Yohani is a singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, and YouTuber. She kickstarted her music journey by sharing cover versions of popular songs on YouTube, earning herself the title "Rap Princess" of Sri Lanka due to her rap cover of 'Deviyange Bare' and numerous other singing and rapping covers. However, it was her cover of "Manike Mage Hithe" that catapulted her to international fame, earning global recognition. Notably, she became the first Sri Lankan female singer to amass over 3.60 million subscribers on YouTube. In January 2023, Yohani continued her musical prowess by releasing "Chaudhary," a song featuring vocals from renowned Rajasthani singer Mame Khan and Jubin Nautiyal alongside her own mesmerizing voice.
Yohani is a singer, songwriter, rapper, music producer, YouTuber, and businessperson who started her music career as a YouTuber. She rose to fame for her rap cover of 'Deviyange Bare'. After that, she released many covers of her singing and rapping which earned her the title "Rap Princess" of Sri Lanka. She gained a huge recognition for her cover of "Manike Mage Hithe".
Yohani was born on 30 July 1993 in Colombo, Sri Lanka, as the daughter of Major General Prasanna de Silva, a former Army officer, and Dinithi de Silva, a former cabin crew member at Sri Lankan Airlines. Yohani Diloka de Silva is her full name. Growing up in a Buddhist household, she has practiced Buddhism religion since her early life. Yohani holds Sri Lankan nationality and belongs to the Sri Lankan-Asian ethnicity. She has a younger sister, Shavindri de Silva, who is currently pursuing her studies in medicine. Both sisters experienced life in different Army bases across Sri Lanka due to their father's military background. As of 2023, Yohani celebrated her 29th birthday. Yohani's early fascination and dedication to music were evident, with her mother recognizing her passion and encouraging her to pursue it from a young age. Her upbringing was filled with her parent's love for music, regularly listening to artists like the BeeGees, Spice Girls, AR Rahman, and Elton John. Before embarking on her artistic career, she completed her higher education in Logistics Management and Professional Accounting at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. Additionally, she obtained a master's degree in accounting from CQUniversity Australia.
Yohani's music career soared after her return to Sri Lanka in March 2019, when she joined the record label Pettah Effect, co-founded by Dilanjan, and known for nurturing young talent. In February 2020, Prima Kottu Mee recognized her potential and signed her as their Brand Ambassador for two years, marking one of her initial significant brand endorsements. Later, she caught the attention of Red Bull Records and signed with them, leading to the premiere of her debut single "Aaye" in August 2020, followed by more releases, including the impactful song "Sitha Dawuna," resonating with those affected by the island's 30-year war. Yohani achieved a remarkable milestone with 200 million views on her YouTube cover of "Manike Mage Hithe" in May 2021. By then, she had completed her debut Sinhala album, ready to launch during a live concert around December 2021. Her success extended overseas as she embarked on her debut tour to Hyderabad, India, in October 2021, performing live with her band and making guest appearances on popular television shows hosted by Salman Khan and Ranveer Singh. Amidst her rising fame, she released "Ithin Aadare," the first single from her highly anticipated first music album.
Yohani's musical journey continued to rise as she lent her voice to the official song of the T20 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2021 and released her first international single, "Moving On," in English under the prestigious music label, Red Bull Records, becoming the only Sri Lankan singer to do so. During her visit to India, she was honored as the Indo-Ceylon Cultural Ambassador by the Government of India. In a remarkable collaboration, she performed "Unmada Prema Geeya" with popular Sri Lankan singers Bhathiya, Santhush, and Kaizer Kaiz. December 2021 saw her participation in the Dubai Expo 2020, and she contributed to the official song of LPL 2021 alongside other renowned Sri Lankan artists. She continued her cross-cultural work with the release of the Tamil-Sinhala song "Rider Fighter" with ADK, and in January 2022, she contributed to Tamil and Telugu songs composed by Harris Jayaraj and Bhima Cericeleo, respectively. Her achievements were recognized when she was named Sri Lankan of the Year by LMD magazine. In February 2022, Yohani collaborated with Tehan Perera for the song "Gajaman Nona," directed by Sandesh Bandara. She also engaged with Dubai media and recorded the Hindi version of her world-famous song "Manike Mage Hite." Further promoting her homeland, she released the patriotic song "You Are My Paradise" under the foundation So Sri Lanka, contributing to the promotion of the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. Her success led her to perform the biggest music concert ever held in Dubai's Millennium Amphitheater, followed by more concerts in Dubai. In March 2022, she, along with Chamath Sangeeth, Satheeshan, and Dulan ARX, received the prestigious SLIM Award for the most popular song of the year. Adding to her accolades, she hosted a YouTube concert named Eden with Lunu, and in March 2022, she performed the captivating Yohani Live In Concert in Muscat, Oman.
