Drawing from his Sri Lankan heritage alongside Melbourne’s vibrant improvised music scene, Perera’s compositions explore identity, cultural fragmentation, migration, memory, and community. The music moves fluidly between intricate rhythmic landscapes, lyrical melodies, open improvisation, and moments of explosive collective energy, creating a sound that is both deeply rooted in tradition and unmistakably contemporary.
The name Kadambawa , meaning “a collection” in Sinhala, reflects the project’s central idea: a gathering of cultures, stories and musical voices. Each composition forms part of a larger narrative inspired by family history, lived experience and the evolving relationship between heritage and modern life.
A defining feature of the ensemble is its collaboration between contemporary jazz and South Asian musical traditions. Alongside piano, guitar, saxophone and double bass, the music features Lucky Pereira on the Thammattama and Ashvin Bhanu on the Gata Bera , both traditional Sri Lankan drums. And Malavika Harish performing on bansuri and Carnatic flute , bringing the distinctive sounds and improvisational practices of South Asian music into dialogue with Melbourne’s contemporary jazz scene.
Kadambawa brings together musicians from Melbourne’s jazz, improvised music and South Asian music communities. This special performance at Jazzlab presents music from Perera’s forthcoming debut album, offering audiences an evening of adventurous original compositions, fearless improvisation and cross-cultural collaboration ahead of the album’s release later this year.
