Boy from the Beach wins Sirasa 'The Voice'

He looks, acts and sings differently. Dreadlocks, baggy clothing and a distinctly Jamaican swag gives his diminutive physical stature, some serious stage presence. 

Enter, Ramiya. Sri Lanka's latest musical trendsetter, having clinched 'The Voice' title on Sirasa TV at a star-studded finale at Stein Studios last night. 

The preliminary rounds saw Ramiya's fortunes fall and rise, but his enthusiasm and attitude helped his cause as Sri Lanka fell in love with his candor and charisma. 

Having slipped out of the main rounds, he was brought back as a wildcard by a judge who was given the task of throwing a lifeline to an eliminated contestant through a 'Come Back Stage' procedure. Ramiya grabbed hold of the opportunity with both hands, and steadily made it through the Semi-Finals and to the Finals. 

The boy from the beaches of Aluthgama, a Southern Sri Lankan seaside village, executed a brilliant performance at the Finals, undaunted by the fact that he was performing for a record television and online audience. (The finale has since become Sri Lanka's #1 trending YouTube video). 

Five contestants trained by five veteran coaches took the stage at the Finals of The Voice Sri Lanka — Ramiya for team Supun, Sheron Silva for team Shashika, Chanupa Deshitha for team Kasun, Shehan Rangana for team Umariya, and Chinthaka Roshan for team BnS.

The Voice, on Sirasa TV is Sri Lanka's global franchise reality talent show. Previous winners have gone on to compete internationally and are today, huge stars in their own right.