In April 2022, she made a significant move by joining T-Series, the music label with the world's largest YouTube channel. During that month, when Sri Lanka faced a severe economic crisis, she took action and established the "I am for Sri Lanka" foundation, directing funds to support the treatment of those injured during the freedom struggle and addressing the lack of medical equipment in the country. She donated $5000 to the Red Cross organization, fulfilling crucial tasks through her foundation. However, controversy arose as some Sri Lankans accused her foundation of being politically linked to the existing government, leading to a period of silence for several months. Nevertheless, she returned to the spotlight with the Hindi remake of her hit song "Manike Mage Hithe," aptly titled "Manike," which marked a significant milestone in Sri Lankan music history as it became the first Hindi song to include Sinhala lyrics. The song was composed by Tanishk Bagchi and Chamath Sangeeth, with lyrics by Rashmi Virag, Dulan ARX, and Mellow D. Alongside Yohani, renowned Indian singers Jubin Nautiyal and Surya Raghunaathan featured in the song, which gained immense popularity on Indian social media. Prior to this, her first Indian song was "Po Po Po," a Tamil track in the film "The Legend," with the Indian actress Urvashi Rautela lending her voice for the first time in that movie.
Yohani's star continued to rise as she made noteworthy appearances and achievements in the entertainment world. She was featured on India's popular show, The Kapil Sharma Show, during Diwali to promote the movie Thank God. Following that, she traveled to the Maldives to participate in Chanaacha 2022 and also appeared in an advertisement for Sampath Bank's WePay. On November 10, 2022, she celebrated reaching one million followers on her Instagram account, becoming the third Sri Lankan celebrity to achieve this milestone, alongside Piyumi Hansamali and Dinakshi Priyasad. In 2023, she contributed her vocals to the remake of the song "Jheda Nasha" for the Bollywood film An Action Hero, where Nora Fatehi showcased her dance alongside Indian actor Ayushmann Khurrana. Yohani continued to make waves in the Hindi music scene, releasing her third Hindi song and her first non-film Hindi song titled "Tu Samane Aaye," featuring Jubin Nautiyal. She also collaborated with popular Rajasthani singer Mame Khan and Jubin Nautiyal for the song "Chaudhary" in January 2023. In February 2023, she participated in Udit Narayan's grand musical concerts in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia, organized by Don & D Entertainment. Yohani held two more concerts in Kolkata and Raipur, India. In March 2023, she delighted her Sinhala-speaking fans with the song "Medusa," collaborating with the new singer Warunah. Excitingly, there are upcoming collaborations with Guru Randhawa and Shreya Ghoshal, promising more exceptional music from Yohani.
Yohani has also graced the music scene with an impressive array of non-film songs and film tracks. In 2020, she released captivating numbers like "Merry Christmas Baby," "Aaye," "Rawwath Dasin," "Sitha Dawuna," and "Cold Sunday." The following year, her mesmerizing voice enchanted listeners with "Haal Massa (Viyole Viyole)," and she delivered a sensational cover of "Manike Mage Hithe." She also presented heartfelt tracks like "Awidan Yanawa," "Ithin Adare," and "Moving On." In 2022, Yohani continued to impress with hits like "Rider Fighter," "Gajaman Nona," "So Sri Lanka," and "Tu Saamne Aaye." Taking her talent to the silver screen, she contributed to movie songs, including "Shiddat," "Po Po Po" from "The Legend," and the Hindi remake of her iconic song "Manike Mage Hithe" titled "Manike" from "Thank God." In 2023, she lent her voice to the film "An Action Hero" with the song "Jehda Nasha" and the Telugu film "Dhamaka" with "What's Happening" - Yohani Version.
