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Rakitha Wickramaratne

Naadro

Rakitha Wickramaratne

About

Paiste Artist Since
December 2023

Nationality
Sri Lanka

Main Affiliation
Naadro

Other Affiliation
Kuweni The Musical

Website
www.rakitha.com

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Setup

Videos & Pics

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Paiste_Gallery_Wickramaratne_Rakitha_550_400_2.jpg

Biography

Rakitha Ruwan Wickramaratne, today an iconic personality in the world of percussion began his journey at the tender age of six. Under the unwavering guidance of Maestro Piyasara Shilpadhipathi, Rakitha started off with traditional Sri Lankan drums. Pursuing his musical talents, he later moved on to master percussion instruments of other countries / genres, molding himself to be one of the finest Sri Lankan artists with a global footprint. Rakitha obtained his primary and secondary education at Royal College, Colombo. His tenure there was full of flavor, and as a budding artist, Rakitha gained valuable experience and exposure in his forte. As a student, he won the All-island Schools Championship Award for Drumming quite many times paving his way to a promising future. Rakitha is the founder and leader of ‘Naadro’, a globally acclaimed drum ensemble. Together with his ensemble, he has not only traveled the world but also shared the stage with percussionists of international repute. Rakitha is also an educator, an entrepreneur as well as an innovator who has widened the horizons of his area. ‘Talented’ is an understatement when it comes to describing Rakitha Wickramaratne’s unique ability to add dimension to any music genre with the rhythmic sounds of percussion. Using a range of percussion instruments from around the world, this multi-talented percussionist has built a name for himself in the local and global arena, refusing to be limited to just one genre. It is noteworthy that Rakitha was fortunate to participate in the background score of an AR Rahman-directed film, PS1, showcasing his musical prowess. He is also involved in community projects that groom novices to the industry, supporting them with workshops, drum clinics, drum circles and training programs providing them the industry exposure required. Even amidst his frequent trips around the world, performing with his ensemble, making time for his many charity and community projects is among his top priorities. Backed by extensive experience as a live performing artist in the local and global arenas, Rakitha has worked with numerous artists of global acclaim. His performing credits include Naadro, Mahesh Denipitiya, AR Rahman, Sivamanni, Roni Benise, Bikramjit Singh, Rakesh Chaurassia, Karsh Kale, Giovanni Hidalgo, Pete Lockett, Eric Moore, Virgil Donati and many other musicians in Sri Lanka and across the world. Rakitha’s talents were appreciated by audiences and the press in the USA, Singapore, India, Middle East, Africa, Europe and Australia.

Setup Cymbals

Formula 602 Modern Essentials Crash

Signature Traditionals Thin Crash

Signature Dark Energy Crash Mark I
  • Details

    Sizes: 16", 17", 18", 19"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Light

    Sound character: Dark body, full frequency spectrum, brilliant highs. Very wide range, complex, pleasing musical mix. Immediate, sensitive response, strong attack, controllable spread, even, layered fade. This crash combines silky, soft qualities with energy and projection for an incredibly versatile application range. Also extremely well suited as suspended cymbals and for mallet rolls.

  • Sounds

Formula 602 Modern Essentials China
  • Details

    Sizes: 18", 22"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Medium

    Sound character: Dark, warm, strong, exotic, sizzling, earthy. Wide range, slightly complex and dense mix. Fairly soft, responsive feel. Great for explosive, strong, dark accents. Complex, washy ride sound. A modern China cymbal with a wide spectrum for various musical applications. “The China is nearly smooth”, states Vinnie Colaiuta.

  • Sounds

Signature Dark Energy Splash Mark I
  • Details

    Sizes: 10", 8"
    Volume: Soft
    Weight: Light

    Sound character: Full, wet with a brittle, trashy side. Fairly wide range, complex mix. Soft and very responsive, giving feel with a short, exploding sparkly splash character. Very well suited for dynamic effect accents in many musical styles. Also, well suited for hand playing in percussive set-ups.

  • Sounds

Formula 602 Modern Essentials Splash
  • Details

    Sizes: 10", 8"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Light

    Sound character: Warm, airy, snarling, silvery. Fairly wide range, complex mix. Soft feel with a very responsive, explosive splash sound. Low tuned effect cymbal for lively accents in moderate volume. Well suited for hand-playing. Vinnie Colaiuta explains: “They are sweet, they are these kind of punctuation marks in the background.”

  • Sounds

Formula 602 Classic Paperthin
  • Details

    Sizes: 16", 18", 20"
    Volume: Soft
    Weight: Light

    Sound character: Warm, silvery, airy with a mystical touch. Medium wide range, fairly complex mix. Very soft, papery feel. Very responsive. A graceful crash cymbal for delicate, sensitive playing with light sticks, brushes, rods and hands. Well suited for mallet rolls.

  • Sounds

Signature Fast Crash

PST X Swiss Flanger Stack
  • Details

    Sizes: 14"
    Volume: Medium
    Weight: Light

    Sound character: Earthy, warm, dry, washy. Fairly narrow range, complex mix. Soft, giving and responsive feel. Depending on how aggressively you tighten the pair, they offer a range from dry, trashy hi-hat sounds to shattering, noisy-washy crash effects.

  • Sounds

Signature Splash