Keerthi Pasquel

Pasquel Wasam Ananda Keerthirathna (born January 29, 1956), popularly known as Keerthi Pasquel (Sinhala: කීර්ති පැස්කුවල්:), is a Sri Lankan pop musician and composer. He has been performing for more than three decades and has won a number of awards. Keerthi is a judge on the reality show Derana Dream Star and sets the record as the only judge in Sri Lanka to sit for 10 consecutive seasons in a reality show beginning from 2008 until today. He has been active in music education and in social welfare. He is affectionately known as the "balladeer of Sinhala music".

Early life Keerthi Pasquel was born on 29 January 1956 in the city of Hanthana, Kandy as the youngest of four siblings. His father was Pasquel Wasam Gayaneris and mother was S. W. Leslin. He had four elder sisters: Nalini, Rukmani Chandra, Chitrani and one elder brother, Padmasiri. Keerthi studied at Dharmaraja College up until his GCE O/level examination.

Keerthi's passion for music was greatly influenced by his family where he grew up amidst soothing music all around his home. The melodious singing prowess of his mother was a huge influence on Keerthi. His father could play the harmonium. Keerthi was just ten years old when his father developed an illness and eventually died, eventually leaving his mother to shoulder the responsibility of five children as well as taking over her husband's business. Keerthi's mother's dream was to make him a doctor but he started to follow a course on lathe machinery at the Technical College, after his O/Levels. So Keerthi started learning about guitar chords from Bandula, on the sly.

In March 2010 to commemorate his thirty years singing career, he released visual songs under the title Sivu Pethi Kusuma, which includes the four songs: Manamaala Handawe, Bakini Gahe, Hada Maage and Gala Yaawee Jeevithe. Later in the same year, he collaborated with Shani Nanayakkara to sing the duet Thaniwela Inna.

In 2018, he released his 600th solo track Hitha Kohedo Gihin. In May 2019, Keerthi released the song Kadulakwa Aha Arina. On 29 January 2023, he performed in the musical show Manamala Hendewa from 6:45 p.m. onwards at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre.

Filmography With Keerthi's growing popularity, tele drama makers, began requesting Keerthi to star in various small screen creations. Vijaya Dharmasri featured Keerthi opposite Susantha Chandramali and Ranjan Ramanayake in the film Charulatha. Then director Sirithunga Perera had Keerthi playing the lead with Achala Alles in Gawwen Gawwa. Later, Keerthi was cast opposite Vasanthi Chathurani in Bennett Rathnayake's teledrama Tharu. Later in New Zealand, Keerthi acted in Saaraa scripted and produced by Sumitra Rahubadda, playing with Duleeka Marapana and Ama Wijesekara.

Personal life Keerthi married Muditha Fernando in 1978 and had a daughter and son. His eldest daughter, Dinesha Pasquel is now married domiciled in the UK with her husband and son. His son, Kasun Pasquel works for Expolanka Group. Kasun is married to Chethana Ranasinghe who is also a singer. In 1994 his first marriage ended and he married Chandana Mudalige in 1995. He has two daughters from Chandana – Charuni Pasquel who is a law graduate and Natalia Pasquel - a business management graduate. Charuni was graduated from Horizon in 2019 with the highest aggregate marks and achieved highest average for April 2020 Preliminary year Law College examinations.

Awards and accolades In 1996 he received an international award from the World Science Council in Japan, where he competed with musicians from 13 countries.

On 26 January 2020, 256-page hardbound book titled Keerthi: Miyuru Saraka Anandaneeya Charikawa written by Upali Kumarawansa was launched at 3.00 pm at the Tharangani Hall of National Film Corporation. During the event, a DVD of his musical concert Manamala Hendewa was also released.

Pasquel Sound of Music Keerthi was the founder of the 'Pasquel Sound of Music' in 2006, a school to teach voice training and instrumental music for those who wish to be professionals in the music industry. At 'Pasquel Sound of Music', established musicians train students to play a musical instrument. Tutors have included Harsha Makalanda, Chandrasena Hettiarachchi and Pasquel himself.

During COVID-19 lockdown period, he created fifty new songs since March 2020.

Charity works Orphanage project Keerthi launched a project called 'The Child' to entertain children from orphanages and to recognize their capabilities.

Other projects Keerthi formed the charity program "Help Circles (Guarantee) Limited" where he started donations and money from his musical shows to establish Bono Marrow Transplant Unit to the Maharagama Apeksha Hospital. Then he donated a HIPEC machine to the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University and funded the Handapanagala Water purification project ‘Pivithuru Pen Pooja’.

With the help of Ministry of Education and Zonal Directors of aesthetic studies, Keerthi presented 500 violins to 1000 students representing all nine provinces.