සෙන්ටිග්රේඩ්ස්
45 songs performed
Centigradz (සෙන්ටිග්රේඩ්ස්) is a Sri Lankan band that helped define the ethnic pop and RnB sound of the 2000s, blending Western arrangements with Sinhala melody. The group began as a circle of college friends and grew into one of the country’s biggest live draws, best known for songs such as Dark Angel, Rusiri, and Diwrala Pawasanna.
Centigradz started out performing cover versions of pop, ethnic RnB, and alternative material before turning to their own writing. Their early studio singles “Tradition” and “Dark Angel” moved them from the cover circuit into the charts, and “Dark Angel” went on to receive airplay on BBC Radio 1, a rare reach for a Sri Lankan act at the time. The single also topped local radio countdowns and stayed there for several weeks.
The album Rusiri, released on Cinnamon Records, became the fastest selling album in Sri Lankan music up to that point, reportedly moving around 200,000 units within weeks of release. The title track Rusiri remains one of the band’s signature recordings, and the run of hits around it, including Pahasara Obe Adare and Oba Ekwenawado, cemented their place on radio and at live shows.
Centigradz built a catalogue that mixed romantic ballads with up-tempo crowd songs. Diwrala Pawasanna earned recognition for its melody composition, and tracks like Hadaganna Me Hitha, Ranwan Mal Dam, and Siriyavi became staples of their sets. They also recorded the anthemic Jaya Jaya Sri Lanka and the 2015 cricket World Cup song Kirula Genemu.
Beyond the recordings, Centigradz earned a reputation as a stage band, completing hundreds of sold-out shows across Sri Lanka and among diaspora audiences. The group was named among the most popular acts of its era and picked up new-artist recognition at regional festivals in Malaysia. For listeners who grew up with Sri Lankan radio in the 2000s, the Centigradz sound, polished, melodic, and built for a crowd, remains tied to that decade of Sinhala pop.
Every Sinhala lyric, composition, and song credit by Centigradz.