Sooriya Blog

I first saw him on television. I didn't really know him at the time. That was a time when knowing a person meant appreciating everything and anything he stood for. Sanath Gunathilake, however, impressed me. He impressed me while depicting a character I thought no film could ever do justice to. Why? It was Gunathilake, more than any other actor, who really taught me that while a character in one art medium can't be transposed to another, there is still [...]

I first saw him on television. I didn't really know him at the time. That was a time when knowing a person meant appreciating everything and anything he stood for. Sanath Gunathilake, however, impressed me. He impressed me while depicting a character I thought no film could ever do justice to. Why? It was Gunathilake, more than any other actor, who really taught me that while a character in one art medium can't be transposed to another, there is still [...]

(A tribute to Titus Thotawatte) When Steve Jobs of Apple died a few weeks ago there was an over-pouring of grief.  The newspapers were full of the man, his work, his vision and his humanity.  A young friend of mine was perturbed by the fact that Sri Lanka had, going by the amount of coverage, lamented the passing of this man but seemed to have been less upset by the death around the same time of veteran actor Joe Abeywickrema.  [...]

(A tribute to Titus Thotawatte) When Steve Jobs of Apple died a few weeks ago there was an over-pouring of grief.  The newspapers were full of the man, his work, his vision and his humanity.  A young friend of mine was perturbed by the fact that Sri Lanka had, going by the amount of coverage, lamented the passing of this man but seemed to have been less upset by the death around the same time of veteran actor Joe Abeywickrema.  [...]

He was certainly one of the very best Singer/ Songwriters that Sri Lanka was proud to call their own. Clarence Wijewardena wrote many songs, most of them, at the request of friends who, in turn, had friends wishing to record a “Clarence-song”. This writer was already in Australia, when Clarence wrote a song entitled “Dilhani”, dedicated to the baby-  daughter of yet another friend, no doubt. It wasn’t known to many folk that Clarence wrote his song-lyrics in a simple [...]

He was certainly one of the very best Singer/ Songwriters that Sri Lanka was proud to call their own. Clarence Wijewardena wrote many songs, most of them, at the request of friends who, in turn, had friends wishing to record a “Clarence-song”. This writer was already in Australia, when Clarence wrote a song entitled “Dilhani”, dedicated to the baby-  daughter of yet another friend, no doubt. It wasn’t known to many folk that Clarence wrote his song-lyrics in a simple [...]

He wasn’t large in stature, but he would stand there in the centre of his musical group known as the “La Ceylonians”, over-large straw hat on his head, simple open-necked shirt, with the inevitable sarong, generally worn by most Sri Lankans and barefoot, clutching either an acoustic guitar or a banjo-mandolin and singing songs, many of which he wrote himself. Noel Ranasinghe was his name, and he came into prominence in the early 60s. I did read a couple of [...]

He wasn’t large in stature, but he would stand there in the centre of his musical group known as the “La Ceylonians”, over-large straw hat on his head, simple open-necked shirt, with the inevitable sarong, generally worn by most Sri Lankans and barefoot, clutching either an acoustic guitar or a banjo-mandolin and singing songs, many of which he wrote himself. Noel Ranasinghe was his name, and he came into prominence in the early 60s. I did read a couple of [...]

Some days are special. They celebrate life. They record milestones. They ensure that we do not forget. Not all are special and not all record history, but they tend to be special nevertheless. Sure, we sometimes forget why, but just for once, if we can concentrate on the particularities of a date, we will find that there are more reasons than one why a day, or a set of days for that matter, ought to be celebrated. Especially in Sri [...]

Some days are special. They celebrate life. They record milestones. They ensure that we do not forget. Not all are special and not all record history, but they tend to be special nevertheless. Sure, we sometimes forget why, but just for once, if we can concentrate on the particularities of a date, we will find that there are more reasons than one why a day, or a set of days for that matter, ought to be celebrated. Especially in Sri [...]

Music is, at least after the cinema, the most collaborative of all art-forms. Songs in particular require collaboration, to the extent that authorship is impossible to ascribe. On the other hand, however, this does not and will not deny the individual artiste a personal signature. Talent can’t be collectivised, this much we should know. That is why there are names associated with music and that is why some forms of music, to a considerable extent at least, are gauged on [...]

Music is, at least after the cinema, the most collaborative of all art-forms. Songs in particular require collaboration, to the extent that authorship is impossible to ascribe. On the other hand, however, this does not and will not deny the individual artiste a personal signature. Talent can’t be collectivised, this much we should know. That is why there are names associated with music and that is why some forms of music, to a considerable extent at least, are gauged on [...]

The seventies and eighties clearly were tumultuous decades for our cinema. Most commentators, in their rush to inject political relevance to our cultural history, tend to see in them the flowering of a political cinema. True. That does not, however, belittle the other precedents, landmarks, and revolutions which our directors, actors, and scriptwriters wrought. It was in the seventies, for instance, that H. D. Premaratne emerged, and it was in the eighties that, thanks in part to liberalised social and [...]

The seventies and eighties clearly were tumultuous decades for our cinema. Most commentators, in their rush to inject political relevance to our cultural history, tend to see in them the flowering of a political cinema. True. That does not, however, belittle the other precedents, landmarks, and revolutions which our directors, actors, and scriptwriters wrought. It was in the seventies, for instance, that H. D. Premaratne emerged, and it was in the eighties that, thanks in part to liberalised social and [...]

Not too many years ago, before I found a job, I was involved with tracking down, calling, and interviewing veterans from various cultural fields who had contributed something substantive to Sri Lanka. I would summarise their lives and work and try to fit those into the (horrendously meagre) space of a 1,500 or 2,500 word article (which would sometimes be in two parts). It was a challenge I had to meet and a challenge I grew to like. So I [...]

Not too many years ago, before I found a job, I was involved with tracking down, calling, and interviewing veterans from various cultural fields who had contributed something substantive to Sri Lanka. I would summarise their lives and work and try to fit those into the (horrendously meagre) space of a 1,500 or 2,500 word article (which would sometimes be in two parts). It was a challenge I had to meet and a challenge I grew to like. So I [...]

From 1969, which saw Sugathapala Senarath Yapa’s Hanthane Kathawa, to 1989, which saw Vasantha Obeyesekere’s Kadapathaka Chaya, Vijaya Kumaratunga, the greatest matinee idol to ever grace the screen in this country, averaged about five movies a year. In both these films, undervalued for their time, reassessed more favourably today, he was cast opposite that other great actor, Swarna Mallawarachchi, and yet no two roles could have been more different: in Hanthane Kathawa he was the lover, the swashbuckling epitome of [...]

From 1969, which saw Sugathapala Senarath Yapa’s Hanthane Kathawa, to 1989, which saw Vasantha Obeyesekere’s Kadapathaka Chaya, Vijaya Kumaratunga, the greatest matinee idol to ever grace the screen in this country, averaged about five movies a year. In both these films, undervalued for their time, reassessed more favourably today, he was cast opposite that other great actor, Swarna Mallawarachchi, and yet no two roles could have been more different: in Hanthane Kathawa he was the lover, the swashbuckling epitome of [...]

“It must be seen today, by the young of today,” Ranjith Rubasinghe told me over lunch. He was talking about Sagara Jalaya, Sumitra Peries’s fifth film, which I think is one of the three or four most perfectly constructed films ever made here, and which I believe is Sumitra’s masterpiece. Those who watch it today are often overwhelmed by the intermingling of opposites in it – of beauty and pathos, of love and hate, of reconciliation and vengefulness – which [...]

“It must be seen today, by the young of today,” Ranjith Rubasinghe told me over lunch. He was talking about Sagara Jalaya, Sumitra Peries’s fifth film, which I think is one of the three or four most perfectly constructed films ever made here, and which I believe is Sumitra’s masterpiece. Those who watch it today are often overwhelmed by the intermingling of opposites in it – of beauty and pathos, of love and hate, of reconciliation and vengefulness – which [...]

In Ananda Abeynayake’s Kande Gedara (scripted by Somaweera Senanayake) there is a servant to the two protagonists who is casually referred to as “Kalagune” (for what reason, we are never told). The protagonists, an ageing couple (the father, played by Rohana Baddage, is placid and friendly, tolerant of everyone, including his wife, played by Ramya Wanigasekara, who’s more hostile and grasping, more careful with the family fortunes), have three indulgent children, one of whom has a conniving father-in-law who, acting [...]

In Ananda Abeynayake’s Kande Gedara (scripted by Somaweera Senanayake) there is a servant to the two protagonists who is casually referred to as “Kalagune” (for what reason, we are never told). The protagonists, an ageing couple (the father, played by Rohana Baddage, is placid and friendly, tolerant of everyone, including his wife, played by Ramya Wanigasekara, who’s more hostile and grasping, more careful with the family fortunes), have three indulgent children, one of whom has a conniving father-in-law who, acting [...]

In Ran Diya Dahara Udayakantha Warnasuriya alludes to his advertising career: he gets a graphic designer to crop Geetha Kumarasinghe on a photo of Kamal Addaraarachchi and to make it appear as though the two of them were secretly married. Kamal, a crippled soldier, can’t talk, and in the first few sequences of these two together he is as confused as we are. His parents, played by Anula Karunatilake and Henry Jayasinghe (in a rare outing, since neither of them [...]

In Ran Diya Dahara Udayakantha Warnasuriya alludes to his advertising career: he gets a graphic designer to crop Geetha Kumarasinghe on a photo of Kamal Addaraarachchi and to make it appear as though the two of them were secretly married. Kamal, a crippled soldier, can’t talk, and in the first few sequences of these two together he is as confused as we are. His parents, played by Anula Karunatilake and Henry Jayasinghe (in a rare outing, since neither of them [...]

I first heard of Sanath Nandasiri through Sunil Sarath Perera. Much of the work that brought them together – including “Mage Ratata Dalada Himi Saranayi” and “Sanda Kaluwara” – were buttressed by a poignant attitude to the world outside, which appealed to me. These were discernibly different to, say, a song like “Premathura Hangum” (Ajantha Ranasinghe). The man’s voice stood out, yes, but I felt that with each lyricist, he adapted. The same went for his work with H. M. [...]

I first heard of Sanath Nandasiri through Sunil Sarath Perera. Much of the work that brought them together – including “Mage Ratata Dalada Himi Saranayi” and “Sanda Kaluwara” – were buttressed by a poignant attitude to the world outside, which appealed to me. These were discernibly different to, say, a song like “Premathura Hangum” (Ajantha Ranasinghe). The man’s voice stood out, yes, but I felt that with each lyricist, he adapted. The same went for his work with H. M. [...]

