Author: Esteem Magazine

Compliment the Best Western Elyon for a Pleasing Stay in Colombo

 

The magic of South Indian cinema was brought to life by much-loved musicians from the region right here in Sri Lanka at the invitation of the Best Western Elyon Colombo recently. The four hour musical extravaganza titled “Rhythmantra” was organized by Abzolute Infinity and featured popular artists such as Reihana, Harish Raghavendra, Padmalatha, M K Balaji, Shashaa Tirupati and Eden Kuriakose. Held at the Nelum Pokuna Theatre, the concert saw some of the favourites from Kollywood performed by exceptional musicians.

 

The opening act was performed by Eden Kuriakose who is a young and dynamic Tamil and Malayalam actress. Perhaps her biggest film to-date would a Tamil-Malayalam bilingual titled Ini Varum Naatkal in Tamil and Girls in Malayalam. The film features only female artists and is the first all-women film in Indian cinema.

 

The highlight of the show was Reihana (also known as Rayhanah) who is both a playback singer and film composer. But she is perhaps better known as the sister of Indian music maestro A R Rahman. She collaborated with her brother on a song for the score of the award winning film Kannathil Muthamittal in 2002. She also sang the controversial song from the movie Chocolate.

 

Harish Raghavendra, an Indian vocalist and actor from Chennai best known for his songs from hit movies such as Minnale, Kadhal Kondein, Youth, Shahjahan and Dhaam Dhoom, performed many of these hit tracks to a packed audience at Nelum Pokuna.

 

Coming hot off a series of high profile song recordings for big names in the Indian music industry, singer Padmalatha brought in all her enthusiasm to the performance at Rhythmantra. In conversation with us, she proudly notes that singing for big films eventually helped her to get more projects which she is keenly looking forward to. The singer is also on a high after receiving a compliment from singer SP Balasubrahmanyam. She says, “SPB sir made a special mention about my song and my style of singing. I am pleased to receive this compliment from him.”

 

With over 100 playback songs sung for noted music directors MK Balaji is probably best known for his collaboration with the Michale Jackson of Indian cinema, Prabhu Deva on a single titled “Dhool Tucker” which is an Indian cricket song sung in English.

 

Bringing in a bit of the Bollywood side of Indian cinema was Shashaa Tirupati, a playback singer, songwriter and voice over artist of Indo-Canadian origin, with family roots in Kashmir. She was noticed by Academy Award Winner A R Rahman after she had auditioned for his episode of Coke Studio Season 3 and went on to be a part of his Hindustani Choir for the show. She was nominated for the Big Music Awards: Tamil 2015 and won the Mirchi Music Award as

LAILA GUNESEKERE-MARTENSTYN & HOWARD MARTENSTYN

An achievers profile.

She is from Venus, he’s definitely Mars. His feet are firm on the ground, she’s in mid-air. He’s entwined with the natural world; she’s unapologetically a concrete jungle kind of girl.

City girl? Nature boy?

How did their two worlds even collide? But collide they did and while on a personal level her zig complements his zag their professional lives lead them on diametrically diverse but equally successful paths.

Laila Gunesekere now also Martenstyn and Howard Martenstyn met on a night some Decembers ago with no idea they would marry 3 years later. He didn’t realize she was Gemini and he was getting two for the price of one. She never thought he’d actually expect her to go camping!

But today as they amicably wrestle for the television remote they know that for both travel is true therapy, never mind that his leads to the underwater world and hers goes straight to the mall!

Their passion for the lives they lead has fueled an intrinsic desire to excel. They have been recognized, celebrated and highly awarded and they ain’t stopping now. Not by a long shot!

Laila Gunesekere-Martenstyn learnt that A is for Advertising and forgot about the rest of the alphabet. She has made this world her world from the age of 17 – even before university – starting at the very bottom of the ladder; she mastered every rung before moving to the next one. From junior writer to senior writer / account executive, to Group Head, / Account Manager, to Creative Director, to Executive Creative Director, to Director – Board of Management to Vice President of Grant Advertising, and Director of Response Marketing, Grant Public Relations & Juice Productions, the bottom of the ladder seems far away now but her head is not quite in the clouds. “I learnt something different from every step and am proud to have started at the bottom with no helping hand. Be completely self made, aim high in your careers but stay grounded in your heart. It works” she candidly said.

