#streetsforus

#StreetsForUs 31.01.3017 | 8:30PM Galle Face Green, Colombo

We went back to Galle Face Green for our final street performance in Colombo before @heyyditty left for India. The small flight of stairs to the food stalls and the waves make the perfect space to sit, and enjoy the gig. The uncle at the food stall next to where we were setting up wasn't happy. He said he saw us there before and he didn't want us to sing. He said "When the police comes, you'll know".

#StreetsForUs 31.01. 2917 Church St, Slave Island, Colombo

We had quite a big and enthusiastic crowd here. Uncles, aayas and mallis helped us set up and made us feel at home. Some stayed throughout the performance and even helped us pack up. 🙂 A few of our dear friends had also joined, making the evening extra special.

The presence of women have been extremely rare in our performances in Sri Lanka. When women do walk by, they glace and leave, they don't stay. It's another reminder that streets after dark isn't a place for women. We've been so blessed to have the crowd support us in the streets but @heyyditty and I often find ourselves talking about how incredibly different and powerful it would feel to have women in the audience.

7th performance #StreetsForUs 17.01.2017 | 08:30 PM Galle Face Green, Colombo

This was probably the most relaxed performance we've done despite the powerful wind, the falling guitar, falling mic-stand, and the blowing bed-sheet screen. The audience was in for a show, they took a seat in the stairs and were in no rush to leave...

The man with his camera wouldn't turn the flash off, even when a few of us requested him to. He was upset, it was too dark for him to film without flash. Fair enough! Haha.

As usual a few were curious, unsure. "Love, the writing. who wrote the songs?.... Why are you playing here? It's not suitable for the music. You should do it in other venues". "Is it okay for two girls?"

Our lovely first audience who was there with her husband and her daughter Nooriya waited for us to set up.  She said she liked that we're not shy. It was great, Galle Face Green!! We are planning to do one more set there before @heyyditty leaves to go back to India.

6th performance #StreetsForUs 10.01.2017 | 07:00 PM Weligama, Matara

Guess who is in Sri Lanka? Ditty! So nice to have her here and to continue #StreetsForUs. After a performance at alt+ctrl+shift, an experimental space to feature women artists at Music Matters Colombo this weekend, we hit the streets of Weligama last night and it was wonderful!

Uncles helped us reduce the light reflecting on the screen, helped us translate, and told us it's great to have music in the streets. We invited the crowd to sing. "Malli, oya sinduyak kiyanna onnada? Uncle oya?" Haha... They didn't really think it was a good idea. "Nae nae, oya sindu kiyanna.." Yes, we put our very little sinhala language skills to practice.

There is usually a group of men on this little brigde, teasing me, passing comments or just smiling and staring as I walk by.. it's sometimes a big group and just 2 or 3 men at other times. I've walked by them almost everyday for the last month and a half now and I've made it a point to always respond to their comments. I make gestures to show I don't enjoy their ways or just stare and make an annoyed face. I answer their questions, say hello, ask them how they're doing.

Our interactions have gotten a little less intense but still extremely uncomfortable. Some in the group get more excited trying to bully me than others. Anyways!!!!! Today none of them were there so I took a minute and looked down from the bridge. Woohoo. I'm sharing with you my moment of joy. My right to walk comfortably in the streets felt like a sweet, rare privilege today...

5th performance #StreetsForUs 16.07.2016 | 8:00 PM Damside, Pokhara

Woman carrying her sleeping daughter in her arms: I'll quickly put her to sleep and come back!

Some concerned men: What organization are you from? Are you some sort of Christian missionaries?

Other women: Why are you stopping? Sing some more.

A young music lover: This is good, you sound and look like Ganesh Talkies.. Ditty: What do you think of music in the streets? The young music lover: It's good but not at night. In our culture, we're home at night. But I like night life.