Jayantha Chandrasiri likes to talk, I have always noticed. And how. He can explain and rationalise something that appears to be so portentous and heavy that once he stops talking you are left telling yourself, "Damn, why didn't I think of that before?" At times, though, he can get mysterious, offering explanations for something none of which make sense or hold the key to the truth. This latter personality comes up when his films are concerned. That's natural, and to [...]

Jayantha Chandrasiri likes to talk, I have always noticed. And how. He can explain and rationalise something that appears to be so portentous and heavy that once he stops talking you are left telling yourself, "Damn, why didn't I think of that before?" At times, though, he can get mysterious, offering explanations for something none of which make sense or hold the key to the truth. This latter personality comes up when his films are concerned. That's natural, and to [...]

Keli Madala, D. B. Nihalsinghe’s fourth film, was arguably also his weakest. It teeters between anger and hope, between idealism and cynicism, rather unstably, and it concentrates that conflict of opposites within the terse, tragic love story between the politician and his teenage paramour. The two most memorable sequences depict the shift from reconciliation to malice in that story: the first of them has them meet, for the last time, by a river, declaring their affections for each other no [...]

Keli Madala, D. B. Nihalsinghe’s fourth film, was arguably also his weakest. It teeters between anger and hope, between idealism and cynicism, rather unstably, and it concentrates that conflict of opposites within the terse, tragic love story between the politician and his teenage paramour. The two most memorable sequences depict the shift from reconciliation to malice in that story: the first of them has them meet, for the last time, by a river, declaring their affections for each other no [...]

When you see Geetha Kumarasinghe dancing away, her own way, dazzling us, you wonder whether this could be the same performer whose father, an editor of a conservative Sinhala Buddhist magazine, prohibited her and her siblings from going to the theatre. Then you realise that Geetha’s career, in the movies and also, to a considerable extent, in politics, has been built on a contrapuntal, at times contradictory mixture of daringness and prudishness. She formed part of our wildest fantasies, got [...]

When you see Geetha Kumarasinghe dancing away, her own way, dazzling us, you wonder whether this could be the same performer whose father, an editor of a conservative Sinhala Buddhist magazine, prohibited her and her siblings from going to the theatre. Then you realise that Geetha’s career, in the movies and also, to a considerable extent, in politics, has been built on a contrapuntal, at times contradictory mixture of daringness and prudishness. She formed part of our wildest fantasies, got [...]

There’s a sweet, almost naive sense of innocence in the early performances of Vasanthi Chathurani. It’s a new sensibility, to me, since a very few actors here, male or female, have been as able as she has been to project a form of purity that is at once enticing and delicate. Most of our actors are content in entrancing us and forming part of our wildest fantasies. Vasanthi doesn’t get us to think of her like this. More often than [...]

There’s a sweet, almost naive sense of innocence in the early performances of Vasanthi Chathurani. It’s a new sensibility, to me, since a very few actors here, male or female, have been as able as she has been to project a form of purity that is at once enticing and delicate. Most of our actors are content in entrancing us and forming part of our wildest fantasies. Vasanthi doesn’t get us to think of her like this. More often than [...]

Sena, the protagonist of Madawala S. Ratnayake’s Akkara Paha, embodies for me the failure of the post-1956 youth to realise their social aspirations. Lester James Peries selected Milton Jayawardena, then an unknown player, for the role in his adaptation, while days after his choice was finalised he was visited by Vijaya Kumaratunga. I think it was a blessing, for both Milton and Vijaya, that the former got the character and the latter did not, because Vijaya would have been too [...]

Sena, the protagonist of Madawala S. Ratnayake’s Akkara Paha, embodies for me the failure of the post-1956 youth to realise their social aspirations. Lester James Peries selected Milton Jayawardena, then an unknown player, for the role in his adaptation, while days after his choice was finalised he was visited by Vijaya Kumaratunga. I think it was a blessing, for both Milton and Vijaya, that the former got the character and the latter did not, because Vijaya would have been too [...]

I first encountered T. M. Jayaratne through the films of K. A. W. Perera. I never bothered to check out his other work because, for me, he was at his best when he was crooning about love, be it young, requited, spurned, or revived. The themes these movies evoked, I felt, were most sincerely articulated by his voice. It wasn’t until much later that I realised that he had forayed into other productions, that he led other lives, and that [...]

I first encountered T. M. Jayaratne through the films of K. A. W. Perera. I never bothered to check out his other work because, for me, he was at his best when he was crooning about love, be it young, requited, spurned, or revived. The themes these movies evoked, I felt, were most sincerely articulated by his voice. It wasn’t until much later that I realised that he had forayed into other productions, that he led other lives, and that [...]

A tribute to Vijaya Nandasiri, who left us but not our consciousness a year ago. Vijaya Nandasiri was greater than his successors in Sinhala comedy the same way that Joe Abeywickrema was greater than his predecessors. The latter was the apotheosis of Eddie Jayamanne. He was of course greater than Eddie could be, since Eddie’s roots were in the theatre, never really on film. Vijaya, on the other hand, was the grand culmination of everything that Joe stood for, with [...]

A tribute to Vijaya Nandasiri, who left us but not our consciousness a year ago. Vijaya Nandasiri was greater than his successors in Sinhala comedy the same way that Joe Abeywickrema was greater than his predecessors. The latter was the apotheosis of Eddie Jayamanne. He was of course greater than Eddie could be, since Eddie’s roots were in the theatre, never really on film. Vijaya, on the other hand, was the grand culmination of everything that Joe stood for, with [...]

She is known for her acting, particularly during a time when film as is known here and today was at its peak. She has her associations, her acquaintances, those she met and befriended on and off the set. To limit her to cinema however would be doing her an injustice, something she implies early on in the interview. Yes, you saw her paired in film after film with some of the "top stars" of our cinema. Yes, they all won [...]

She is known for her acting, particularly during a time when film as is known here and today was at its peak. She has her associations, her acquaintances, those she met and befriended on and off the set. To limit her to cinema however would be doing her an injustice, something she implies early on in the interview. Yes, you saw her paired in film after film with some of the "top stars" of our cinema. Yes, they all won [...]

She has acted in over 40 films. Her signature is evident in them all, to the extent that we sense her presence even before she enters a scene or sequence. That's class. That's Sangeetha Weeraratne. Yes, she was part of my growing up, figuring in those movies and TV shows I saw. But there is something in her I can't forget or fathom. Something to do with her style of acting, which is at once vibrant and reserved. That's a [...]

She has acted in over 40 films. Her signature is evident in them all, to the extent that we sense her presence even before she enters a scene or sequence. That's class. That's Sangeetha Weeraratne. Yes, she was part of my growing up, figuring in those movies and TV shows I saw. But there is something in her I can't forget or fathom. Something to do with her style of acting, which is at once vibrant and reserved. That's a [...]

I remember a conversation I had with a budding playwright. This person, a friend of mine and fully conversant in English, was a fanatic when it came to the English theatre here. He followed play after play with interest. His reviews of them were spot on, for the obvious reason that he himself had acted in some of them and hence knew the workings of a “good” play. We were not talking about the English theatre that day. I admit [...]

I remember a conversation I had with a budding playwright. This person, a friend of mine and fully conversant in English, was a fanatic when it came to the English theatre here. He followed play after play with interest. His reviews of them were spot on, for the obvious reason that he himself had acted in some of them and hence knew the workings of a “good” play. We were not talking about the English theatre that day. I admit [...]

There’s a sequence of overpowering lyrical rawness in Welikathara where the protagonist and his wife fight over each other’s pasts; it transforms the plot from a terse, Cape Fear-esque thriller to something pulpier, taking us back to the whodunit potboilers of the forties and the fifties. That sequence was only partly there in the restored version, shown about two months ago to a indifferent audiences at the Regal in Colombo, because the first few scenes in it had (for some [...]

There’s a sequence of overpowering lyrical rawness in Welikathara where the protagonist and his wife fight over each other’s pasts; it transforms the plot from a terse, Cape Fear-esque thriller to something pulpier, taking us back to the whodunit potboilers of the forties and the fifties. That sequence was only partly there in the restored version, shown about two months ago to a indifferent audiences at the Regal in Colombo, because the first few scenes in it had (for some [...]

Shakespeare is universal. Indeed, he may have been the world’s first truly universal artist. That’s hardly a contestable fact. But transposing him to another setting, and in the process spilling half his essence in the dust, is formidable. It cannot be done. Lesser men have given up. Nonetheless, from among those who tried and tested this incomparable writer in their native background, there were those who succeeded. They were rare. This week we mourned the passing away of one of [...]

Shakespeare is universal. Indeed, he may have been the world’s first truly universal artist. That’s hardly a contestable fact. But transposing him to another setting, and in the process spilling half his essence in the dust, is formidable. It cannot be done. Lesser men have given up. Nonetheless, from among those who tried and tested this incomparable writer in their native background, there were those who succeeded. They were rare. This week we mourned the passing away of one of [...]

The line between emotional authenticity and contrived melodrama has been so thin that even our best actors can’t resist crossing it. If it’s surprising to come across Ranjan Ramanayake in as atypical a performance as the youngest son in Awaragira, or the father to the Gautama Buddha in Siddhartha Gautama, it’s not because we doubt their ability in both the commercial and the serious cinema, but because he (and others like him) have not been given a proper outlet to [...]

The line between emotional authenticity and contrived melodrama has been so thin that even our best actors can’t resist crossing it. If it’s surprising to come across Ranjan Ramanayake in as atypical a performance as the youngest son in Awaragira, or the father to the Gautama Buddha in Siddhartha Gautama, it’s not because we doubt their ability in both the commercial and the serious cinema, but because he (and others like him) have not been given a proper outlet to [...]

Before she and her husband left for and settled down in Canada, before she cut short what was considered to be a promising film career, only to return to it almost 20 years later, Nita Fernando exuded and exemplified a freewheeling, idealistic, innocent girlishness that no other actress here could really match. You see this girlishness, and the naïveté of idealism, crop up in her two best performances from her first phase: in K. A. W. Perera’s Wasana (one of [...]

Before she and her husband left for and settled down in Canada, before she cut short what was considered to be a promising film career, only to return to it almost 20 years later, Nita Fernando exuded and exemplified a freewheeling, idealistic, innocent girlishness that no other actress here could really match. You see this girlishness, and the naïveté of idealism, crop up in her two best performances from her first phase: in K. A. W. Perera’s Wasana (one of [...]

Berty Gunathilake turned 92 last week. Berty, those who listened to Radio Ceylon and those fortunate enough to watch television when it first came to Sri Lanka, was one of three humorists who made us laugh without contorting or inverting our sense of humour, the other two being Samuel Rodrigo and Annesley Dias. They helped us imagine what they talked about and what they joked about so much that when they exited the wireless and entered television, they made that [...]