Over the years she has very proudly been included in innumerable Sri Lankan Institute of Marketing Creative & Effectiveness Awards as well as Chili & Sumathi Creative Awards. She has been awarded a Gold Medal for Presentation Skills at the McCann Leadership Program in Princeton followed soon after by the HK McCann Award for Leadership Excellence. In 2006 the Zonta Club of Sri Lanka honored her with the Woman of Achievement Award for Advertising. She has also been a recipient of the 1000 voices award for Social Marketing. More recently she received the Global Super Achiever Award for advertising in Mumbai India Last year. Committed to developing the industry as a whole she has twice been President of the 4A’s (Accredited Advertising Agencies Association) & twice President of the IAA (International Advertising Association). She has also twice been included in the 50 most Powerful Women in Business listing and last month was honored by being selected to the international Spikes Jury in Singapore. She also actively supports the Women In Need and the School for the Deaf & Blind.

Howard Martenstyn climbed a very different type of ladder. If possible he swam to the top. A man passionately in pursuit of never discovered before research and information on Sri Lanka’s wondrous marine life, his post retirement years have been anything but relaxing. And have resulted in appreciative accolades galore. 3 years of waking up at 2 in the morning of painstaking photography, writing, re-writing and re-re- writing, his best selling 272 page book ‘Out of the Blue’ was born. He borrowed from his design engineering roots & designed the entire book himself. He then embarked on teaching himself how to design a webpage and created SLAM – Sri Lanka’s Amazing Maritime. His maiden effort into the field of web design won him the Best Website Design – Travel & Tourism sector at this year’s Web Design Awards.

Shortly after, UK’s Natural Wildlife Safaris named him the Natural World Hero for August and he was featured on the website.

His current recognition culminated with him being included in the prestigious Marquis ‘Who’s Who in the World’ for his contribution to marine research.

Howard has plans for a new book, and is committed to educating school children, tourists and marine life watchers on best practices and protection of our marine life. He shares his knowledge of promoting conservation of marine life & maritime heritage through his website Slam.lk. Howard is a director of CRIOMM (Centre of Research for Indian Ocean Marine Mammals) and constantly gives talks and conducts symposiums on the subject. In his life before the world of marine mammals, he was an accomplished engineer at Nortel in Canada.

To know the true Howard and Laila better we asked them some candid questions and got back refreshing answers.

 

What, do you believe is the secret to your success?

LAILA – “it’s very simple – success is an attitude… wear it well. Know your business inside out. In advertising, understand your market completely, develop a deep knowledge of the brands you work on and cultivate a genuine respect & brilliant working relationship with clients. Your work must enhance their business, sell their products – Then & Only then are you successful.

Equally important for me, is that my door & my heart is always open to the people I work alongside. I don’t believe in just giving ideas & advice, I believe in working with.

HOWARD – Success is fuelled by passion and a burning desire to learn. You need to push yourself to the limit and then some. My personal success includes meticulous attention to detail and continuously searching for methods of improvement.

 

As Leaders in your fields, any Leadership tips?

LAILA – Leadership is a privilege that must be executed with substance & style. Always lead by example. Keep meetings short, tight & effective. Limit lengthy outbound e-mails, they are this millennials perfect excuse for semi – procrastination & real / work avoidance. Be open & always honest with your core team, impart knowledge, & contribute effectively every day. Don’t command or expect respect. Earn it.

HOWARD – A good leader evolves from a good follower, one who has experienced much and developed empathy to others. Always lead by example believing in continuous improvement and effective communication.

 

Any tips for a good marriage? Family life?

LAILA – Believe your partner is your equal and that at the core of every great marriage is a great friendship. To my children, I constantly remind them to do something for others every day. Give without question. Care without boundaries.

HOWARD – Communication & mutual respect is key as is work life balance. However important work is do not let it eat into core family time. Be there for each other in tough times and never bring up past mistakes.

 

In your words how do you describe yourself?

HOWARD – I’d much rather let other people describe me!

LAILA – I’m all about the sunshine and colour! I am passionately a people person, adore my family, dote on my dog, love my wonderful, fabulous friends, have a deep belief in God without whom I am nothing. My regrets are clichéd… could be richer, could be thinner, should be spoiled but am not!

I live vicariously though the work I do and the charities I support. I am ready now to embark on something new & have a few surprises in store!

