A local touch to shaping his sound
From the very first beat of #Backin20, Ruwanga ‘Ru’ Samath makes it clear he means business. Featuring artists like Azealia Banks, Major Lazor, Iggy Azalea and many more, his new mixtape is designed to take the party up a notch. Released through Roc Nation (the management company that manages Rihanna, Shakira and Timbaland), his first commercial mixtape debuted on Jay Z’s Life and Times blog and when Jay Z himself shared it on his Facebook page, it went out to 17 milllion fans. With his signature sound winning him new fans, Ruwanga tells the Mirror Magazine how being Sri Lankan has shaped his sound.
“The whole concept of the mixtape is based on the idea of a 20 minute vacation,” he explains.“If you are in need of a break, or you want a 20 minute dance party, you can get #Backin20 and press play.” When we last interviewed Ruwanga, he had just wrapped up the soundtrack for the ‘Fast and Furious’. Having left Sri Lanka for the U.S in 1997, Ruwanga’s raw talent and gift for networking got him work with the likes of Dr.Dre, Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowlands, Outkast, Flo Rider, Norah Jones, The Virgins and Ke$ha. His resume included work on video games and films, notably Saw IV, Son of Morning, Fast Five and Savages.
“I’ve worked on many projects since my last visit to Sri Lanka. I’ve had music in a few blockbuster movies, my personal favorite being TED (Universal), a few documentaries such as Gideon Army (HBO), and most recently You’re Next (Lionsgate), which I think is a great horror film,” says Ruwanga. “It’s always a pleasure working on projects you enjoy.”
He has been honoured with more than one nomination for the Hollywood Music Awards andRuwanga has taken home an LA music award twice but is now looking at establishing himself as an independent artist. A multiinstrumentalist, Ruwanga says he was curious enough to start working on an album. “I wanted to make music that naturally came out of me, drawn from my childhood influences and experiences in Sri Lanka.”
Ruwanga grew up surrounded by accomplished musicians. His mother, Renuka Samath, released a CD of her music when he was a child, and his uncle Niranjan de Alwis is an accomplished drummer. He wanted to bring those sounds to his new mixtape. “As far as the sound goes, I wanted the whole project to sound very sincere and real to me. I was always a fan of reggae music and hip hop…You will hear all of my influences in the music I create for myself.” When Ruwanga had completed a few songs, he played them to a few people and was encouraged by the response. “Then my manager, Andrew Cook (TSZG/ Roc Nation) mentioned that maybe I should do a mixtape and mix my music in it to build a story, so that’s how the mixtape was born.”
Ruwanga created a few remixes and mashups for the mix, but that doesn’t mean he’s particularly keen on them.
Aside from this, Ruwanga says Maxwell Dhas become the voice of the mixtape and that other artists like Soaky Siren, Bizoh, Greg Cahn make their presence felt. Though this is a dance tape, Ruwanga says he went with how he felt at the time. “The mood will always dictate the music, I just happened to be in a very festive mood when I did #Backin20,” he says.
Listen to #Backin20 Vol 1 online at https:// soundcloud.com/ruwangamusic/backin20vol-i