Sri Lankan traditional music falls from four major influebces. Ancient folk rituals, European colonization, Buddhist religious traditioons and histrorical influences. According to the Sri Lankan histry Portuguese were the first Europeans who step to this country. They came around 15th century. They brought with them traditional cantiga ballads, ukuleles and guitars, as well as conscripted Africans (referred to, historically, as kaffrinhas), who spread their own style of music known as baila.
The influence of both European and African traditions served to further diversify the musical roots of contemporary Sri Lankan music. Caste-based folk poems (kavi) originated as communal song shared within individual groups as they engaged in daily work. Today, they remain a popular form of cultural expression. Kavi was also sung to accompany annual rituals. These ancient rites are rarely performed in contemporary Sri Lanka, but the preserved songs are still performed by folk musicians.