Berty Gunathilake turned 92 last week. Berty, those who listened to Radio Ceylon and those fortunate enough to watch television when it first came to Sri Lanka, was one of three humorists who made us laugh without contorting or inverting our sense of humour, the other two being Samuel Rodrigo and Annesley Dias. They helped us imagine what they talked about and what they joked about so much that when they exited the wireless and entered television, they made that [...]

Artistes have their views. They voice them from time to time. True, they come out less regularly than we’d want them to, but when they do they’re frank enough to call a spade a spade. The more humble among them, I believe, manage to concede their own inadequacies when indulging in this. Few do, yes, but mercifully they aren’t a minority. Being the veterans they are, they’ve traversed enough to realise that for all the shifts in time and aesthetic [...]

Artistes have their views. They voice them from time to time. True, they come out less regularly than we’d want them to, but when they do they’re frank enough to call a spade a spade. The more humble among them, I believe, manage to concede their own inadequacies when indulging in this. Few do, yes, but mercifully they aren’t a minority. Being the veterans they are, they’ve traversed enough to realise that for all the shifts in time and aesthetic [...]

Premakeerthi de Alwis was murdered on July 31, 1989. His assailants were more or less ordinary people, like you or me, fixated on their ideology so much that they disregarded everything which made their victim the man he was. His crime? Announcing at a Gam Udawa concert, the flagship project of a government those who sponsored the murder were hell-bent against. A strange cause for killing someone, but then again politics tends to do strange things to people, turning the [...]

Premakeerthi de Alwis was murdered on July 31, 1989. His assailants were more or less ordinary people, like you or me, fixated on their ideology so much that they disregarded everything which made their victim the man he was. His crime? Announcing at a Gam Udawa concert, the flagship project of a government those who sponsored the murder were hell-bent against. A strange cause for killing someone, but then again politics tends to do strange things to people, turning the [...]

“Cinema is, in the final analysis, cinema”. Those words were written by Akira Kurosawa. How true they still sound today. Cinema, the most infantile of all the arts, is decidedly the most vibrant as well. Its 100-plus years of evolution have equaled the entire histories of literature and music. Does this mean that the other arts can never come into the realm of cinema? By no means. But it also cannot be denied that the film medium, in its most essential form, must [...]

“Cinema is, in the final analysis, cinema”. Those words were written by Akira Kurosawa. How true they still sound today. Cinema, the most infantile of all the arts, is decidedly the most vibrant as well. Its 100-plus years of evolution have equaled the entire histories of literature and music. Does this mean that the other arts can never come into the realm of cinema? By no means. But it also cannot be denied that the film medium, in its most essential form, must [...]

In Ajantha Ranasinghe’s lyrics there is a coming together of the literary and the romantic. This is nothing new, nor was it something Ranasinghe wrought; the truth is that he belonged to a tradition that bred Mahagama Sekera and Premakeerthi de Alwis, Kularatne Ariyawansha, Sunil Ariyaratne, and Rathna Sri Wijesinghe. If there is a quality of freshness in the work of these men it’s not because they were radically experimenting with, or rebelling against, the accepted conventions of their day, [...]

In Ajantha Ranasinghe’s lyrics there is a coming together of the literary and the romantic. This is nothing new, nor was it something Ranasinghe wrought; the truth is that he belonged to a tradition that bred Mahagama Sekera and Premakeerthi de Alwis, Kularatne Ariyawansha, Sunil Ariyaratne, and Rathna Sri Wijesinghe. If there is a quality of freshness in the work of these men it’s not because they were radically experimenting with, or rebelling against, the accepted conventions of their day, [...]

Needs no other introduction except to say that he was born in Sri Lanka and made his mark as an actor in Britain. Ranjeet Singh achieved something that few other Asian Actors even residing in England, would have attempted, leave alone achieved. A man of many parts, he will always be remembered as someone who was a natural born Comedian who made millions of people laugh out loud, and this is his story. Albert Moses was born on December 19, [...]

Needs no other introduction except to say that he was born in Sri Lanka and made his mark as an actor in Britain. Ranjeet Singh achieved something that few other Asian Actors even residing in England, would have attempted, leave alone achieved. A man of many parts, he will always be remembered as someone who was a natural born Comedian who made millions of people laugh out loud, and this is his story. Albert Moses was born on December 19, [...]

Michelle Dilhara is something of an enigma. For the most. By her own confession she is still learning her craft, which means she is still a student in that perplexing, disillusioning field called television, but what she’s learnt so far has given her enough confidence to pause, take stock of what was, and prepare herself for bigger and better roles, scripts, directors, and shows. I met her several months back, promising that I’d write on her within a couple of [...]

Michelle Dilhara is something of an enigma. For the most. By her own confession she is still learning her craft, which means she is still a student in that perplexing, disillusioning field called television, but what she’s learnt so far has given her enough confidence to pause, take stock of what was, and prepare herself for bigger and better roles, scripts, directors, and shows. I met her several months back, promising that I’d write on her within a couple of [...]

The fifth in a series of sketches of the films of Lester James Peries. Critics are so obsessed over separating the good from the bad, the merited and the prized from the spurned and the forgotten, in an artist’s career that they forget that what made the latter possible was the lesser aspects of the former. No one can deny that the later Hitchcock was bad (very few would contend otherwise), but no one can seriously deny that the Master [...]

The fifth in a series of sketches of the films of Lester James Peries. Critics are so obsessed over separating the good from the bad, the merited and the prized from the spurned and the forgotten, in an artist’s career that they forget that what made the latter possible was the lesser aspects of the former. No one can deny that the later Hitchcock was bad (very few would contend otherwise), but no one can seriously deny that the Master [...]

The Sinhala cinema, before its maturing in the seventies, underwent a paradigm shift in the sixties. Unlike much of the West, we didn’t have the kind of infrastructure that was needed for the cinema to claim “film stars” as such: whatever screen face that emerged came from the theatre. Regardless of what the critics may have thought, our films therefore owe as much to the West as they do to our hybridised, stylised theatre. It is this relationship between two [...]

The Sinhala cinema, before its maturing in the seventies, underwent a paradigm shift in the sixties. Unlike much of the West, we didn’t have the kind of infrastructure that was needed for the cinema to claim “film stars” as such: whatever screen face that emerged came from the theatre. Regardless of what the critics may have thought, our films therefore owe as much to the West as they do to our hybridised, stylised theatre. It is this relationship between two [...]

What a beautiful title, especially for this songbird of Ceylon, Rukmani Devi, born Daisy Rasammah Daniels, a proud combination of Tamil(Rasammah), Daniels(Burgher), & the Colombo-Chetty Christian tradition, on the 15th of January, 1923, in the Central Province Village of Ramboda, Nuwara Eliya. She was the second child in a family of six, loved music and singing from a very early age, spending most of her time standing by the family gramaphone and singing along with the songs that emanated from [...]

What a beautiful title, especially for this songbird of Ceylon, Rukmani Devi, born Daisy Rasammah Daniels, a proud combination of Tamil(Rasammah), Daniels(Burgher), & the Colombo-Chetty Christian tradition, on the 15th of January, 1923, in the Central Province Village of Ramboda, Nuwara Eliya. She was the second child in a family of six, loved music and singing from a very early age, spending most of her time standing by the family gramaphone and singing along with the songs that emanated from [...]

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." - Plato Where does the wind start, where does the wind end?  A little girl asked me and herself this question some years ago.  We don’t know but that doesn’t stop us from imagining origins.  It’s less unclear with music.  Music comes to most of us almost as soon as we are born.  Even mothers (and sometimes fathers) who cannot sing to save their souls find voice [...]

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything." - Plato Where does the wind start, where does the wind end?  A little girl asked me and herself this question some years ago.  We don’t know but that doesn’t stop us from imagining origins.  It’s less unclear with music.  Music comes to most of us almost as soon as we are born.  Even mothers (and sometimes fathers) who cannot sing to save their souls find voice [...]

This “group”, members of whom just celebrated 50 years of “Music-Making”, takes first place in my line-up of Sri Lankan bands to be featured on eLanka. My good friend, Jude Goonawardane, in London, has already “featured” dozens of Sons & Daughters of Lanka on his “you-tube” channel, including myself and, on behalf of all of us, I would like to say a huge “thank-you” to him. People like Jude do not have to do any of this. The problem is, [...]

This “group”, members of whom just celebrated 50 years of “Music-Making”, takes first place in my line-up of Sri Lankan bands to be featured on eLanka. My good friend, Jude Goonawardane, in London, has already “featured” dozens of Sons & Daughters of Lanka on his “you-tube” channel, including myself and, on behalf of all of us, I would like to say a huge “thank-you” to him. People like Jude do not have to do any of this. The problem is, [...]

Cock-a-doodle do, I’m up at half-past two La Bambas’ have been singing it I’m “writing” it for you Our Lankan “group” on “Sooriya” A most popular song The Chinese rooster’s “year” my friends Why don’t we sing along? Yes, Trump is busy starting, the biggest friggin wall Since China built her own, my friends Sooo big & long & tall Also, he’ll soon be “vetting”to keep the “useless” out Exactly what we should be doing In “Oz”, without a doubt. [...]

Cock-a-doodle do, I’m up at half-past two La Bambas’ have been singing it I’m “writing” it for you Our Lankan “group” on “Sooriya” A most popular song The Chinese rooster’s “year” my friends Why don’t we sing along? Yes, Trump is busy starting, the biggest friggin wall Since China built her own, my friends Sooo big & long & tall Also, he’ll soon be “vetting”to keep the “useless” out Exactly what we should be doing In “Oz”, without a doubt. [...]

The year that has just passed us by, (thankfully), has not been a very good one. In fact it has been far worse in Australia (to begin with), than many other Countries, and 2019 has ended up with Severe Drought, leading on-to major bush-fire tragedies, which has not only decimated large areas in several States, but very sadly caused the deaths of 7 persons, even as I write this, plus many millions of fauna of our Island Continent, some of [...]

The year that has just passed us by, (thankfully), has not been a very good one. In fact it has been far worse in Australia (to begin with), than many other Countries, and 2019 has ended up with Severe Drought, leading on-to major bush-fire tragedies, which has not only decimated large areas in several States, but very sadly caused the deaths of 7 persons, even as I write this, plus many millions of fauna of our Island Continent, some of [...]

Sometimes, a video comes to me, with content that I would love to share around, with as many people as possible, the reason being that I think it could bring a little happiness into what is a chaotic World, at the moment. “Baila”, or to be more precise, Party Music of Lanka, has been a favourite style of entertainment for thousands of people since the Portuguese introduced it into our homeland eons ago.  Walter Bastiensz, a former Police Constable of [...]

