Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts in their continuous destination promotion initiatives, partnered with SriLankan Airlines in coordinating an impactful promotional campaign for Sri Lanka at the Miss Universe China 2014 Final Pageant in Shanghai just a few days before the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Following the extremely successful Pre-Pageant Tour that Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and SriLankan Airlines organized for the Miss Universe China 2014 Finalists during the last week of August, Cinnamon was able to coordinate significant prominence for Sri Lanka at the Main Pageant as well.

During the Pre Pageant tour the Finalists as well as the Director of the Miss Universe China organization – Yue Sai Kan, who is considered a celebrity in China, explored many popular tourist destinations in the Island while also engaging in charity activities. The tour came to an end with a Gala Fashion Party held at the Poolside of Cinnamon Bey Beruwela.

The entire contingent including the 24 Chinese Media Personnel that came down, even had the opportunity of meeting the First Lady of Sri Lanka – Madam Shiranthi Wickramasinghe Rajapaksa at a special ceremony organized on the Floating Restaurant at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo.

The promotional activities continued all the way to Shanghai where Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and SriLankan Airlines took a 14 member Sri Lankan Dance Troupe to the Final Pageant held on the 13^th of September at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai.

During the Pageant there were no less than four significant items dedicated entirely to Sri Lanka. 1. The first was the Video created on the contestant’s visit to Sri Lanka which highlighted all their activities and the picturesque visuals of Sri Lanka. This gave an insight to all the guests gathered which included VIPs from China, USA and other parts of the world as to what Sri Lanka can offer in terms of tourism.

2. The second item was the most colorful dance act performed by Chandana Dance Guild. The troupe which consisted of male and female dancers as well as drummers truly mesmerized the crowd. Their appreciation was evident by the loudest applause received at the end of the performance.

3. The third item can probably be named as the most significant. This came in the form of a Gem auction – the proceeds of which will be used for Charity, namely “Operation Smile” the signature project of the Miss Universe China organization. The Gem which was a 5 Carat Royal Blue Sapphire from Ratnapura was graciously donated by Karadana Gems which is a Sri Lankan company based in Shanghai. Mr. Panduka Karadana was called on stage to facilitate the auction together with Yue Sai Kan and the compere. 

Sri Lankan prominence at the event was established when the Royal Blue Sapphire was finally sold at 510,000 RMB, which is the equivalent of over Rs. 10 million – incidentally this was the highest auctioned item in the entire pageant which included four other such auctions!

4. The fourth and final ‘Sri Lankan’ item was fitting to be the last, since it was an appreciation of two organizations that have spearheaded Sri Lanka’s destination promotional activities.
Mr. Dileep Mudadeniya – Head of Brand Marketing for Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and Mr. Chammika Iddagodage – Area Manager for SriLankan Airlines were invited on stage to draw a raffle draw which enabled a lucky winner of the audience to win an all-inclusive trip to Sri Lanka.

5. The 750 VIP guests who attended the event would have been pleasantly surprised to find a pack of Ceylon Tea included in each of their gift packs as well! The Ceylon Tea Board supported this initiative to ensure that a bit of Sri Lanka was carried home with them.

At the conclusion of the event the Sri Lankan Consulate General of Shanghai Mrs. Hasanthi Dissanayake summed it up perfectly when she stated that “this was the first ever time that a single event has generated so much publicity for Sri Lanka”.

A culinary discovery in collaboration with Peter Kuruvita

Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo together with the Australian High Commission are joining hands to host acclaimed Australian-Sri Lankan chef, restaurateur and media personality, Peter Kuruvita, for a culinary journey of taste and discovery on 3^rd May. Peter is famed for being the driving force behind popularising Sri Lankan cuisine in Australia and around the world through his award-winning fine dining restaurant ‘Flying Fish’ and television program ‘My Sri Lanka with Peter Kuruvita’.

In addition to attending events organised by the Australian High Commission, Peter’s visit to Colombo will include an exclusive dinner at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo’s fine dining restaurant, The Dining Room. Culinary aficionados will get the chance to sample Peter’s modern take on Australian/Sri Lankan cuisine as he prepares several delectable dishes made using only the highest quality of Australian produce in tribute to the land down under.

