Features : Exclusive Interview with Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe

Photographer - Matsu Ame (Japan)

Artist Spotlight: Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe

Dr. Kanchanamala Ranasinghe (Kanchi) is a Sri Lankan-born, Australia-based singer, songwriter, composer, actress, filmmaker, music director, and medical professional. A specialist general practitioner, senior lecturer in medicine, and clinical researcher, Kanchi brings together her medical background and artistic heritage through music centered on love, healing, cultural connection, and global understanding. She has performed more than 50 original songs, produced more than 75 songs, and received international recognition for her work in music and film. Through her artistic work, Kanchi aims to create music that calms the mind, touches hearts, and builds connections across cultures.

We sat down with Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe to talk about their creative journey, inspirations, and what’s next.

FreshMusicWorld: Who are your biggest musical influences, and how have they shaped your sound and artistic identity?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: My biggest musical influences are my parents, who were theatre artists in Sri Lanka. Their commitment, dedication and talent earned them the Gunnies World Record for the Most durable theatre performers of the world title for their contribution in an opera style stage drama for more than 5000 consecutive performances over 31 yrs.  The musicality of the drama took deep roots within me, making a robust artistic foundation with its rich cultural heritage. The power of connection through live performance shaped my identity, which was pivotal in expanding my artistic career into singing, script and lyric writing, composition, music direction, acting, film direction, and film production.

FreshMusicWorld: How does your cultural background influence your music, and how do you incorporate your heritage into your creative expression?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: Northern Indian Hindustani Raga Music has been a major influence on my music, while my creations draw performance aesthetics, storytelling traditions, and musical forms from my Sri Lankan heritage. Since settling in Australia and being exposed to a multicultural society with music and artistic styles from around the world, my creations have expanded to incorporate contemporary and global styles of music, which help to enrich the power of connectivity. While using modern arrangements to resonate with different moods, I use classical Hindustani-based patterns of musical notes to anchor the emotions and leave a lasting footprint.  

FreshMusicWorld: How does nature or your surrounding environment inspire your songwriting and influence the stories you tell through your music?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: My music aims to provide a place of healing through years of research on patterns of musical notes that help to bring a sense of calm to the mind.  A quiet surrounding environment often enables me to dive deep into the message that I want to impart and the connection I wish to achieve. Although lyrics almost always come first, the music composition also starts developing in my brain alongside the words, and the creation tends to incorporate a mix of feelings brought on by a simple rustle of leaves, the sound of waves, sunset, the beautiful fragrance of a flower, a moonlight walk by the beach, or simply a bird chirping away on a mountain, finally to tell a dramatic story that touches the heart. However, some music has also formed in my brain in the midst of a busy car park, in airports standing at immigration counters as well as whilst traveling in a bullet train in Japan  - adding to the beauty of the gifted moment in bringing a creation to life.  

FreshMusicWorld: Who was your first major musical mentor, and what valuable lessons did you learn from them that continue to guide you today?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: My mother was my major musical mentor for voice - training me to sing with emotion and my father was the major musical mentor for playing instruments, where he taught me to appreciate the beauty of sound. Singing with feeling to produce a story more than a song and directing an orchestra to produce an array of sounds to create an overall emotion, yet highlighting each instrument to the fullest capacity, were all valuable lessons that I learnt from my mentors and carry with me to this day in my journey.

FreshMusicWorld: What is something about you that your fans might be surprised to discover?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: That I am a full time specialist doctor, senior lecturer in medicine and a medical researcher with four specialist qualifications in medicine, a master of philosophy and PhD in clinical medicine and yet went back to learn music and complete my musical education and am currently working towards my masters in music and I also go back all the way to Sri Lanka from Australia to portray the same role that my mother played on theatre for 31 yrs simply for the passion for acting.

FreshMusicWorld: What kind of legacy do you hope to leave through your music, and what do you want listeners to remember about you as an artist?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: I hope my listeners will remember me as someone who tried to create a safe, calm place to come to and heal from the chaos of life. I hope the legacy will be carried across the seas to all continents to share the simple message to show love and kindness to each other and help heal this world - this beautiful place we all call home.

FreshMusicWorld: How do you define happiness and fulfillment, both in your personal life and throughout your musical journey?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: I find happiness and fulfillment where I find peace and serenity, both in my personal life and in my music journey. When the chords in the brain are touched to bring lasting peace with trust and love, I am happy.

FreshMusicWorld: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice about life or pursuing a music career, what would it be and why?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: I would ask my younger self to always carefully choose environments and people that bring peace to the mind.  I would ask to start the music career as soon as I could hold an instrument and pursue music education every possible moment until the very last moment on earth.

FreshMusicWorld: Beyond your career as a musician, what does a fulfilling life look like to you, and what matters most to you personally?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: A fulfilling life would be knowing that I have put in my best effort for whatever I was entrusted with, and I have gone forward from where I was yesterday. Peace, serenity, loyalty, honesty, trust, love, and transparency matter most to me in life.

FreshMusicWorld: Are there any upcoming projects, releases, or creative ventures you're particularly excited about that you'd like your fans to know about?

Dr. Kanchanamala “Kanchi” Ranasinghe: I am currently creating a wide-screen movie - a heart-touching love story where I wrote the script, and I am also the music director, lyricist, composer, film director, and also play the lead female role. The musical compositions have patterns of notes that I have researched for years to bring a sense of healing and peace to the mind. It’s being translated into English and will have subtitles to bring it out to a global audience in the near future.