Sometimes, a video comes to me, with content that I would love to share around, with as many people as possible, the reason being that I think it could bring a little happiness into what is a chaotic World, at the moment. “Baila”, or to be more precise, Party Music of Lanka, has been a favourite style of entertainment for thousands of people since the Portuguese introduced it into our homeland eons ago.  Walter Bastiensz, a former Police Constable of [...]

A few days ago I saw a poster announcing a concert.  The title was familiar: 'Piya satahan'.  It was the title of one of Gunadasa Kapuge's songs.  Indeed it was the title song of that album.  It meant 'Footprints'. 'Piya' of course refers to 'father'.  A slight word twist and appropriate too, for it was a son's tribute to a father.  Gunadasa Kapuge died, tragically, in April 2003.  The poster brought back memories.  I remember that day very well.  I [...]

A few days ago I saw a poster announcing a concert.  The title was familiar: 'Piya satahan'.  It was the title of one of Gunadasa Kapuge's songs.  Indeed it was the title song of that album.  It meant 'Footprints'. 'Piya' of course refers to 'father'.  A slight word twist and appropriate too, for it was a son's tribute to a father.  Gunadasa Kapuge died, tragically, in April 2003.  The poster brought back memories.  I remember that day very well.  I [...]

Reality shows are the rage these days.  If all the stars of these reality shows actually shed light, we would not worry about the vagaries of the weather or fluctuations in the oil price.  Every years, on almost every television channel, we see stars and star-aspirants.  Thousands get together to ensure that a few individuals enjoy a moment of fame.  Few thereafter would remember the names of the particular stars, but this won’t stop thousands from doing the same for another set of individuals [...]

Reality shows are the rage these days.  If all the stars of these reality shows actually shed light, we would not worry about the vagaries of the weather or fluctuations in the oil price.  Every years, on almost every television channel, we see stars and star-aspirants.  Thousands get together to ensure that a few individuals enjoy a moment of fame.  Few thereafter would remember the names of the particular stars, but this won’t stop thousands from doing the same for another set of individuals [...]

This morning I read a piece about 'the new face of the Chitrasena tradition', i.e. the late great dancer's granddaughter. Made me want to share something I wrote for the Sunday Island almost 8 years ago, on the occasion of the maestro's eightieth birthday. Here goes. Chitrasena is a national icon. So is Vajira. The people of this country knew this long before the conferring of state honours. For me, Chitrasena was just "Chitrasena Mama", a man with the kindest [...]

This morning I read a piece about 'the new face of the Chitrasena tradition', i.e. the late great dancer's granddaughter. Made me want to share something I wrote for the Sunday Island almost 8 years ago, on the occasion of the maestro's eightieth birthday. Here goes. Chitrasena is a national icon. So is Vajira. The people of this country knew this long before the conferring of state honours. For me, Chitrasena was just "Chitrasena Mama", a man with the kindest [...]

He was eighteen when I first met him at his Davidson Road home in Bambalapitiya. Handsome, rather chubby, as I remember him, already with the reputation of being an extremely good “guitarist”, Melroy De Silva was living right behind our little tenement home at 38, Lorenz Road, and if I remember correctly, it was his constant guitar-picking I heard, practically right over our back wooden fence, that made me want to meet this guy, so, one sunny day I decided [...]

He was eighteen when I first met him at his Davidson Road home in Bambalapitiya. Handsome, rather chubby, as I remember him, already with the reputation of being an extremely good “guitarist”, Melroy De Silva was living right behind our little tenement home at 38, Lorenz Road, and if I remember correctly, it was his constant guitar-picking I heard, practically right over our back wooden fence, that made me want to meet this guy, so, one sunny day I decided [...]

My friend Hiruna, who is studying for his A Levels, yet somehow finds the time to write the most beautiful Sinhala poetry I have ever read from someone his age, is something of a rarity. Not because he writes poetry (don't we all, at some point?) but because his preferred cultural icons are so far removed from the Sanukas and the Santhushes of this era that he has become virtually isolated. He has written essays and essays on everything from [...]

My friend Hiruna, who is studying for his A Levels, yet somehow finds the time to write the most beautiful Sinhala poetry I have ever read from someone his age, is something of a rarity. Not because he writes poetry (don't we all, at some point?) but because his preferred cultural icons are so far removed from the Sanukas and the Santhushes of this era that he has become virtually isolated. He has written essays and essays on everything from [...]

Easily one of the most discernible occurences in the last 20 years within our local English literary sphere has been the ascent of Malinda Seneviratne. Before I get to Malinda the poet, whom I am acquainted with only barely, I need to get to Malinda the man, whom I know personally. There are clear connections between the two, so much so that I can’t separate the one from the other. To understand the reasons behind his rise and ascent, I [...]

Easily one of the most discernible occurences in the last 20 years within our local English literary sphere has been the ascent of Malinda Seneviratne. Before I get to Malinda the poet, whom I am acquainted with only barely, I need to get to Malinda the man, whom I know personally. There are clear connections between the two, so much so that I can’t separate the one from the other. To understand the reasons behind his rise and ascent, I [...]

For Iraj and for Victor. For you and for me. Three years ago, when I was happily unemployed, I was a joyful drifter, aimlessly wandering here and there. I had some money of my own (freelancing does pay, though it doesn’t pay much), enough for me to roam around and look for ways of earning some more. I remember the month. December. I remember the day. Tuesday. And I remember the appointment. A conversation with Malinda Seneviratne, at his office [...]

For Iraj and for Victor. For you and for me. Three years ago, when I was happily unemployed, I was a joyful drifter, aimlessly wandering here and there. I had some money of my own (freelancing does pay, though it doesn’t pay much), enough for me to roam around and look for ways of earning some more. I remember the month. December. I remember the day. Tuesday. And I remember the appointment. A conversation with Malinda Seneviratne, at his office [...]

As an art form, as a means of self-expression and articulation, music is largely self-referential. It has nothing outside itself: the standards and the yardsticks created for it, by various exogenous factors, are subsumed, sometimes eventually, almost always at once. This is why of all the art forms we are acquainted with now, music is the least easy, and the most difficult, to propagandise. The moving image and the live theatre thrive on the mediation of two levels of consciousness: [...]

As an art form, as a means of self-expression and articulation, music is largely self-referential. It has nothing outside itself: the standards and the yardsticks created for it, by various exogenous factors, are subsumed, sometimes eventually, almost always at once. This is why of all the art forms we are acquainted with now, music is the least easy, and the most difficult, to propagandise. The moving image and the live theatre thrive on the mediation of two levels of consciousness: [...]

The young of today are caught up, I think, in a curious contradiction. They want to rebel, to let the world know they are not satisfied, but they also want to hide behind a certain welter of security. Their heroes are the singers and the actors who adorn the recent popular culture: heroes shirked as outsiders, who indulge in the cosmetics of rebellion with the privilege of returning to a more secure life once their rebelliousness is done away with. [...]

The young of today are caught up, I think, in a curious contradiction. They want to rebel, to let the world know they are not satisfied, but they also want to hide behind a certain welter of security. Their heroes are the singers and the actors who adorn the recent popular culture: heroes shirked as outsiders, who indulge in the cosmetics of rebellion with the privilege of returning to a more secure life once their rebelliousness is done away with. [...]

We go around these days, complaining about this & that, the latest being Corona Virus, the lockdown, the inability of going abroad on holidays, the this, & the that, WHY must this happen to US ???, etc., etc.,& most of us hark on what was termed the good old days, myself included, and yet, thinking about it, in fact, thinking about what people in general had to put up with, just from the date my dear Mother was born, is [...]

We go around these days, complaining about this & that, the latest being Corona Virus, the lockdown, the inability of going abroad on holidays, the this, & the that, WHY must this happen to US ???, etc., etc.,& most of us hark on what was termed the good old days, myself included, and yet, thinking about it, in fact, thinking about what people in general had to put up with, just from the date my dear Mother was born, is [...]

When you listen to “Saragaye”, and watch the video online, you get enveloped in complete happiness. In some vague, indefinable, almost magical way, Sanuka Wickramasinghe has given a form to our collective experience of one night stands and crushes and unrequited romances. And yet the elders don’t like him: they lambast him over every little detail. Even the choice of title, for these puritans, is a gross misdemeanour (“Saragaye”, in case you were wondering, is the apotheosis of ragaya, or [...]

When you listen to “Saragaye”, and watch the video online, you get enveloped in complete happiness. In some vague, indefinable, almost magical way, Sanuka Wickramasinghe has given a form to our collective experience of one night stands and crushes and unrequited romances. And yet the elders don’t like him: they lambast him over every little detail. Even the choice of title, for these puritans, is a gross misdemeanour (“Saragaye”, in case you were wondering, is the apotheosis of ragaya, or [...]

In his landmark essay “Avant-Garde and Kitsch”, Clement Greenberg discusses the evolution of art in terms of its separation into two broad cultures: the highbrow and the popular. The progression or regression (depending on how you see it) from the one to the other was facilitated by the transition from feudalism, with its repressive structures enabling a separation of art from the masses, to industrial capitalism, through which universal literacy was achieved to such an extent that those masses, until [...]

In his landmark essay “Avant-Garde and Kitsch”, Clement Greenberg discusses the evolution of art in terms of its separation into two broad cultures: the highbrow and the popular. The progression or regression (depending on how you see it) from the one to the other was facilitated by the transition from feudalism, with its repressive structures enabling a separation of art from the masses, to industrial capitalism, through which universal literacy was achieved to such an extent that those masses, until [...]

There are songs that remain etched in our minds long after we listen to them and long, long after we forget the first time we came across them. They bring to mind certain experiences that we like to forget but for some inscrutable reason don’t want to forget. Like schooldays. First crushes. Unfulfilled romances. Friendships that sour into enmities. And so on. Either way, for better or worse, the words we hum and the tunes we strum stay with us [...]

There are songs that remain etched in our minds long after we listen to them and long, long after we forget the first time we came across them. They bring to mind certain experiences that we like to forget but for some inscrutable reason don’t want to forget. Like schooldays. First crushes. Unfulfilled romances. Friendships that sour into enmities. And so on. Either way, for better or worse, the words we hum and the tunes we strum stay with us [...]

Just the other day I came across an amazing comment on Facebook. The commenter had argued that Sri Lankans, to be specific Sinhala Buddhists, were too apathetic to bother with economic issues and were busier with racist issues. In other words, “keeping their strength relative to other ethnic groups” was our overriding concern. It was a vicious circle that results from this fixation with racial superiority, since leaders, who naturally pander to the numerical majority, affirm chauvinism to ensure the [...]

