Chitral Chity Somapala

Chitral 'Chity' Somapala was born on 4 November 1966 in Colombo into a well-known musical family. His parents, P. L. A. Somapala and Chitra Somapala, were renowned artists who contributed to the film Asoka. His father worked as a film music director, while his mother was a singer. In 1998, he produced the popular Sinhala song Nadee Ganga Tharanaye, inspired by Many Rivers to Cross by Jimmy Cliff. Created for a commercial by Lion Brewery, the song became highly popular in Sri Lanka, blending Sinhala lyrics with a unique hard rock/metal and blues style. Later, he joined the German band Avalon as the lead singer. Their album Vision Eden, produced by Charlie Bauerfeind, received international praise, and the band toured with acts like Metallica and Motörhead. In 2000, he also contributed to the album Eurasia, produced by Sascha Paeth, which featured Asian musical influences from Sri Lanka.