The Gyaling is a traditional woodwind instrument used in Tibet and Nepal. In order to play the Gyaling, you must use a circular breathing technique. The Gyaling is often played during rituals and ceremonies.
The Indian harmonium is also known as samvadini, peti ("box"), or baja, and is generally smaller in size than traditional European harmoniums. There are differing schools of thought as to the use of the harmonium in Indian classical music, with some musicians noting that the instrument is unable to produce slides between notes, while others appreciate the harmonium's ease-of-use and amplified drone sound. The harmonium is often used in North Indian classical vocal music.
Hassina Leelarathna is a Sri Lankan American journalist, editor, and publisher based in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. She co-founded and served as editor of the Sri Lankan Express, a community newspaper established in the 1990s that covered news, culture, and civic engagement within the Sri Lankan diaspora across California. Through her reporting and leadership, Leelarathna became one of the first Sri Lankan women journalists in the U.S. to publish a community newspaper focusing on both diaspora issues and cross-South Asian stories.
Her work has also appeared in broader South Asian and international media, where she continues to advocate for independent journalism and the representation of Sri Lankan voices in American media.