Just the other day I came across an amazing comment on Facebook. The commenter had argued that Sri Lankans, to be specific Sinhala Buddhists, were too apathetic to bother with economic issues and were busier with racist issues. In other words, “keeping their strength relative to other ethnic groups” was our overriding concern. It was a vicious circle that results from this fixation with racial superiority, since leaders, who naturally pander to the numerical majority, affirm chauvinism to ensure the [...]

If there’s really nothing “new” to be “discerned” in the recent popular culture here, it’s not because the artists don’t want to try out something new, but because audiences are so easily captivated by the familiar details and the technical veneers of their work. In Sri Lanka, for the most that is, once you come up with something that directly or otherwise swerves away from the old, you have a horde of other artistes who will imitate you, thinking that’s [...]

If there’s really nothing “new” to be “discerned” in the recent popular culture here, it’s not because the artists don’t want to try out something new, but because audiences are so easily captivated by the familiar details and the technical veneers of their work. In Sri Lanka, for the most that is, once you come up with something that directly or otherwise swerves away from the old, you have a horde of other artistes who will imitate you, thinking that’s [...]

The ideology that pervades our movies is an ideology of commitment – secular, cosmopolitan, sometimes contrived, rarely felt – and they tend to constrict your vision. There’s an intense desire on the part of their directors to talk about social problems, to let us know that there are people out there who are suffering in want. It makes us want to cower before their vision, full of intentions but also full of a rift between those intentions and their production [...]

The ideology that pervades our movies is an ideology of commitment – secular, cosmopolitan, sometimes contrived, rarely felt – and they tend to constrict your vision. There’s an intense desire on the part of their directors to talk about social problems, to let us know that there are people out there who are suffering in want. It makes us want to cower before their vision, full of intentions but also full of a rift between those intentions and their production [...]

Back in the late 1970’s Vanderwert Place, Dehiwela was a quiet suburban residential neighbourhood. About half way down on the right side as one walked from the Galle Road, at number 22 if I remember right, was a small annexe which was a hive of musical activity. It was the Claude Fernando Music School. A small reception area lead to a living room which was graced by a large, near indestructible, upright piano, a grand old instrument if there ever [...]

Back in the late 1970’s Vanderwert Place, Dehiwela was a quiet suburban residential neighbourhood. About half way down on the right side as one walked from the Galle Road, at number 22 if I remember right, was a small annexe which was a hive of musical activity. It was the Claude Fernando Music School. A small reception area lead to a living room which was graced by a large, near indestructible, upright piano, a grand old instrument if there ever [...]

The poet is a curious creature. He does not pander to the majority, but his role is that of a public voice. The language he resorts to thus cannot be esoteric or obscurantist, because by definition, being a poet, he cannot obfuscate. So he gets entangled in a strange conundrum: he has to speak to the people, but not in the language of the people. He has to be the voice of an entire collective and identity, yet strike some [...]

The poet is a curious creature. He does not pander to the majority, but his role is that of a public voice. The language he resorts to thus cannot be esoteric or obscurantist, because by definition, being a poet, he cannot obfuscate. So he gets entangled in a strange conundrum: he has to speak to the people, but not in the language of the people. He has to be the voice of an entire collective and identity, yet strike some [...]

Presented by the Choir of S. Thomas' Preparatory School, "I Will Follow, I Will Lead" will be held at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority in Kollupitiya from the 7th to the 9th of September at 7 p.m. I confess, I know very little about music, the theory or the practice. I know even less about choirs and orchestras and for this reason am clueless when it comes to concerts, regardless of the organiser. I vaguely remember [...]

Presented by the Choir of S. Thomas' Preparatory School, "I Will Follow, I Will Lead" will be held at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority in Kollupitiya from the 7th to the 9th of September at 7 p.m. I confess, I know very little about music, the theory or the practice. I know even less about choirs and orchestras and for this reason am clueless when it comes to concerts, regardless of the organiser. I vaguely remember [...]

Yaman Selō, Yaman Selō, pēra kadannē// Pēra motade, jambu hondai dōsi damannē// Dōsi damannē nōne dōsi damannē… A lecture on ‘What is Baila?’ presented by Dr. Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya with illustrative accompaniments on Piano & Bongo was held on 6th April at The Sooriya Village, Colombo 05. The event commenced with Udena Wickremesooriya of the Sooriya Village welcoming the audience. Shihan traced the trajectory of Baila; if Baila is a dance, a music or a song; what is Kaffrinha; [...]

Yaman Selō, Yaman Selō, pēra kadannē// Pēra motade, jambu hondai dōsi damannē// Dōsi damannē nōne dōsi damannē… A lecture on ‘What is Baila?’ presented by Dr. Shihan de Silva Jayasuriya with illustrative accompaniments on Piano & Bongo was held on 6th April at The Sooriya Village, Colombo 05. The event commenced with Udena Wickremesooriya of the Sooriya Village welcoming the audience. Shihan traced the trajectory of Baila; if Baila is a dance, a music or a song; what is Kaffrinha; [...]

What a beautiful title, especially for this songbird of Ceylon, Rukmani Devi, born Daisy Rasammah Daniels, a proud combination of Tamil(Rasammah), Daniels(Burgher), & the Colombo-Chetty Christian tradition, on the 15th of January, 1923, in the Central Province Village of Ramboda, Nuwara Eliya. She was the second child in a family of six, loved music and singing from a very early age, spending most of her time standing by the family gramaphone and singing along with the songs that emanated from [...]

What a beautiful title, especially for this songbird of Ceylon, Rukmani Devi, born Daisy Rasammah Daniels, a proud combination of Tamil(Rasammah), Daniels(Burgher), & the Colombo-Chetty Christian tradition, on the 15th of January, 1923, in the Central Province Village of Ramboda, Nuwara Eliya. She was the second child in a family of six, loved music and singing from a very early age, spending most of her time standing by the family gramaphone and singing along with the songs that emanated from [...]

Australia, as a Country, is the great brown Land that many of us, Lankan/Aussies are lucky to be living in, at the moment. How it will be, in the future, is anybody’s guess. Australia’s”Country Musicians”, while getting better, “As time goes by”, still have a long way to go, in comparison to their American counterparts. America, while boasting some of the greatest “names” in Country Music, also has had dozens of singers, bands & instrumentalists who were simply just “wannabes”, [...]

Australia, as a Country, is the great brown Land that many of us, Lankan/Aussies are lucky to be living in, at the moment. How it will be, in the future, is anybody’s guess. Australia’s”Country Musicians”, while getting better, “As time goes by”, still have a long way to go, in comparison to their American counterparts. America, while boasting some of the greatest “names” in Country Music, also has had dozens of singers, bands & instrumentalists who were simply just “wannabes”, [...]

On the 8th of September, 2011, a young Sri Lankan, a medical student studying in China, had visited Zhangjiajie.  On his t-shirt was a Sri Lankan flag.  It was not the first time he had worn this t-shirt in China but it was the first time it was noticed.  In fact, wherever he went, there were people wanting to photograph him and be photographed with him.  He did not understand for it had never happened before.   Then he met Sahan Ranwala. Sahan Ranwala was in that city for [...]

On the 8th of September, 2011, a young Sri Lankan, a medical student studying in China, had visited Zhangjiajie.  On his t-shirt was a Sri Lankan flag.  It was not the first time he had worn this t-shirt in China but it was the first time it was noticed.  In fact, wherever he went, there were people wanting to photograph him and be photographed with him.  He did not understand for it had never happened before.   Then he met Sahan Ranwala. Sahan Ranwala was in that city for [...]

A question was put to a chef at lunch recently: ‘What is uniquely Sri Lankan when it comes to cuisine?’ The person who asked the question responded himself: ‘colour and texture’. Even in the most humble kitchen there is a manifest effort to obtain diversity of colour and texture. Sri Lankan cooking in its evolution over time seems to have focused on producing diversity not just in the number of different dishes but in the ways that a single article [...]

A question was put to a chef at lunch recently: ‘What is uniquely Sri Lankan when it comes to cuisine?’ The person who asked the question responded himself: ‘colour and texture’. Even in the most humble kitchen there is a manifest effort to obtain diversity of colour and texture. Sri Lankan cooking in its evolution over time seems to have focused on producing diversity not just in the number of different dishes but in the ways that a single article [...]

Some time ago I wrote about Lionel Ranwala, the indefatigable archivist and exponent of traditional Sinhala music. A line at the end of the article prompted a response. Here’s the line: ‘Our ancestors live in us in some form or another, as remnant and life-thread. It awakens us to who we are and therefore inspire us to become who we want to be.’ Here’s the response: ‘Ariyaseela Wickramanyake used to say that we all carry in each of us a [...]

Some time ago I wrote about Lionel Ranwala, the indefatigable archivist and exponent of traditional Sinhala music. A line at the end of the article prompted a response. Here’s the line: ‘Our ancestors live in us in some form or another, as remnant and life-thread. It awakens us to who we are and therefore inspire us to become who we want to be.’ Here’s the response: ‘Ariyaseela Wickramanyake used to say that we all carry in each of us a [...]

​​#SupportingSriLankanTalent is an initiative started by Sooriya Records as a means of recognising and showing admiration for the countless musicians here in Sri Lanka and across the globe for their most current musical achievements.    First up, we have Arjun, a British Sri Lankan singer-songwriter, record producer and actor who in fact has visited and recorded at The Sooriya Village, with his new track Vaadi which we think is quite lit YouTube Description Pre-order my debut album Closer To Home [...]

​​#SupportingSriLankanTalent is an initiative started by Sooriya Records as a means of recognising and showing admiration for the countless musicians here in Sri Lanka and across the globe for their most current musical achievements.    First up, we have Arjun, a British Sri Lankan singer-songwriter, record producer and actor who in fact has visited and recorded at The Sooriya Village, with his new track Vaadi which we think is quite lit YouTube Description Pre-order my debut album Closer To Home [...]

Remembering Ranbanda Seneviratne There is a song written by Malini Jayaratne which her husband, T. M. Jayaratne sings. It makes the poignant statement that not enough songs have been written about the love a father has for his child: piya senehasata kav gee liya una madi (there’s a conspicuous absence of songs dedicated to fathers’ love). True. There are countless mau guna gee (songs in praise of mother and motherhood) in Sinhala where the virtues of motherhood and the particularly sacred love of a [...]

Remembering Ranbanda Seneviratne There is a song written by Malini Jayaratne which her husband, T. M. Jayaratne sings. It makes the poignant statement that not enough songs have been written about the love a father has for his child: piya senehasata kav gee liya una madi (there’s a conspicuous absence of songs dedicated to fathers’ love). True. There are countless mau guna gee (songs in praise of mother and motherhood) in Sinhala where the virtues of motherhood and the particularly sacred love of a [...]