Born to a Sri Lankan father and Austrian mother, Peter Kuruvita spent the first four years of his life in England before moving back to his father’s hometown in Colombo. While growing up in Sri Lanka, he was introduced to cooking through his grandmother’s preparation of traditional Sri Lankan cuisine, and it was this that inspired him to pursue his growing love for food as a career. Currently living in Noosa, he continues to visit his childhood home for inspiration in his culinary journey and has frequently chosen Cinnamon Lake Side Colombo as his hotel of choice.

Peter’s visit to Sri Lanka is arranged by the Australian High Commission, and sponsored by the Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo, Emirates, Dilmah, Treasury Wines and Prestige Foods.

Peter Kuruvita’s exclusive dinner will take place at The Dining Room on the 3^rd of May from 7:00pm onwards and is priced Rs. 3,950 /- nett. For inquiries and reservations: 0112491930

as told by Ajit Gunewardene

“The world ‘ticks’ on Economics. Everything is connected to demand and supply. The feasibility of Art, in the same manner is one that has economics as its dependent variable”.

The current status of the Sri Lankan Artist has been discussed and bewailed in many a conversation and forum, but a clear cause and a solution for it, is not something that can be easily prescribed.

In my view, what needs to happen is for Sri Lankan Artists to elevate their existence to the global market. Just like in Economics, there are two elements that need to be created; Demand – in the form of buyers, art connoisseurs and Supply in the form of Sri Lankan artists making an effort and raising the bar to produce ‘true works of art’ rather than mere paintings.

Contemporary art in Sri Lanka came out into the open around the year 1943 when the famous “Group of 43” was formed. Before this, what we had were mostly religious paintings which can be found in temples and shrines around the country. This group included some of the best artists the country has seen in recent times; the likes of George Keyt, Ivan Peries, Harry Pieris, Justin Daraniyagala, L.T.P. Manjusri among others. This was indeed a renaissance for Sri Lankan art. Even in the year 2014 we still talk about the revolution that these artists created at the time. The creativity and the depth of their work is something that is a rare find even today.

Unfortunately though, we have lacked a sequel to 1943. We are thirsty for a ‘Big Bang’ that is so crucially needed in the Sri Lankan art scene and as a result the question still remains – “When are we going to have the Sri Lankan, Million Dollar work of Art?”

One might wonder whether this is too far-fetched a vision; but, with the caliber of some of the contemporary art that exist in Sri Lanka, this is more realistic than over-optimistic. A revolutionary event such as this with the same properties of the cosmological big bang is what Sri Lanka needs to put its art on the map and open the floodgates of opportunity for the local artists.

As a compliment to this, a greater understanding and appreciation of art should be developed by the people as well. Why not replace those bulky gold door knobs or huge silver plated ornaments and rather invest on art – good art?

We try to control our spaces and clutter it with a mix-bag of everything that we like. We fail too often to revel in the simplicity and beauty that Art can give to our spaces.

Art is essentially a part, of something bigger. A sculptured chandelier as opposed to the traditional crystal one hanging in a dining room may be very artistic but more-so, it will give the dining room in itself an extra sensory feel. It gives character to a space while also enhancing the ambience of the space in itself. A work of art therefore should have the capability of doing this and this should be the benchmark that every artist places his work against.

Sri Lanka certainly has a lot of talent that has not been directed and showcased in the most optimal manner. The Kala Pola which took place last Sunday can be taken as an example. It featured quite a few young artists who have the capability of making a name in the future. The objective of an event of this sorts, is for the upcoming artists to get a feel and understanding of the market for art in Sri Lanka. At the same time there are more senior artists for whom the Kala Pola is a place to collaborate with their fellow colleagues as well as appreciate the new creative work.

The Colombo Art Biennale can be named as the next stepping stone from the Kala Pola and events such as these are very important for the development of Sri Lankan artists. The mixing of international and local artists is a brilliant element that is brought in at the Biennale. This will create a comparative and also put the Sri Lankan artists and the work produced by them on the same platform as their global counterparts.