Choro Calibre and X-Calibre are unique bands with energetic musicians who are focused and passionate to create choral and acoustic music in their own style. It all started in 2009 as Shamal De Silva, driven by the passion for music, got together with a few of his friends and started a choir and a band. Then over the years it evolved and developed making major contributions to the industry and satisfying thousands of clients with their live performances. We caught up with Shamal to talk about the re-launch of Choro Calibre and X-Calibre and their latest cover and future plans.
Q: What is the meaning of ‘Calibre’ which is used in both the band and choir names?
Shamal: Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur and it is believed to be the strongest sword, unbreakable, and powerful. And so, the band is named as X-Calibre and the choral group as Choro Calibre.
Q: Tell us a little bit about the group and what you all do?
Shamal: Choro Calibre is an international award winning commercial choir catering for weddings, events and Christmas carols. The slogan “Expected the unexpected” lets the audience identify us in our true authentic way, as our music unfolds in a unique and not predetermined way. X-Calibre on the other hand, is an acoustic band performing at weddings, events and private functions. We offer unique and personalised experience, providing “music for your soul”.
Q: What were some of your key milestones and achievements as a team?
Christmas carols album “Feliz Navidad” under the torana label in the youth chart - “Ape Namaya Sri Lanka” cricket song won three awards at the Asia Cantate Choir Games held in Thailand. Originals music video for Valentines Day - “Hade puraaadare” “hope for a child” charity concert supporting SOS village children. “Road to Victory” concert held at Hilton Colombo. “This is it” concert held at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre. Ten episodes of “Closer to Jesus” gospel concert. Produced over 20 cover songs. Wedding bookings, over 2,000 happy clients. Over 12 years of continuous entertainment at leading 5-star hotels.
Q: For all the CC fans out there, tell us about the new cover release?
The cover song is a tribute to our very own Sri Lankan singer/songwriter, Nimal Mendis, who revolutionised the local music industry and composed several songs for popular Sri Lankan films and touched the lives of many of us through music.
The cover includes three of our favourite songs by the renowned composer; the classic masterpiece ‘Master Sir’, ‘Ganga Addara’ and ‘Ran Tikiri Sina’ with our own colour and twist.
Q: With the new re-launch, how do you plan to serve your audience better?
With our new outlook , new sound, re-arranged music and melodious harmonies, we’ve got some exciting events and productions lined up.
We perform different genres and musical eras ranging from the sounds of golden oldies to the top club hits of today. We provide the complete entertainment solution for weddings, Christmas gigs, corporate events, private functions and conduct training sessions for individuals and corporates. We aim to cater to our customers by introducing various packages to suit their requirement with the option to customise.
Q: What are your future plans as a group?
We have two major events coming up; a Christmas concert and a Gospel concert. Three cover releases and a few originals lined up. We have big plans for the next five years and we hope to deliver the most amazing music for our clients and fans out there. We invite you to stay tuned to our social media platforms for all the exciting news on our upcoming events and productions. Join our social media >>Facebook: @ChoroCalibreYouthChoir , @LiveBandSL Instagram: @choro_calibre @x_calibre.live|TikTok: @chorocalibre @xcalibrelive|Email [email protected]
An astoundingly talented musician, but he is much more, a profoundly inspiring leader whose warmth, charisma and life-affirming energy has brought to life the choir “Choro Calibre” , the band “X-Calibre” and one of the leading entertainment companies in Sri Lanka to lead his team on a transformative journey that is as much about introspection, respect, and human connection as it is about music.
Shamal started his music career at the age of just 8, probably the youngest church organist at the time when he started playing at St. Paul’s Church in Waragoda.
Later he took over the leadership of the college choir in 2008 at his alma-mater, St. Joseph’s College, Colombo and went on to win “the musician of the year” award in 2009 for his multi-disciplined musical contributions. He also excelled in his studies and graduated from the University of Colombo.