Champa Kalhari
{{short description|Sri Lankan singer (born 1974)}}
{{BLP sources|date = July 2010}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Champa Kalhari
| native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|si|චම්පා කල්හාරි}}}}
| image = Champa-Kalhari.jpg
| alt = Champa Kalhari
| caption = Champa-Kalhari
| image_size =
| birth_name = Hettiarachchige Dona Champa Kalhari Jayasekara (හෙට්ටියාරච්චිගේ ඩොනා චම්පා කල්හාරි ජයසේකර)
| alias =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|03|26}}
| birth_place = Colombo, Sri Lanka
| death_date =
| origin = Sri Lanka
| occupation = Singer
| years_active = 1980–present
| label =
| associated_acts =
| website =
}}
Sangeeth Nipun Champa Kalhari Jayasekara (Sinhala: චම්පා කල්හාරි ජයසේකර; born March 26, 1974) is a Sri Lankan singer. She is primarily known for singing in Hindi, as well as for being a playback singer in Sinhalese films. She has also sung Hindi versions of Sinhalese songs.
Early life and education
Born in Colombo, Kalhari is the daughter of Sangeet Visharad H.D.S Jayasekara, a musician and lecturer at Institute of Aesthetic Studies. She is also the mother to Hettiarachchige Don Sanchith Jayasekara, born in 2004. She was educated at Visakha Vidyalaya in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and studied music in Bhatkhande Music College in Lucknow, India. She completed her Sangeet Visharad certification for Indian classical music in 1994, and Sangeet Nipun certification in 2015. She currently resides in Nugegoda.
Career
In 1980 at the age of 6, Kalhari performed at a selection test conducted by Radio Ceylon, performing the song "Sri Lanka Maa Priyadara Jaya Bhoomi" by Lata Mangeshkar.{{cite news|url=https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2002/06/23/mag04.html|title=Kalhari : Tinkling voice and business savvy|date=23 June 2002|work=The Sunday Observer|access-date=13 July 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011052250/http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2002/06/23/mag04.html|archive-date=2012-10-11|url-status=live}} As a result, she was offered the chance to appear on the children's radio program Ḷamā Piṭiya ("Children's Field").
She became popular singing Hindi songs. Her first album was called Sathire. She has released more than twenty albums, most of them Hindi songs. She has performed as a playback singer in movies in the Sinhalese language. She has produced a Sinhalese CD with 16 songs.
Kalhari produced a recording of Sinhalese songs in Hindi. With the permission of songwriters Gunadasa Kapuge, Dayaratne Ranatunga and Sanath Nandasiri, she sang their songs in Hindi. Kalhari has also worked as an actress and an announcer. She has acted in thirteen teledramas. She was the announcer for the program Hindi Top Ten aired by Shree FM on Sundays, as well as for several famous live programs on the Rupavahini Channel. She has also worked as the media and publicity officer in the airport and aviation industries of Sri Lanka.
As playback singer
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year !! Film !! Notes | ||
| 1989 | Randenigala Sinhaya
| | |
| 1991 | Wada Barinam Wadak Nae | "Sitha Piya Salala" |
| 1995 | Vijay Saha Ajay
| | |
| 1998 | Re Daniel Dawal Migel | "Semata Pihitawana" and "Mal Mal Sihinaya" |
| 2001 | Jonsun and Gonsun | "Sarigama Padanee" |