 

A captivating voice, a humble personality and a grateful heart… Australian born Sri Lankan music sensation Julian Simonsz has it all. In a candid interview with Esteem Prime magazine Julian speaks about his love for music and of the journey that lies ahead.    

A little over a year has passed since he burst into the music industry, crooning his way into the hearts of music fans across the globe with his dulcet tones. One of the most admired contestants of Season 3 of The Voice Australia, Julian Simonsz stunned one and all with his vocal prowess at the Blind Auditions, in which he was able to awe the judges with an enchanting rendition of Justin Timberlake’s Suit and Tie.

 

ON ENTERING THE MUSIC INDUSTRY…

The warm glow of memories sparked within, Julian speaks of his stint on the show with thinly veiled excitement. “I actually auditioned for the show the year before, but didn’t get through,” he laughs, adding earnestly that this initial rejection was what motivated him to do build a solid portfolio. In his determination to stand up and be accounted for his talent, Julian started singing covers of his favourite songs and releasing them across Youtube and Facebook, which gathered him a strong internet fan base. Many viewers were quick to praise this young singer’s extraordinary talent; and following the positive viewer reactions to his cover versions, Julian began to realize that the premise in fact carried immense potential for growth and recognition. “Nowadays globally we are so fortunate that we’ve got social media and all such things that are easily accessible. It’s just a click away and you can do music and put up for everyone to see. I first started doing covers for the sake of it, and I didn’t think strategically about it. But then I realized that new music is coming out all the time, and I thought, why don’t I take a new song as soon as it comes to the charts and take my spin on it,” he points out, adding that this gave him a solid basis for his second audition for The Voice Australia.

 

ON AUDITIONING FOR THE VOICE AUSTRALIA…  

Julian’s words ring with sense of achievement as he recalls the iconic moment that changed his life forever. Those who are familiar with the show and excitement of being on stage will undoubtedly empathize with Julian’s sentiment as he describes the rush of adrenaline which overcame his otherwise nervous temperament; “as soon as I heard the music, I had to compose myself and keep going,’ he remarks, explaining that the slow turning of the Judges chairs one after the other on the show was both nerve wracking and exhilarating at the same time. “I just had to keep going you know, but I just wanted to stop and scream.”

 

ON THE INFLUENCE OF MUSIC IN HIS LIFE…

The conversation veers towards his roots and Julian admits that music is in his blood; born into a family of musicians he confesses that he was initially a very self conscious performer who always preferred to hone his skills in the privacy of his bedroom. “I always thought that people would judge me and say this or that,” he explains, adding that this insecurity kept him from pursuing music until much later in his life. This further led Julian to seek his passion in the corporate field; however a Bachelors Degree in Industrial Design and a sudden change of career compelled him to review his life. “I realized that music has always been a part of it, so I thought why don’t I try to push myself with it and make a career out of it…” This revelation strengthened his self belief as he was motivated to redefine his life and strive towards perfection.

 

ON CREATING MUSIC…

A professionally trained musician with a Bachelor’s Degree in Audio Engineering Julian believes that one needs to develop respect for all types of music. In this regard he assures further that while he prefers to create more RnB commercialized tunes as an artist, his engineering background allows him to appreciate all types of music. “As a producer you need to know what’s out there in the market. I have learnt is that studying and watching what other artists are doing especially on Facebook, Instagram and Youtube is crucial for an artist,” he states, adding that his brand is largely inspired by artists such as Justin Timberlake and Michael Jackson. An admirer of Justin Bieber’s latest compositions, Julian also insists that a singer also needs to evolve in his style or genre without losing the original vibe.

Speaking of his music, Julian states that writing the correct type of lyrics is as important as setting the appropriate melody; hence his first single I Do it For You is a classic example of a well written song with powerhouse lyrics and a soulful beat. Peaking at the 16^th spot on the Australian iTunes chart, the song is a simple yet impassioned celebration of love, which showcases Julian’s wide vocal range. His second single “Get Home To You” is another well written verse with a more upbeat melody that is both catchy and passionate. Moreover the success of his first two singles has encouraged his heart to pursue new music, and he states with a smile, “I may put an album out or an EP soon. Ideally I would like to have something before I come back to Sri Lanka in February.”

 

 

ON THE ONE NIGHT ONLY SHOW…

His eyes shine with excitement as he speaks of his upcoming concert in 2016. “Showtown Entertainment and Ants Work have organized a One Night Only show in February next year. But the venue is not yet decided,” Julian discloses, adding that he will also be flying his band down from Australia to participate in the event. “It is more entertaining when you have a band than with a backing track, because you can’t do a whole set with backing tracks, and the energy these boys give is something different,” he muses as an afterthought.

