RIDMA Ball 2014

RIDMA Ball 2014 was the 7th fund raising event of the RIDMA Foundation Inc. The idea was brought up and discussed broadly in-detail. Different from the events done so far by RIDMA Foundation since its inauguration, RIDMA Ball was moved away from the nature of the fund raising events done so far. No matter its iconic show, RIDMA Rayak or any other RIDMA Funding event, RIDMA Ball focussed on a musical experience of a very popular genre, Baila, which is fast rhythmic songs. Baila songs were introduced in Sri Lanka by Portuguese who controlled the most of the western coastal belt of the Island in the 15 century. Not only within the community of fading descendants of Portuguese, baila slowly entwined within the wider communities as a great pastime. Still today, baila songs are sung on many occasions, at weddings, parties or musical shows, during cricket matches or at any occasion where fast rhythm is needed to get your guests on to the dance floor. In the early 20 century, in Sri Lanka, a baila great named Wally Bastian had revolutionised the then dwindling baila style. His approach to lift up the baila genre heightened interest in the genre within few years. His successors were C. T. Fernando, M. S. Fernando, Desmond Silva, Maxwell Mendis, Nihal Nelson, Dhanapala Udawatta, Saman De Silva to name a few. RIDMA was lucky to invite two most popular baila legends ever in Sri Lanka, Nihal Nelson and Saman De Silva.To get the maximum effect out of baila, the audience should be on a dance floor. Keeping that in mind, RIDMA decided to have a ball with our baila singers, so a dinner dance was organised by the organising committee.Chefs in RIDMA, were supported by the members, a large number of well-wishers, and volunteers in preparation of a complete dinner. Everyone worked around the clock to make the event success. Hard work resulted in an enormous success. The sold out RIDMA Ball 2014 night at the spacious Serbian Community Centre was full of baila songs and fast rhythm dances. It was a huge success with a profit well over the target amount.The earnings were spent on building the Dambulla Kandegama school teacher quarters, which were necessary to provide lodgings to teachers coming from far away for teaching, but unable to find any decent place to stay within these poverty- ridden villages.