Yohani is a Sri-Lankan singer, rapper, music producer, and songwriter. She gained immense popularity with her Sinhala cover song ‘Manike Mage Hithe,’ which is composed by Chamath Sangeeth, written by Dulan ARX, and released under the music label C Music.
Wiki/Biography
Yohani Diloka de Silva (in Sinhala: යොහානි දිලෝකා ද සිල්වා) [1] was born on Friday, 30 July 1993 (age 28 years; as of 2020) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Her zodiac sign is Leo. Due to her father’s transferable job, she spent her childhood in various cities. She did her schooling at Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, Sri Lanka. She did BSc in Supply Chain and Logistics Management from General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Colombo, Sri Lanka, from 2013 to 2015. She attended CQUniversity Rockhampton North, Rockhampton, Australia to pursue a degree in Master of Professional Accounting, from 2017 to 2018. [2]
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 4″
Weight (approx.): 55 kg
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Brown
Figure Measurements (approx.): 30-28-32
Family
Her father, Prasanna de Silva, is a Sri Lankan army officer posted at the Major General rank. Her mother, Dinithi de Silva, is a former air hostess at Sri Lankan Airlines. Her younger sister, Shavindri de Silva, is studying medicine in Sri Lanka.
Yohani with her father
Yohani with her mother
Yohani with her sister
Career
On 30 May 2016, she uploaded her first cover video of the song ‘Pehla Nasha/ Penena Nisa’ on her self-titled YouTube channel. As of October 2021, she has more than 4 million views on the video.
Yohani’s cover song Pehla Nasha or Penena Nisa
Initially, she did not get many views on her first video, but with the release of her rap cover of ‘Deviyange Bare’ (2018), she gained immense popularity. She then uploaded various videos of her songs such as ‘Dushyanth Weeraman’ (2019), ‘Sulaga Nuba Wage’ (2020), and ‘Haal Massa’ (2021) on her self-titled YouTube channel. As of October 2021, she has 2.95 million followers on her YouTube channel.
Yohani in Haal Massa
In 2019, she joined the music label ‘Pettah Effect’ which is co-founded by the Sri Lankan music writer Dilanjan Seneviratne. In 2020, she lent her voice for Sri Lankan songs like ‘Aaye’ under the music label ‘Pettah Effect,’ ‘Rawwath Dasin’ under the music label Theewra, and ‘Sitha Dawuna’ under the music label ‘Pettah Effect.’
Yohani performing live
In 2021, she became the global sensation with the release of her cover song ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ along with the singer Satheeshan and released under the music label C Music.
Many Indian celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, and Tiger Shroff made Instagram reels on her song. An IndiGo Air hostess made a dance video on the song ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ in 2021 which went viral on various social media platforms. In an interview, when she was asked how ‘Manike Mage Hithe’ happened to her. She said,
It started with a TikTok video. I created the song with just a piano, sitting in front of my phone. It did well, and then – the producer of the song, Chamath Sangeeth of then called me and said, “Do you want to sing the whole song?” We then recorded the song even when the lockdown in Sri Lanka was on. The original song is sung by Satheeshan Rathnayaka and the lyrics were written by Dukan ARX.”
In 2021, she sang the female version of the title track of the Hindi film ‘Shiddat,’ composed and written by Manan Bhardwaj.
Facts/Trivia
- She is popularly known as Rap Princess in Sri Lanka. [3]
- In an interview, she talked about her music journey, she said,
Music has always been a part of my life since I was small. I used to play piano when I was small. Singing happened when I was in university. Before that, I played the trumpet and french horn in school, and learned to play guitar. I opened my YouTube account soon after I started to sing during my university time, and that’s when I started doing the covers.”
- She has been featured on the cover of various Sri Lankan magazines.
Yohani featured on the cover of a magazine
- Samsung signed her as the brand ambassador for the Samsung Galaxy Z series in 2021.
- During an interview, she shared how she started her career in music. She said,
I loved music right from when I was much younger. My mother helped me learn the piano, then I got professional training for it from a couple of teachers. I love guitar too, but I learned it by watching YouTube videos. I’m passionate about music, so it all just came together nicely. I want to live my life with music being a constant accompaniment to it.”
- She has received various awards including Raigam Tele’es Award for the ‘Mashup Song of the Year’ (2019).
Yohani with her award
- Yohani is an animal lover and has a pet dog named Kitty.
Yohani and her pet dog
- In her leisure time, she loves horse riding and doing various adventure sports.
- Yohani appeared as a guest in one of the episodes of Bigg Boss 15 in 2021.
Yohani in Bigg Boss 15
- In 2021, she was honoured at Dr. Rewant Vikram Singh Director (Swami Vivekananda), Indian Cultural Centre, High Commission of India in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
