ජයශ්රී
27 songs performed · 3 compositions
JayaSri (ජය ශ්රී, also written Jaya Sri) is a Sri Lankan reggae and hip hop band built around the twin brothers Rohitha Jayalath and Rohan Jayalath. The group is one of the most commercially successful acts to come out of the Sinhala pop scene, credited with bringing reggae, dancehall, and hip hop fusion to a mainstream Sri Lankan and diaspora audience.
The Jayalath brothers were born in Madampe, in the Chilaw area, and later grew up in Nattandiya. Rohitha is the elder of the twins by a few hours. The two performed together under earlier names before settling on the name JayaSri, and the band was formally established in 1999 with a wider line-up of musicians backing the brothers.
JayaSri’s signature sound blends Sinhala melody and lyrics with Jamaican reggae and Western hip hop production, a style that found an audience both at home and across the Sri Lankan communities in Europe. The duo spent formative years based in Austria and the wider European music circuit, and they became, by their own account and press reporting, among the first Sri Lankan artists to chart across multiple European countries. In 2003 the band received Austrian world music recognition for the dance single “Ravers on Dope.”
Their studio albums include Mod Goviya (2000), Sundari (2002), Peace (2006), and Love (2016), which together track the band’s move from village-rooted reggae storytelling toward polished crossover pop.
JayaSri are best known for catchy, socially observant tracks that pair a reggae bounce with everyday Sinhala themes. Salli Pokuru (also circulated as “Mille Soya”), the playful Sundariye (සුන්දරියේ), and Pitarata Wisthara Mewwa are among their most recognised numbers, alongside the title track of their debut album, Mod Goviya. The brothers wrote and produced much of this material themselves, and several of these recordings are credited to the band as both performer and composer.
For Sri Lankan listeners and the diaspora, JayaSri represent the moment Sinhala music absorbed reggae and hip hop without losing its own voice. Their songs remain staples at parties and on community radio abroad, and the band continues to perform internationally. Lyrics-lk hosts the Sinhala lyrics with English transliteration and translation for the JayaSri catalogue, so listeners can follow both the language and the meaning behind tracks like Salli Pokuru and Sundariye.
Every Sinhala lyric, composition, and song credit by JayaSri.