“The alchemy of the masters moving molecules of air, we capture by moving particles of iron, so that the poetry of the ancients will echo into the future.” I’ve seen Kavi Alexander seated under the coccolaba tree at Sooriya Village, apparently one of the only two such trees in Sri Lanka, the other being at Peradeniya.  With long hair and a longer beard, greying, Kavi looked quite ascetic. Except he’s wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Sooriya Village attracts a lot of people [...]

“The alchemy of the masters moving molecules of air, we capture by moving particles of iron, so that the poetry of the ancients will echo into the future.” I’ve seen Kavi Alexander seated under the coccolaba tree at Sooriya Village, apparently one of the only two such trees in Sri Lanka, the other being at Peradeniya.  With long hair and a longer beard, greying, Kavi looked quite ascetic. Except he’s wearing a t-shirt and shorts. Sooriya Village attracts a lot of people [...]

He led "The Fireflies" band in Ceylon from 1963, a personal friend of mine, Milroy de Silva has passed on, in Vancouver, Canada, after a long illness, leaving family, friends & fans, deeply saddened by his death, at the age of 84. Milroy was indeed, a superb guitarist, self-taught, as most of us were in the good old days. I remember the time when  he lived in Davidson Road, Bambalapitiya, practically right behind our little tenement home in Lorensz Road, [...]

He led "The Fireflies" band in Ceylon from 1963, a personal friend of mine, Milroy de Silva has passed on, in Vancouver, Canada, after a long illness, leaving family, friends & fans, deeply saddened by his death, at the age of 84. Milroy was indeed, a superb guitarist, self-taught, as most of us were in the good old days. I remember the time when  he lived in Davidson Road, Bambalapitiya, practically right behind our little tenement home in Lorensz Road, [...]

Little more than two weeks ago during the busy Christmas season, I got a very sudden and rare opportunity of meeting a person whom I wanted to see and meet in person for quite a long time, who was on a very short holiday to his motherland and when visiting a relative over here in the hill capital of Kandy.. A fine lead Guitarist of yesteryear but not known to most of the present day generation over here on FB, [...]

Little more than two weeks ago during the busy Christmas season, I got a very sudden and rare opportunity of meeting a person whom I wanted to see and meet in person for quite a long time, who was on a very short holiday to his motherland and when visiting a relative over here in the hill capital of Kandy.. A fine lead Guitarist of yesteryear but not known to most of the present day generation over here on FB, [...]

As an art form, as a means of self-expression and articulation, music is largely self-referential. It has nothing outside itself: the standards and the yardsticks created for it, by various exogenous factors, are subsumed, sometimes eventually, almost always at once. This is why of all the art forms we are acquainted with now, music is the least easy, and the most difficult, to propagandize. The moving image and the live theater thrive on the mediation of two levels of consciousness: [...]

As an art form, as a means of self-expression and articulation, music is largely self-referential. It has nothing outside itself: the standards and the yardsticks created for it, by various exogenous factors, are subsumed, sometimes eventually, almost always at once. This is why of all the art forms we are acquainted with now, music is the least easy, and the most difficult, to propagandize. The moving image and the live theater thrive on the mediation of two levels of consciousness: [...]

For Iraj and for Victor. For you and for me. Three years ago, when I was happily unemployed, I was a joyful drifter, aimlessly wandering here and there. I had some money of my own (freelancing does pay, though it doesn’t pay much), enough for me to roam around and look for ways of earning some more. I remember the month. December. I remember the day. Tuesday. And I remember the appointment. A conversation with Malinda Seneviratne, at his office [...]

For Iraj and for Victor. For you and for me. Three years ago, when I was happily unemployed, I was a joyful drifter, aimlessly wandering here and there. I had some money of my own (freelancing does pay, though it doesn’t pay much), enough for me to roam around and look for ways of earning some more. I remember the month. December. I remember the day. Tuesday. And I remember the appointment. A conversation with Malinda Seneviratne, at his office [...]

I first encountered T. M. Jayaratne through the films of K. A. W. Perera. I never bothered to check out his other work because, for me, he was at his best when he was crooning about love, be it young, requited, spurned, or revived. The themes these movies evoked, I felt, were most sincerely articulated by his voice. It wasn’t until much later that I realised that he had forayed into other productions, that he led other lives, and that [...]

I first encountered T. M. Jayaratne through the films of K. A. W. Perera. I never bothered to check out his other work because, for me, he was at his best when he was crooning about love, be it young, requited, spurned, or revived. The themes these movies evoked, I felt, were most sincerely articulated by his voice. It wasn’t until much later that I realised that he had forayed into other productions, that he led other lives, and that [...]

ගංගා තරංග රාව දී රිදී වනින් මල් පිපී කුලින් කුලේ හැපී ගායනා කරන්නේ ආකාශයේ නැගී වීරයින්ගෙ ඒ යශෝ ගීතයයි... His songs roll off the tongue easily, as though their lyrics were stuck in our throats and needed his melodies to be unleashed. They are addressed to us, the collective “we”, the entire country, in ways few singers have or ever will. There must be a secret to this, and I don’t deny that, but the truth of the matter is [...]

ගංගා තරංග රාව දී රිදී වනින් මල් පිපී කුලින් කුලේ හැපී ගායනා කරන්නේ ආකාශයේ නැගී වීරයින්ගෙ ඒ යශෝ ගීතයයි... His songs roll off the tongue easily, as though their lyrics were stuck in our throats and needed his melodies to be unleashed. They are addressed to us, the collective “we”, the entire country, in ways few singers have or ever will. There must be a secret to this, and I don’t deny that, but the truth of the matter is [...]

There are rain clouds, not too dark and not threatening.  It might rain later.  There was rain last night.  Tomorrow, there will be other clouds of similar shade.  Non-threatening for a while.  There might be rain.  The city pulsated in rhythms acquired over the years.  In some village in the Dry Zone, there are children at play.  The potter is at his wheel.  Someone, somewhere is listening to music.  The country called Sri Lanka in determination and resilience, hope and [...]

There are rain clouds, not too dark and not threatening.  It might rain later.  There was rain last night.  Tomorrow, there will be other clouds of similar shade.  Non-threatening for a while.  There might be rain.  The city pulsated in rhythms acquired over the years.  In some village in the Dry Zone, there are children at play.  The potter is at his wheel.  Someone, somewhere is listening to music.  The country called Sri Lanka in determination and resilience, hope and [...]

Young people revel in being philistines not because their mothers and fathers and aunts and uncles don’t understand them (to be sure, they don’t), but because they want to show that they care, that they understand what their elders want them to understand. Some of the greatest art was born out of that kind of philistinism. And some of that philistine art has survived widespread censure. But the philistinism of the past was conditioned by an important fact. That fact [...]

Young people revel in being philistines not because their mothers and fathers and aunts and uncles don’t understand them (to be sure, they don’t), but because they want to show that they care, that they understand what their elders want them to understand. Some of the greatest art was born out of that kind of philistinism. And some of that philistine art has survived widespread censure. But the philistinism of the past was conditioned by an important fact. That fact [...]

‘Plantation songs’ as referred in common parlance are Black American slave songs that emerged during the 18th and 19th centuries during the times when predominantly cotton, corn along with, sugar cane, tobacco and potato plantation in America prospered and thrived. History   Cotton was the predominant cash crop in America until the end of the 19th century. The south west region extending from Texas to Virginia encompassing Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Mississippi and Florida was regarded as the plantation belt or the [...]

‘Plantation songs’ as referred in common parlance are Black American slave songs that emerged during the 18th and 19th centuries during the times when predominantly cotton, corn along with, sugar cane, tobacco and potato plantation in America prospered and thrived. History   Cotton was the predominant cash crop in America until the end of the 19th century. The south west region extending from Texas to Virginia encompassing Arkansas, Louisiana, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Mississippi and Florida was regarded as the plantation belt or the [...]

American Plantation and Cowboy Songs There are many different categories and genres of popular songs coming from the bygone era having endured the test of time as all time favorites. These ever popular songs are referred to by us as 'vintage songs ', ‘standards’, 'evergreens', 'golden oldies', ‘old favorites’, etc. In Sri Lanka, the folk cultured in a western environment love these old songs. They could be further classified to different segments - such as cowboy favorites, plantation songs, Dixieland [...]

American Plantation and Cowboy Songs There are many different categories and genres of popular songs coming from the bygone era having endured the test of time as all time favorites. These ever popular songs are referred to by us as 'vintage songs ', ‘standards’, 'evergreens', 'golden oldies', ‘old favorites’, etc. In Sri Lanka, the folk cultured in a western environment love these old songs. They could be further classified to different segments - such as cowboy favorites, plantation songs, Dixieland [...]

Roy Rogers was the world's most popular hero of every youngster from the 1930s to 1950s period. He was an American film idol, guitarist and singer - known as the ‘King of the Cowboys'. ****************  Nostalgia   During mid 1950s, my early school days, he was the craze of every kid and teenager. Those of you in my age group would remember him while playing ‘cowboys and crooks' (quite similar to ‘hora police’, as referred to by some), as a matter of [...]

Roy Rogers was the world's most popular hero of every youngster from the 1930s to 1950s period. He was an American film idol, guitarist and singer - known as the ‘King of the Cowboys'. ****************  Nostalgia   During mid 1950s, my early school days, he was the craze of every kid and teenager. Those of you in my age group would remember him while playing ‘cowboys and crooks' (quite similar to ‘hora police’, as referred to by some), as a matter of [...]

Having performed at all live SOORIYA SHOWS during the mid-60s and 70s era as a member of the La Bambas, I carry fond and vivid memories including personal experiences about them, although I must confess some interesting happenings and anecdotes could be forgotten by me due to the passage of time.   The star spangled SOORIYA SHOW - that's how these stage shows were introduced by the debonair compere Mr. Vijaya Corea (latterly, Dr. Vijaya). I believe that around two [...]

Having performed at all live SOORIYA SHOWS during the mid-60s and 70s era as a member of the La Bambas, I carry fond and vivid memories including personal experiences about them, although I must confess some interesting happenings and anecdotes could be forgotten by me due to the passage of time.   The star spangled SOORIYA SHOW - that's how these stage shows were introduced by the debonair compere Mr. Vijaya Corea (latterly, Dr. Vijaya). I believe that around two [...]

What is Calypso? Misconceptions are rampant and galore in Sri Lanka about ‘Calypso music’. But factually, a Calypso is a song from the Caribbean Islands (The West Indies) which gained popularity in the 1950s and thereafter. They are generally happy-go-lucky lighthearted renditions that tells the story about humor, bravery and anything connected to one’s personal lifestyle. It could perhaps also be, that in order to win political rights and equality, the oppressed people had taken to the streets shouting slogans [...]

