani, an IMF executive director.
Deputy Chief of Mission Ambassador Esala Weerakoon welcomed the guests to the performance, stating:
“Channa Upuli has created a name for Sri Lanka’s dance culture by proving that dance is a language understood by all. One cannot imagine a world without dance and music. It would be a dreary and colourless existence with little communication among people. Dance and music are the glue that holds us together, the cultural fabric of our lives and they sow the seeds for inventive, universally shared experiences.”
The performance was part of a continuing series of events sponsored by the Embassy of Sri Lanka to promote both Sri Lankan Culture and tourism. Past events have included a Sri Lankan chef series at the World Bank, signature tours of Sri Lanka for American professionals and receptions with travel writers and travel industry professionals.
The World Bank’s Mr. Prasad praised the performance and stated that “I had an opportunity to visit Sri Lanka recently and found that it is a beautiful place, tranquil, calm and at peace with itself.
“Sri Lanka has been an oasis in the economic crisis that is confronting this world,” he continued. “It has been growing rapidly, its human indices are doing well and it has a very stable rate of inflation. It is an oasis of peace in these turbulent times.
“The Bank has been extending assistance to Sri Lanka in its reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts. We have now opened an IFC office in Sri Lanka, exclusively for the country. I am sure with the cooperation of the Bank, with the country’s own efforts and, with our good wishes, Sri Lanka will continue to prosper in times ahead. “
The performance included the “Lion Dance,” which depicts Sri Lanka’s history, as well as a spinning of drums by a Channa Upuli performer.
The Channa Upuli dancers performed earlier during the Feb. 4th, 2012 celebration of Sri Lanka’s Independence in a Washington, D.C., hosted by Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya and the staff of the Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington, D.C. Both events drew capacity crowds.
Picture Captions:
01. Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya and Mrs. Priyanga Wickramasuriya pose with staff members of the Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington, D.C., and dancers of the Channa Upuli dance troupe, which performed at World Bank Headquarters.
02. Jaliya Wickramsauriya, Sri Lanka’s ambassador to the United States (center), chats with World Bank and IMF officials during a Sri Lankan cultural show at the bank sponsored by the Embassy of Sri Lanka.
03. World Bank employees enjoy the artistry of Channa Upuli, a Sri Lankan traditional dance troupe, during a performance at the bank.
04. A member of the Channa Upuli dance troupe helps a World bank employee balance a spinning drum on her fingertip.
05. Channa Upuli dancers perform the “Lion Dance,” – the history of Sri Lanka told through dance, at World bank headquarters, Washington, D.C.
06. Channa Upuli dancers perform a traditional Sri Lankan dance at World Bank headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Washington, D.C.
