Sri Lanka Culture and tourism are showcased
"Sri Lanka will continue to prosper in times ahead.“ – World Bank Executive
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.
Embassy of Sri Lanka
Washington, D.C.
