It was attended by H.E. President Mahinda Rajapaksha among many other VIPs, was televised live on national TV channel Rupavahini and beamed to 150 other countries.

The hugely popular TV show whittled down an original 500 hopefuls, picked from 20,000 applicants, to the 5 top musically talented individuals in the Sri Lankan armed forces, who battled it out onstage for the coveted title.

RRS - organised by the Ministry of Defence - had a specific resonance as it offered the nation a chance to publically honour some of its Ranaviru (war heroes) who helped end the bitter and destructive 30 year conflict with separatist LTTE forces in May 2009.

Lighting for the finale event was designed by Mohamed Hussain and Mohamed Maznavi  of Colombo based rental company, MOS Sound & Light (PVT) Ltd, and it was they who specified the Robe fixtures.

They explained that any service provider in the country able to offer premium European brands stands a greater chance of winning high profile tenders, and that's one of the reasons that initiated their first investments into Robe. When they submitted their documentation for the tender to light the shows and the final, they stipulated that they would use a Robe only moving light rig.... and won the contract!

"Robe products were specified for their quality, reputation and the prestige they can bring to an event," qualifies Hussain.

The fixture list included 64 x ROBIN 600 LEDWashes, 32 x ROBIN 600E Spots 12 x ROBIN 600E Beams, 12 x ROBIN 300E Beams, 32 x ColorSpot 575E ATs and 12 ColorWash 575E ATs. They also used 6 Robe haze machines to boost an already excellent atmosphere full of excitement and anticipation.

The fixtures were rigged on two 15 and 12 metre diameter circular trusses and a collection of straight trusses of various sizes, all above the stage.

They were used for all the basic lighting tasks like washing the stage for camera and live audience, key lighting, special effects, beam work and for colouring and texturing the backdrop, set and stage floor. "We had a totally dynamic lighting rig which enabled us to cover a very wide range of different performances and styles," enthuses Maznavi.

Apart from that, they were able to show off both their creative ideas and the capabilities of the lighting rig to the President of Sri Lanka - an opportunity that does not occur every day!

Apart from the fixtures themselves, they also were extremely impressed with the "outstanding" after sales service and technical support from Robe, who ensured that all the new fixtures arrived in time to be used on the show. "Robe offered us some great deals and real solutions that enabled us to make a massive investment," says Hussain, adding that in terms of exposure and future business opportunities, events don't come much better than this!

The LEDWash 600 is a completely new concept in the territory and MOS is currently the only company to have them. "The most striking features are the intensity, the smooth colour mixing and the 15 - 60 degree zoom," says Hussain, mentioning that the light weight, portability and excellent build quality are also bug plus points. So are the general energy saving properties of LED sources, which will be a great asset in situations where power can be an issue.

MOS Sound & Light has been investing in Robe for some time as they had the foresight to spend money on a well engineered and internationally renowned brand. "Reliability is an absolute key to success," states Maznavi.

Other recent high profile events for which Robe has been used include the IIFA (Indian International Film Academy) Awards. "Time and again we will win projects because of our commitment to supplying Robe as an excellent and well respected product. We feel we have started a trend in the local market now for providing a truly intentional standard of lighting for major projects," concludes Hussain.