When dreams are worth living
Arzeth Areef has a secret he can’t keep. He has been chosen by the Dreamer’s Foundation to pursue his dream. While he pursues his studies in IT during the day time, he’s found rapping songs when he’s free. , He is a boy from Ampara with a dream.
“We all deserve a real chance. I didn’t get many chances and I had to fight for everything I now have in my life,” said Amila ‘Desh’ Deshantha, an event manager, TV/radio presenter, filmmaker and the brainchild of the Dreamers Foundation.
Desh conducted a workshop in Jaffna through the American Centre and it was there that he met Arzeth. “I met Arzath Areeff, a student from Ampara who told me he wanted to be a Tamil rapper. After seeing what he could do, I was impressed by his raw talent and his amazing story,” said Desh.
Arzeth who will soon be known on the airwaves as Rz Omar, was offered the first grant. He travelled to Colombo and was put in a recording studio with a audio engineer. He also met local rapper Krishan and others who gave him support.
“Back in Ampara, we only sing among friends, we don’t know how to make music, let alone produce them,” said Arzeth. “So this was a huge opportunity for me. I had only written down one song when I travelled to Colombo but we ended up recording three more songs.”
What Desh intends to do with these songs remain a surprise to Arzeth. “I am getting the audio mastered in Australia and will release it online for free,” said Desh. “I am going to continue mentoring him and give him all the advice he needs to get a music video done too. I will do my part to introduce him to the industry.”
Arzeth’s success story is just one of the first from the Dreamers Foundation. “The idea for the foundation came during my workshops in Sri Lanka in August 2012. When I asked my students “if money was no obstacle what would they like to do?” they told me their dreams. After a bit of thought, I realized that some of them might not be fortunate to realize their dreams. So I decided to give one student each year a grant.” Desh added.
Desh is also the producer for Planet Urban TV. He is also the creative director and project manager for the Think Inc: science and rationalism conference. Dividing his time between Australia and his native Sri Lanka, he currently serves as a national tour coordinator for UAE, a division of Australian nightclub and concert promoter Urban Agent.
“I met Arzath Areeff, a student from Ampara who told me he wanted to be a Tamil rapper. After seeing what he could do, I was impressed by his raw talent and his amazing story,”