 

ON SPRINTING DOWN THE ROAD TO SUCCESS…

Expressing his views on the road ahead, Julian says that he strives to give 100 percent at every juncture of his life. However the journey towards the zenith is not all smooth sailing, he says; and even though he is a rookie in the industry, Julian appears to have sound knowledge of the problems and challenges in his line of work.  “Selling my type of music is hard, so coming off the show I was trying to focus on commercializing my music instead of being as raw as I could. In Australia you have to try to get on the radio by doing commercial music, otherwise they don’t want to hear you, so I took my style and made it a little bit more ‘pop-like’ to cater a wider audience.” And yet, Julian is also on the lookout for an opportunity to experiment with his style and reinvent himself with every new piece. The spirit of innovation notwithstanding, he strongly recognizes the value of being true to one’s roots.

 

FINAL WORDS OF WISDOM…

With the support of family and friends, Julian has managed to stay humble amidst his rising popularity; eloquent on his views of living a balanced life, he says that an artist should always have a grounding point that keeps him in check. “I guess the good thing about what I do is I’ve got a couple of online businesses and as my studio is at home I can make time for my music and my family.”  His reality check thus established, he is able to move from strength to strength; and armed with faith and perseverance, he honours the name of Sri Lanka with each bold step. A bright star in the horizon, we wish Julian Simonsz a future bejeweled with prosperity and happiness.

 

Links to his music:

w: www.juliansimonsz.com

f:  http://www.facebook.com/JulianSimonszJulez

t:  http://twitter.com/Julian_Simonsz

i:  http://instagram.com/julian_simonsz/

y: http://www.youtube.com/user/julezsimonsz

 

 

I remember those brush strokes well; they adorned her spacious house that carried a hint of madness wrapped in a shawl of eccentricities that espoused her character so well.

Carrying a bouquet of yellow flowers (yellow symbolizing friendship) I was tempted to touch those paintings that were dark and yet depressingly sensual in their honest creation. There were no vibrant greens, lively blues and passionate yellows that painted her feelings; they were the earthy browns, decrepit blacks and sad crimsons instead.

This was Dillai stripped bare for the world to see. As I hugged her with a sense of familiarity I took in the hair, the talent and the face I knew so well, but which I left close to a decade ago at MindsFCB. I recall too many good memories; now we both laugh at her no-nonsense demands for better copy with final art work about to be shipped off in mere seconds to publishing oblivion.

I was told the hallmark of a real friendship was that you carry on from where you left off, and that is what we did. Ten years is a long time, and during that time she bore two beautiful children, and had started her own venture (The Next Big Think) with someone (that someone goes by the name of Megan Shatrughan) which mirrors her inimitable eccentricities.

That night just over a month ago marked an adventure in the shape of an art exhibition that drew gasps of appreciation for a labor of love that was unlike any other. Dillai spent three arduous years in the wee hours of the morning courting her madness; flirting with themes that we abhor; painfully painting, and enthusiastically telling a story that we all needed to hear. It was a story about those that personify her version of paradise in the fringes of Sri Lankan society.

There were 32 odd paintings that day; 22 have been sold. Her exhibition that showcased her own paradise resplendent with people and puddles was graced by Colombo’s advertising glitterati, diplomats, intellectuals along with family and friends.

Who’d have thought eccentricity could be this brilliant. Who’d have thought we would all see a bit of Dillai’s madness and stringent work ethic gracing the walls of Lionel Wendt, and for a fortunate few — their own homes.

By: Michelle Alles

We met up with someone we all know and love – it’s none other than Danu Innasithamby! A former student of St. Peter’s College, Danu is no stranger to the public eye and it is his infectious personality that has helped him build a name for himself on radio, TV and print media.