Yohani, the talented singer-songwriter, boasts a remarkable net worth of $2 million. With an annual salary exceeding $0.1 million and a monthly income surpassing $10,000, she has rapidly accumulated her wealth. Despite her career being just four years old, she has already earned over four million dollars, a testament to her immense success in the music industry. Her main source of wealth is her music, and she enjoys a comfortable and decent lifestyle as a result of her hard work and dedication to her craft.
Yohani is currently unmarried and happily single, fully engrossed in her career and relishing her present life. There have been no reports or rumors of past affairs or relationships, indicating her dedication to her professional journey. Content with her single status, she identifies as straight in terms of her sexuality.
Yohani is an alluring singer-songwriter with a slim body build. She stands at the height of 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) and her body weight consists of 58 kg or 128 lbs. Her black hair, usually center-parted and neck-length, adds to her charm, but she's not afraid to experiment by dyeing it silver, purple, red, blue, or pink. Her dark brown eyes beautifully complement her affable smile and gleaming face, making her distinctive features even more captivating. She is very conscious about her food intake and she regularly does exercise to maintain her body.
Yohani's journey as a YouTuber marked the beginning of her successful career, catapulting her to fame with her mesmerizing cover of "Manike Mage Hithe." Her talents extended beyond YouTube as she showcased her singing in the 2021 Bollywood film "Shiddat." Gradually, she gained recognition on various platforms and earned the title "Rap Princess" of Sri Lanka, thanks to her rap cover of 'Deviyange Bare' and numerous singing and rapping covers. As a trailblazer, Yohani became the first Sri Lankan female singer to surpass 2.6 million subscribers on YouTube. Her astounding achievements continued with the "Manike Mage Hithe" cover video amassing a staggering 122 million views in May 2021.
In addition to her passion for music, Yohani has a keen interest in sports. She excelled in swimming and water polo during her time at Visakha Vidyalaya, where she earned recognition as a school colors holder. Founded in 1917 by Mrs. Jeremias Dias, Visakha Vidyalaya is a distinguished institution providing education for Buddhist girls in Sri Lanka, particularly significant at a time when such opportunities were limited. The school achieved Grade I status in 1947, making it the first national girls' school in the country. Comprising both primary and secondary sections, the school offers classes from Grades 1 to 13 and boasts around 4500 students and a qualified academic staff of 215.
Yohani's father, Major General Prasanna de Silva, was a distinguished senior army officer in Sri Lanka. Due to his military position, Yohani and her younger sister had a unique upbringing, residing in various locations such as Colombo District, and different bases in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. Despite the challenging circumstances during the 30-year civil war in Sri Lanka, Yohani's father was at the forefront, serving as the General Officer Commanding, 56 Division, and the Commander of the Special Forces Brigade. He also held the prestigious position of Colonel of the Regiment of the Commando Regiment. Joining the Sri Lanka Army in 1982 during the early phase of Eelam War I, Brigadier Silva carried out remarkable feats, including coordinating Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol and undertaking complex and perilous military operations while serving as a Lieutenant Colonel.
During her young age, Yohani was exposed to a diverse range of music artists, which greatly influenced her musical tastes. Growing up, her parents, who were ardent fans of artists like Bee Gees, Spice Girls, Engelbert Humperdinck, and Elton John, surrounded her with a love for music. As she traveled and experienced new places, her musical influences expanded to include Avenged Sevenfold, Breaking Benjamin, 3 Doors Down, Bullet for My Valentine, Panic! At the Disco, and System of a Down, thanks to her peers and school exposure. In her late teenage years and early adulthood, her musical preferences were shaped by artists such as Portishead, Zero 7, Eminem, Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Alicia Keys. These diverse influences have played a significant role in shaping Yohani's musical style and creativity.
Yohani's academic journey led her to attain a master's degree in accounting from CQUniversity Australia, reflecting her dedication and commitment to her education. Before embarking on her music career as an artist, she furthered her knowledge in Logistics Management and Professional Accounting at the General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University. Her time in the United Kingdom after school provided valuable experiences that expanded her worldview and deepened her passion for music. With a well-rounded educational background, Yohani embarked on her artistic path, making a mark in the music industry with her remarkable talent and dedication.