Sri Lankan singers Yohani and Satheeshan Rathnayaka are behind the viral song 'Manike Mage Hithe'. Photo: YouTube / Yohani
Sri Lankan singers Yohani and Satheeshan Rathnayaka are behind the viral song 'Manike Mage Hithe'. Photo: YouTube / Yohani
Sri Lankan singers Yohani and Satheeshan Rathnayaka are behind the viral song 'Manike Mage Hithe'. Photo: YouTube / Yohani
Sri Lankan singers Yohani and Satheeshan Rathnayaka are behind the viral song 'Manike Mage Hithe'. Photo: YouTube / Yohani

How Sri Lanka's 'Manike Mage Hithe' became an election song and viral hit


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In August last year, YouTube artist Rektron aka Raj in Mumbai was sipping a cup of chai outside a tea stall when he heard the song Manike Mage Hithe for the first time.

“Our chaiwala [tea seller] was making tea and suddenly his phone rang. This song was his ringtone,” Rektron tells The National. He couldn’t get the tune out of his head. After several failed attempts searching for the track online, Rektron came across the Sinhala-language official cover version of Manike Mage Hithe, sung by Sri Lankan artists Yohani and Satheeshan Rathnayaka on YouTube.

A few days later, Rektron released a Hindi cover of Manike Mage Hithe. “I remember it was the morning of August 17. I just published it and fell asleep. When I woke up at 2pm, my phone was buzzing. I had 500,000 views,” says Rektron, “I was shocked. How could this happen?”

Within a day, Rektron’s cover received one million views on YouTube — now it has more than 38 million views.

This isn’t the only cover version of Manike Mage Hithe. Since the release of the official Sinhala-language song seven months ago, it has been covered by various artists across the world in a number of languages. Some of these versions include a Bengali cover with more than three million views, a Nepali cover and a recent English cover released by Dutch singer Emma Heesters.

The song is a global hit now, with 130 million views, favoured by people from chai stalls in India to Bollywood celebrities such as Madhuri Dixit and Jacqueline Fernandez. And recently, another Hindi cover of the song became the official poll anthem of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, for the state assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Despite the immense popularity of Yohani's viral version, it was also a cover of the Sinhala song released in July 2020, by Rathnayaka and composed by Chamath Sangeeth. Artist Dulan ARX wrote the lyrics.

“The original song was [a] sort of an experiment. We wanted to see how people would receive it,” says Rathnayaka. Later in 2021, Rathnayaka worked on the official cover with Yohani, who performed the song at Expo 2020 Dubai on Saturday, March 5.

“Within three weeks after Yohani and I released the cover, we started getting a few comments from the Indian audience.”

Rathnayaka credits the song's popularity in India to a number of factors. “First, both mine and Yohani’s names have a subtle Indian resemblance. And some of the Sinhala lyrics — if you take words like manahari for example — have a Hindi touch," he says.

But above all, Rathnayaka says the song became popular thanks to its strong sonic qualities. “It’s a very catchy tune that you can’t easily forget.”

Rathnayaka believes that the song grew in popularity when child artist Miah Kutty from Kerala sang it live on television. “And then, [Bollywood superstar] Amitabh Bachchan tweeted about it. After that, it was everywhere,” he says.

YouTube artists Jalaj and Rajat Sharma, who post covers under the name JalRaj, also recorded a Hindi version.

“We received the request to cover Manike Mage Hithe in almost every second comment on YouTube. That’s when we decided to look for this song," the siblings, from Mohali in Punjab, say. "The tune and the lyrics, although we couldn’t understand a word [of it], straight away went into our head. It captures your soul, so it was clear why everyone wanted us to cover it."

The song’s popularity in India was also one of the reasons why BJP picked it up for their election campaign, says Urmi Chanda, Harmony scholar at University of Wales Trinity Saint David. “BJP plays an A-game when it comes to using the media. Their first major political success seven years ago hinged largely on the success of their media campaign. They've continued to harness this potent force,” says Chanda.

“Using the Sri Lankan super-hit Manike Mage Hithe as the template for their political anthem in UP shows that they know what works with the masses, especially the youth. Yes, the original song has musical merit, but that's not the sole reason for it being picked. Its insane popularity among Indian audiences, especially on social media platforms, is what drives this choice. It is catchy and it is immediately recognisable."

Rathnayaka says he came to know about the BJP anthem on social media. “They didn’t reach out to me. I don’t know if they sought permission from Chamath, who’s the music composer of the song,” he says.

No official acknowledgement or a statement was given to Yohani either, Chanda says. “If they didn’t inform the original artists, it’s blatant lifting to use a popular song for political ideologies.”

But Rathnayaka is happy that the song is taking Sri Lankan music global.

“I think it’s the first time a song from Sri Lanka became a viral hit across the world. It was so humbling to see how people from different countries came to embrace this song despite the political tensions between our countries," he says. "People loved and appreciated music for music. I come from a small island nation, and to see something like this was a special feeling.”

Five expert hiking tips
    Always check the weather forecast before setting off Make sure you have plenty of water Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon Wear appropriate clothing and footwear Take your litter home with you
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street

The seven points are:

Shakhbout bin Sultan Street

Dhafeer Street

Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)

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Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
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UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
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Funds raised: $22 million

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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
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  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

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What: Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

When: Friday until March 9

Where: All main sessions are held in the InterContinental Dubai Festival City

Price: Sessions range from free entry to Dh125 tickets, with the exception of special events.

Hot Tip: If waiting for your book to be signed looks like it will be timeconsuming, ask the festival’s bookstore if they have pre-signed copies of the book you’re looking for. They should have a bunch from some of the festival’s biggest guest authors.

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

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Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.

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Key 2013/14 UAE Motorsport dates

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Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

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Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

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  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
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Updated: March 06, 2022, 5:44 AM