If you ever happen to meet Danu for the first time, he would come off to you as shy and reclusive, but when he warms up to you with time, you will see that he is a lovely person and a complete source of entertainment to speak to. We had a very interesting conversation with about quite a lot of things and especially a cause that’s very close to his heart…

 

An Interesting Start to an Illustrious Career

“So when I was waiting for my O/L results (sort of a long time ago!) I was doing a play called ‘Animal Farm’ by Feroze Kamardeen and trying to think what else to do with my life,” he reminisces. “I knew I wasn’t going to do my A/L’s so I decided to try another way. I was a little lost back then; I wanted to do something in the creative industry but wasn’t sure what exactly it was. I was studying graphic designing as well, so I made some phone calls to the radio and TV stations to figure out what I could do there. I spoke to someone at Sun FM and said “I want to go on air because I want to be like you!” he laughs. “They asked me to come for an interview and I didn’t even have a CV or much to put on it to start with except my school records, choir, drama, etc. anyway they gave me the job in 10 minutes so that turned out well! After some time, I moved to E! FM and worked there for 4 years and then joined MTV not for TV, but to actually to work in Marketing and Programming. I was also in charge of conceptualizing TV shows. And then on the first day of work, someone told me that I need to get on TV and that’s how it all began! I started off with Planet Pulse and that became very popular and the number one show for the channel. I left MTV in 2012 and the following year joined LITE FM as the Head of Programming which is under TNL RN and I have been there ever since. In addition to my shows on air, I also host Hi! TV’s ‘Buzz with Danu’ (which received a fully digital makeover last year while still retaining its print presence) and also WTF by Danu, which doesn’t mean anything bad! It stands for What, Where, Who and When To Find and it’s a guide to making interesting discoveries all over Sri Lanka and experiencing locations, people and so on. I wanted to give it a very shocking name and WTF seemed appropriate.” he said with that big infectious smile of his.

 

Danu Innasithamby Foundation: Giving Back

Danu has officially launched his charity known as Danu Innasithamby Foundation. “I wanted my family name on it because we’re pretty well known in Jaffna and I want to develop more areas there. The mission of the foundation is to use entertainment and showbiz for a good cause. We currently run 2 full-time projects and one of them which I initiated is called ‘Love Changes Everything’ which is focused on helping children with cancer. We work with the paediatric section of the Cancer Hospital and we have people working with us on a volunteer basis. The reason for the name is that it was my mother’s favourite song,” he said. “The other project is called ‘Sri Lanka Smiles’. There’s so much talent in this country but they don’t have the mileage or resources to do something more with it. So we match the reason or cause with the resource that can assist them. The first case we supported was a girl from the Science Faculty of UOC who didn’t have a computer but had passed her first year which is quite admirable and spoke to me of an indomitable spirit. We spoke to Dell Sri Lanka and they were willing to donate a laptop so that ended happily. That’s how ‘Sri Lanka Smiles’ works; causes that need attention are posted on our Facebook page and we search for donors. There is always a story to find a donor for and it feels good to know that we are making a difference for people.” he said.

 

A Dynamic and Down To Earth Personality

Being a person who relates very well to people is what makes Danu the success he is. He attributes this to his upbringing and background. “I was 7 and my sister 13 when we came to Colombo with basically nothing in our hands. My father had passed away so it was just the three of us – my mom, my sister and I. We didn’t have anything or anyone and we literally lived off each other. So I have faced different challenges in life and that is why I think I can understand people better,” he said. “Looking back, I see that I came into this industry at the right time, while it was growing and now the entertainment in Sri Lanka is at a good standard in terms of TV and radio. It’s very competitive and when compared with some channels and stations in the region, I think it is world class because we speak well and our music is good. Even in terms of TV, we have some quality shows; even our commercials are quite spectacular and can give anyone a run for their money!”

 

We asked Danu about his likes and dislikes and he told us that he dislikes Math! (Well most of us feel that way!) “I’ve never really understood why the world needed Math! I also dislike making plans – it totally stresses me out. Even when I go abroad, I just have the travel agent do everything for me because I don’t like having to plan anything! I love fashion and dressing up – I just love clothes and I also love drama and theatre.” he enthuses.

 

The Highs and Lows of Media

When asked about the rewarding and demanding aspects of the media field, he said, “There are many people in the field right now but not everybody makes an impact. The reason being that people take these jobs for granted; actually it’s very important to correctly position yourself in the field right from the start of your career. What we need to keep in mind is that we of the media never have an off day. Like everyone else, I also have days when I feel like jumping into a hole, but I can’t afford to let it show because if I snap at someone today and they hear me on air tomorrow, they’ll wonder if this is the same person they met yesterday! You have to be real and remember that every time you come to a show, you are here to entertain someone who might be having much more problems than you! So if you are going to add to their issues, then you might as well not be in this field,” he said. “The rewards of being in this field are that you get to meet so many different people from various walks of life who are differently talented and you get to observe so much of interesting and exciting things – it’s fun and there’s never a dull day! It’s also a very good feeling when listeners or viewers tell us that we made their day or took their mind off their problems just by making them laugh or feel good about themselves and there’s no better reward for that!” he noted.

