About

Merinda Dias-Jayasinha (she/her) is a creative artist and musician whose practice explores heartfelt and lyrical storytelling, genre-blurring compositions and the melodic and textural potential of the voice. Born and raised in Meanjin with Sri Lankan/Australian heritage, Dias-Jayasinha explores her artistry, impressive vocal ability, and versatility through a number of ensembles and projects and delights in collaboration, connection, and community.

In 2022, Dias-Jayasinha released ‘Sense’, her first solo offering of original and beloved jazz songs from her life. Collaborating with Niran Dasika (trumpet), Matt Hoyne (guitar), and Helen Svoboda (double bass), ‘Sense’ was supported by Creative Victoria and Regional Arts Victoria. Dias-Jayasinha has released two chamber/improvised albums since 2018. Her voice/string quartet Meridians released ‘first cycle’, through MADE NOW MUSIC in 2018, and her co-lead trio with Flora Carbo and James Macaulay, Strong Cotton Socks, released ‘Falling Towards You’, through ABC Music in March 2020. Alongside her own projects, Dias-Jayasinha is a member of many ensembles, including Gian Slater's celebrated Invenio Singers. With an interest in text and vocal layering, Dias-Jayasinha has completed two works in a series exploring her heritage: The grey area - an audio journey involving interviews with members of her family; and The blue area - a performance work in a reconstructed bedroom space in which Dias-Jayasinha dresses in a saree as layered inner monologues deconstruct identity.

A versatile composer, Dias-Jayasinha experiments with contemporary jazz, cross-disciplinary, and choral forms. In 2020, she produced music for emerging cross-disciplinary artist Freya McGrath’s video series ‘The Receiver’, for the Dirty Laundry Collective - a multidisciplinary theatre collective. In late 2020, Dias-Jayasinha took part in the Australian Art Orchestra’s Creative Music Intensive. In 2021, she performed at Midsumma Festival as part of That Which Was Once Familiar by Zoë Bastin, and was a participant in Let’s Take Over 2022, facilitated by Darebin Arts Speakeasy.

Dias-Jayasinha studied with Dr. Irene Bartlett and renowned jazz vocalist Kristin Berardi. She aims to push the boundaries of her creative practice through sound, visual elements, and research. Dias-Jayasinha has performed at MPavillion, Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Melbourne Women’s International Jazz Festival, Brisbane International Jazz Festival, and at The JazzLab, Brisbane Jazz Club, Foundry616, and the old Bennetts Lane Jazz Club. From 2017-2019, Dias-Jayasinha was a Generations In Jazz Vocal Scholarship Finalist.

Merinda is cementing her place in Australia’s emerging generation of creative practitioners.