What is Calypso? Misconceptions are rampant and galore in Sri Lanka about ‘Calypso music’. But factually, a Calypso is a song from the Caribbean Islands (The West Indies) which gained popularity in the 1950s and thereafter. They are generally happy-go-lucky lighthearted renditions that tells the story about humor, bravery and anything connected to one’s personal lifestyle. It could perhaps also be, that in order to win political rights and equality, the oppressed people had taken to the streets shouting slogans [...]

Did you know the history and the origin about “Pun Sanda Paaya” and “Hai Hooi Bubby Achchi”: Two of the most popular old songs in the country? Maybe not! So here it is….   “Pun Sanda Paaya” is derived directly from the song titled “Beach at Bali Bali” composed in the 1930s and sung by various artistes. This is not ‘breaking news’ material and is common knowledge to the folk who follow old favourites (or vintage songs). I remember my [...]

Did you know the history and the origin about “Pun Sanda Paaya” and “Hai Hooi Bubby Achchi”: Two of the most popular old songs in the country? Maybe not! So here it is….   “Pun Sanda Paaya” is derived directly from the song titled “Beach at Bali Bali” composed in the 1930s and sung by various artistes. This is not ‘breaking news’ material and is common knowledge to the folk who follow old favourites (or vintage songs). I remember my [...]

In what is termed "social-media" today, comedy, as such, takes a "back-seat" unfortunately. "porno- comedy" is very much in the forefront, everywhere. "butts, boobs, hookets & nudes", transvestites and "gay dudes", not "comedy" anymore, just crude. My most recent "brush" with porno-comedy was when "someone out there", quite probably a "Lankan" who liked "baila" took it upon themselves to include a female porno-model "dancing her butt off" to a recording of mine, done as a tribute to the "King" of [...]

In what is termed "social-media" today, comedy, as such, takes a "back-seat" unfortunately. "porno- comedy" is very much in the forefront, everywhere. "butts, boobs, hookets & nudes", transvestites and "gay dudes", not "comedy" anymore, just crude. My most recent "brush" with porno-comedy was when "someone out there", quite probably a "Lankan" who liked "baila" took it upon themselves to include a female porno-model "dancing her butt off" to a recording of mine, done as a tribute to the "King" of [...]

Victor Ratnayake’s signature, some contend, come out most potently in his love songs. I am unfortunately not a musicologist, only a listener, but to my untrained ear, those love songs of his stand out powerfully from the sixties to the eighties. And it’s not just his voice or his songs: even in his film scores, you sense at once how powerfully romantic his vision of the world is. The opening passages in Deno Dahak Atharin, Neela Bingu Kala, and Bambarindu [...]

Victor Ratnayake’s signature, some contend, come out most potently in his love songs. I am unfortunately not a musicologist, only a listener, but to my untrained ear, those love songs of his stand out powerfully from the sixties to the eighties. And it’s not just his voice or his songs: even in his film scores, you sense at once how powerfully romantic his vision of the world is. The opening passages in Deno Dahak Atharin, Neela Bingu Kala, and Bambarindu [...]

I sincerely believe that to be an artiste, one must first be a human being. Reality, however, is not that stark. Artistes are human beings, yes, but this does not make them perfect. That is why they clash with each other and why critics and writers try to dig out the divine from the imperfect in them. That is also why there are obituaries and those who praise the dead. Moreover, not every human being is a humanist. Not everyone [...]

I sincerely believe that to be an artiste, one must first be a human being. Reality, however, is not that stark. Artistes are human beings, yes, but this does not make them perfect. That is why they clash with each other and why critics and writers try to dig out the divine from the imperfect in them. That is also why there are obituaries and those who praise the dead. Moreover, not every human being is a humanist. Not everyone [...]

  Music is the most collaborative of all art-forms, after the cinema. Songs in particular require collaboration, to the extent that authorship is impossible to ascribe. On the other hand, however, this does not and will not deny the individual artiste a personal signature. Talent can’t be collectivised, this much we should know. That is why there are names associated with music and that is why some forms of music, to a considerable extent at least, are gauged on the [...]

  Music is the most collaborative of all art-forms, after the cinema. Songs in particular require collaboration, to the extent that authorship is impossible to ascribe. On the other hand, however, this does not and will not deny the individual artiste a personal signature. Talent can’t be collectivised, this much we should know. That is why there are names associated with music and that is why some forms of music, to a considerable extent at least, are gauged on the [...]

How and where do lyricists get their ideas? What is it that propels them to cross the thin line between the written word and the verse? What do they have, which we do not, that makes it easy for them to transform the most mundane, everyday experience into potent drops of poetry? The best lyricists, the way I see it ensure that what they write survive the ravages of time. Their songs, simply put, become timeless and remain as freshly [...]

How and where do lyricists get their ideas? What is it that propels them to cross the thin line between the written word and the verse? What do they have, which we do not, that makes it easy for them to transform the most mundane, everyday experience into potent drops of poetry? The best lyricists, the way I see it ensure that what they write survive the ravages of time. Their songs, simply put, become timeless and remain as freshly [...]

Sumitra Peries once told me a story about Rekava. Lester, her husband, along with Titus Thotawatte and Willie Blake, had gone to Cannes to screen it at the Festival. Because the version they had was too long and contained too many songs, they met Lindsay Anderson. The father of the Free Cinema Movement and the British New Wave, Anderson was as much the parvenu Lester was in his country. Cannes, however, was a different ball-game altogether, and so the two of [...]

Sumitra Peries once told me a story about Rekava. Lester, her husband, along with Titus Thotawatte and Willie Blake, had gone to Cannes to screen it at the Festival. Because the version they had was too long and contained too many songs, they met Lindsay Anderson. The father of the Free Cinema Movement and the British New Wave, Anderson was as much the parvenu Lester was in his country. Cannes, however, was a different ball-game altogether, and so the two of [...]

The predecessor of "song-writing" for me, has been "poetry". From a very early age, not only did I enjoy reading good poetry, I started writing my own. Proudly, after coming to Australia, my poetry has not only been "accepted" Internationally, it has been "published" in a beautiful hard-back volume, "The Tide of Hours" featuring the best poets & poetry of 2003. As a result, I was "invited" to the U.S.of A. many times but, because of an extremely busy "work [...]

The predecessor of "song-writing" for me, has been "poetry". From a very early age, not only did I enjoy reading good poetry, I started writing my own. Proudly, after coming to Australia, my poetry has not only been "accepted" Internationally, it has been "published" in a beautiful hard-back volume, "The Tide of Hours" featuring the best poets & poetry of 2003. As a result, I was "invited" to the U.S.of A. many times but, because of an extremely busy "work [...]

Mohideen Baig [pic by - www.tharu.com/web/artist/113.html] Some days are special. They celebrate life. They record milestones. They ensure that we do not forget. Not all are special and not all record history, but they tend to be special nevertheless. Sure, we sometimes forget why, but just for once, if we can concentrate on the particularities of a date, we will find that there are more reasons than one why a day, or a set of days for that matter, ought [...]

Mohideen Baig [pic by - www.tharu.com/web/artist/113.html] Some days are special. They celebrate life. They record milestones. They ensure that we do not forget. Not all are special and not all record history, but they tend to be special nevertheless. Sure, we sometimes forget why, but just for once, if we can concentrate on the particularities of a date, we will find that there are more reasons than one why a day, or a set of days for that matter, ought [...]

I know very little about music, whatever the genre. I do know that it was made for the ear, for the imagination, and for imagining. I also know it was made for the eye in that one needs a firm grasp of the performer, melody maker, and lyricist to understand the depth of a song or composition. Not being a musicologist however, I wouldn’t know how to assess any of these things. When it comes to vocalists whose voices entranced [...]

I know very little about music, whatever the genre. I do know that it was made for the ear, for the imagination, and for imagining. I also know it was made for the eye in that one needs a firm grasp of the performer, melody maker, and lyricist to understand the depth of a song or composition. Not being a musicologist however, I wouldn’t know how to assess any of these things. When it comes to vocalists whose voices entranced [...]

When Rukmani Devi died there was an outpouring of grief. People took to the streets, cried, sobbed, lamented. Some didn’t even believe she had gone. Icons are like that I suppose, though that doesn’t mean those who sob and those who lament necessarily cut out those who left for posterity. There must be tributes, of some sort, to ensure that their legacy remains. Words and speeches are good, but without the necessary drive to turn them into reality it’s pointless [...]

When Rukmani Devi died there was an outpouring of grief. People took to the streets, cried, sobbed, lamented. Some didn’t even believe she had gone. Icons are like that I suppose, though that doesn’t mean those who sob and those who lament necessarily cut out those who left for posterity. There must be tributes, of some sort, to ensure that their legacy remains. Words and speeches are good, but without the necessary drive to turn them into reality it’s pointless [...]

Human beings are peculiar creatures. They smile only when politeness compels them to and they drown in sorrow, anger, and envy all the time. They don’t laugh as much as they should, simply because they feel that rebels against the principle of refinement (which is that you should break into laughter only as a conditioned response). That’s silly I agree, but then again being the peculiar creatures we are, we have endowed this world of ours with enough politeness to [...]

Human beings are peculiar creatures. They smile only when politeness compels them to and they drown in sorrow, anger, and envy all the time. They don’t laugh as much as they should, simply because they feel that rebels against the principle of refinement (which is that you should break into laughter only as a conditioned response). That’s silly I agree, but then again being the peculiar creatures we are, we have endowed this world of ours with enough politeness to [...]

What do we do when we come across a song? Listen, of course. Subtext usually comes later, while the character as such of the singer, composer, and lyricist figure in even later. Not many would care to jot down the underlying message of a work of art the moment he or she hears, sees, or touches it: that’s saved for dessert (metaphorically speaking). Few, very few in fact, would hence care to converse with the artiste to get his or [...]

What do we do when we come across a song? Listen, of course. Subtext usually comes later, while the character as such of the singer, composer, and lyricist figure in even later. Not many would care to jot down the underlying message of a work of art the moment he or she hears, sees, or touches it: that’s saved for dessert (metaphorically speaking). Few, very few in fact, would hence care to converse with the artiste to get his or [...]

Sugathapala Senarath Yapa’s Hanthane Kathawa probably has the most poignant love song featured in any Sinhala film. “Sara Sonduru”, a duet between Victor Ratnayake and Nanda Malini (the lyrics to which were written by Yapa and Mahagama Sekara), reflects on the beauty of falling in love and the sorrow of losing it. It’s incorporated in a sequence of the protagonists (played by Tony Ranasinghe and Swarna Mallawarachchi) walking along the grounds of Peradeniya University, and moves on to the two [...]