 

Wisdom Words

When asked what advice he would give a person new to media, Danu stated, “Remember to be real and be you. There’s no point having an accent on air and having it slip when you’re done with your show. First find your unique feature – happy, witty, funny, anything! Make a trademark for yourself with this characteristic – and stick with it until you die!” he laughs. “I’m the only person in this entire trade to have promoted people who can be considered my competitors on my columns and I have no problem with that! See, if you like me, you’ll listen to or watch me no matter what! If you don’t, it’s pointless me saying bad about another person because you’ll follow their show regardless. You might tune in to my show and another show if you like both of us so I think there’s space for everyone in this field and I also think a healthy environment and a peaceful setting is nicer because you’re known for a very short time and you would want to be remembered as a good person.” he remarked.

 

Future Plans

“One of the reasons that I started my foundation is because I want to use the platform I possess and the people I have met for a good reason; many people want to help but they don’t know where to donate to. Donations are not always about finances; I have met wonderful people and I can enlist their help in supporting people who don’t have that exposure. I have been helped when I needed it the most and to me, these people are God on Earth, so I want everyone to have a chance to be able fulfil their desires and achieve their goals; it’s sad to hear someone say that they were never given an opportunity. By God’s Grace, I was put in the right place at the right time, for me to be able to do the right thing so I want to focus more on this cause.” he concluded.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHAT IT IS

Katha is a mobile app that connects interesting voice content creators with listeners. Essentially a voice version of Twitter, with an interface dedicated for sending and receiving voice clips.

It’s designed and built locally and founded by Mudith Uswatta and Mahen Rathnayaka; the two are co-founders. Mahen is the CEO currently and works on it full time while Mudith works on it part time.

 

HOW IT WORKS 

Anyone can create a channel on Katha. Others can subscribe to a channel to receive the voice clips they send out. Other than messaging all your subscribers you can also send private messages to you contacts on the app.

Subscription to channels can be free or paid for. The Katha team encourages anyone who wants to run a public channel (use Katha for anything other than private messaging) to become a verified channel. This essentially means that such channels have been personally curated by the Katha team. Verified channels are indicated by a special marker on the app.

Length of messages between normal users is limited at 5 mins. Verified channels can send out longer messages.

Katha also offers question and answer channels. These channels enable subscribers to send questions to the channel owner. The channel owner can then answer them as a private message.

 

HOW KATHA PLANS ON MAKING MONEY

Creating channels on Katha is free. The team plans to monetize by taking a commission on channels that charge a fee from their subscribers (in the form of monthly subscription). The content creator (channel) will receive the lion share of the revenue while Katha takes a small cut.

Katha are also looking at partnering with brands for promotions etc.

 

HOW WE GOT STARTED 

Mudith and Mahen were friends for some time and both were interested in startups. They decided to participate in the Colombo Hackathon and pitch something even though they had no idea or any product to demo. They showed up and pitched an idea that was quite different to Katha. Some of the judges were people running the Lankan Angel Network (LAN) and they offered an opportunity in a venture capital competition that was running at the time called Venture Engine.

So they found ourselves in the middle of this competition and refined their idea based on the feedback they received from pitching this to investors and other entrepreneurs. They made it to the finals of this competition and LAN wanted to fund them by providing some seed capital to run a pilot test of the concept.

Finalizing the specifics of the deal took some time as there were various issues such as Mudith not being there full-time, some investors not being based in Sri Lanka etc. The team got the investment around May 2015 and got started; since June they’ve been developing the app.

 

WHO IS USING IT RIGHT NOW

The team is currently running a beta test with a limited test group of users. They plan to launch the app publicly in November.

They have already partnered with companies who will be their first channels. A few are research companies; they will be using it to disseminate market research using the app. Then there are channels like Yamu who will be running question and answer type of channels.

Katha strongly appeals to young musicians and bands. Local activists have also expressed interest in using the app. It was recently introduced at a conference by the head of Groudviews (a popular political blog) as a tool they plan to use next year.