Sugathapala Senarath Yapa’s Hanthane Kathawa probably has the most poignant love song featured in any Sinhala film. “Sara Sonduru”, a duet between Victor Ratnayake and Nanda Malini (the lyrics to which were written by Yapa and Mahagama Sekara), reflects on the beauty of falling in love and the sorrow of losing it. It’s incorporated in a sequence of the protagonists (played by Tony Ranasinghe and Swarna Mallawarachchi) walking along the grounds of Peradeniya University, and moves on to the two [...]

Bandula Nanayakkarawasam [Pics by www.sooriya.lk/malinda-seneviratne] Lyricists are fascinated by the word. Some are selective in what they write, others aren’t. They grow to appreciate that there’s more to a song than verses. There was a time, though, when I thought they didn’t, when I thought they’d grown so accustomed to words that they were hindered by them. I believed then, as I don’t now, that a work of art was best assessed in terms of its moral content. In a [...]

Bandula Nanayakkarawasam [Pics by www.sooriya.lk/malinda-seneviratne] Lyricists are fascinated by the word. Some are selective in what they write, others aren’t. They grow to appreciate that there’s more to a song than verses. There was a time, though, when I thought they didn’t, when I thought they’d grown so accustomed to words that they were hindered by them. I believed then, as I don’t now, that a work of art was best assessed in terms of its moral content. In a [...]

About a month ago I sat down with a prominent composer and vocalist. He was a veteran and as with most veterans, he had a lot to talk about. So we talked. We ambled along the past, revisited certain milestones he’d gone through, and eventually came to a point where we exhausted any possibility for more ambling. We didn’t stop talking though. We instead went off to other topics and points, which he (being a veteran) knew intimately and was [...]

About a month ago I sat down with a prominent composer and vocalist. He was a veteran and as with most veterans, he had a lot to talk about. So we talked. We ambled along the past, revisited certain milestones he’d gone through, and eventually came to a point where we exhausted any possibility for more ambling. We didn’t stop talking though. We instead went off to other topics and points, which he (being a veteran) knew intimately and was [...]

There are certain things we look out for in a song. For better or worse however, the melody and the voice tend to predominate. Few would, I'm willing to bet, look for the lyricist. Not that he or she is marginalised and in other ways skewed, but when a song's worth is being assessed, it's what pleases the ears (more than just words) that crop up at once. Consequently then, identity is attributed to that which wins immediate attention, a [...]

There are certain things we look out for in a song. For better or worse however, the melody and the voice tend to predominate. Few would, I'm willing to bet, look for the lyricist. Not that he or she is marginalised and in other ways skewed, but when a song's worth is being assessed, it's what pleases the ears (more than just words) that crop up at once. Consequently then, identity is attributed to that which wins immediate attention, a [...]

Photos by Upul Devapriya Every budding poet, at some point in his or life, tries to love on love. Experience is their biggest trump card and if they lack experience, they try to make up for that through words. The truth however is that there’s no guarantee that the experienced lover (jilted or requited) can be an experienced poet on romance, just as much as there’s no guarantee that the poet who writes on love though he or she hasn’t [...]

Photos by Upul Devapriya Every budding poet, at some point in his or life, tries to love on love. Experience is their biggest trump card and if they lack experience, they try to make up for that through words. The truth however is that there’s no guarantee that the experienced lover (jilted or requited) can be an experienced poet on romance, just as much as there’s no guarantee that the poet who writes on love though he or she hasn’t [...]

Around three years worth of violin lessons from Eileen Prins and an equal number of years learning the piano from Mrs Niles meant a considerable number of hours ‘with music’ down School Lane, Bambalapitiya.  I didn’t learn much.  Aunty Eileen was exasperated and suggested that I try the piano.  Mrs Niles, very gently, told me to concentrate on my studies.  I like ‘theory’ because it was, to me, like mathematics and even someone who didn’t have melody and rhythm could ace it.  Unlike number, however, [...]

Around three years worth of violin lessons from Eileen Prins and an equal number of years learning the piano from Mrs Niles meant a considerable number of hours ‘with music’ down School Lane, Bambalapitiya.  I didn’t learn much.  Aunty Eileen was exasperated and suggested that I try the piano.  Mrs Niles, very gently, told me to concentrate on my studies.  I like ‘theory’ because it was, to me, like mathematics and even someone who didn’t have melody and rhythm could ace it.  Unlike number, however, [...]

The Late Great Tom Menezes, second from left, on Trumpet. In the beginning, there was the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon. Without that broadcast we would never have had the golden opportunity of listening to and enjoying English pop music in the 60’s. Each morning would always start with the breakfast show, followed by Housewife’s Choice at 2pm and then the rest of the delightful music programs thereafter. Sunday’s were special cos of the long and enjoyable Sunday choice in [...]

The Late Great Tom Menezes, second from left, on Trumpet. In the beginning, there was the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon. Without that broadcast we would never have had the golden opportunity of listening to and enjoying English pop music in the 60’s. Each morning would always start with the breakfast show, followed by Housewife’s Choice at 2pm and then the rest of the delightful music programs thereafter. Sunday’s were special cos of the long and enjoyable Sunday choice in [...]

Saybhan Samat – from jazz to therapy music Big band sounds in the 50’s and 60’s were usually heard at weddings and other events when any of the military bands were in attendance. They played a great variety of Jazz, Latin, and dance music tracks that entertained the audiences. Then came the many dance bands that were formed by such greats like Papa Menezes, Harold Seneviratne, Peter Prins and Sam the Man. Initially, Sam and Saybhan performed for a band [...]

Saybhan Samat – from jazz to therapy music Big band sounds in the 50’s and 60’s were usually heard at weddings and other events when any of the military bands were in attendance. They played a great variety of Jazz, Latin, and dance music tracks that entertained the audiences. Then came the many dance bands that were formed by such greats like Papa Menezes, Harold Seneviratne, Peter Prins and Sam the Man. Initially, Sam and Saybhan performed for a band [...]

Harold Seneviratne Harold Seneviratne, was one of the top class veteran musicians of the Sri Lankan music scene for more than half a century. His rendition of vintage dance/jazz music was of a very high quality which held Sri Lankans enthralled for several decades. The dance band, “Harold Seneviratne Combo”, was much sought after for weddings, dances and other events in the 60’s. Harold was also responsible for the musical backing for a variety of foreign acts, regular radio broadcasts, [...]

Harold Seneviratne Harold Seneviratne, was one of the top class veteran musicians of the Sri Lankan music scene for more than half a century. His rendition of vintage dance/jazz music was of a very high quality which held Sri Lankans enthralled for several decades. The dance band, “Harold Seneviratne Combo”, was much sought after for weddings, dances and other events in the 60’s. Harold was also responsible for the musical backing for a variety of foreign acts, regular radio broadcasts, [...]

He was a vocalist and a composer. He sang and he scored. He also wrote. His melodies survive reassessments when it comes to applauding him. The man, not surprisingly therefore, wielded different sensibilities and abilities. And in the end, music lovers in this country understood, despite the few who called him out for all the wrong, slanderous reasons, that what he gave went beyond just being revolutionary. His songs became landmarks, true. But none of them were ever uprooted from [...]

He was a vocalist and a composer. He sang and he scored. He also wrote. His melodies survive reassessments when it comes to applauding him. The man, not surprisingly therefore, wielded different sensibilities and abilities. And in the end, music lovers in this country understood, despite the few who called him out for all the wrong, slanderous reasons, that what he gave went beyond just being revolutionary. His songs became landmarks, true. But none of them were ever uprooted from [...]

Amarasiri Peiris[Pic by pinthaliya.wordpress.com] Artistes have their views. They voice them from time to time. True, they come out less regularly than we’d want them to, but when they do they’re frank enough to call a spade a spade. The more humble among them, I believe, manage to concede their own inadequacies when indulging in this. Few do, yes, but mercifully they aren’t a minority. Being the veterans they are, they’ve traversed enough to realise that for all the shifts [...]

Amarasiri Peiris[Pic by pinthaliya.wordpress.com] Artistes have their views. They voice them from time to time. True, they come out less regularly than we’d want them to, but when they do they’re frank enough to call a spade a spade. The more humble among them, I believe, manage to concede their own inadequacies when indulging in this. Few do, yes, but mercifully they aren’t a minority. Being the veterans they are, they’ve traversed enough to realise that for all the shifts [...]

Perhaps it is because of a discernible suppression of Mahagama Sekera in the larger discourse of 20th Century Sinhala literature that people sometimes express the wish that the great man be elevated to his rightful place among literary greats.  It might be for this very reason that some who attended an event at the Light House Galley on April 7, 2014 curiously titled ‘Rae Ira Pana’ with a ‘Sekera Mahima’ tag may have left believing that justice was done.  Sober reflection might yield [...]

Perhaps it is because of a discernible suppression of Mahagama Sekera in the larger discourse of 20th Century Sinhala literature that people sometimes express the wish that the great man be elevated to his rightful place among literary greats.  It might be for this very reason that some who attended an event at the Light House Galley on April 7, 2014 curiously titled ‘Rae Ira Pana’ with a ‘Sekera Mahima’ tag may have left believing that justice was done.  Sober reflection might yield [...]

BOOK REVIEW ‘Karuge Lamaa Gee Potha’ (Karu’s Children’s Songs) by Karunaratne Abeysekera, published by Sarasavi Prakashakayo, illustrated by Sybil Wettasinghe, designed by Sandra Mack, reviewed by Malinda Seneviratne. I spoke with the renowned Sinhala lyricist Ratna Sri Wijesinghe about six years ago on the subject of children’s literature or rather literature for children.  I believe it was for a feature on ‘Children’s Day’.  The question put to him was about the status (as in quality) of literature.  I remember his answer: ‘Today there [...]

BOOK REVIEW ‘Karuge Lamaa Gee Potha’ (Karu’s Children’s Songs) by Karunaratne Abeysekera, published by Sarasavi Prakashakayo, illustrated by Sybil Wettasinghe, designed by Sandra Mack, reviewed by Malinda Seneviratne. I spoke with the renowned Sinhala lyricist Ratna Sri Wijesinghe about six years ago on the subject of children’s literature or rather literature for children.  I believe it was for a feature on ‘Children’s Day’.  The question put to him was about the status (as in quality) of literature.  I remember his answer: ‘Today there [...]

Ranbanda Seneviratne is a man who never abandoned the ordinary and especially subjugated segments of this country, not where the Yoda Ela bends and not anywhere else either.  He died on December 5, 2001. The mortal remains of this lawyer cum lyricist and self-confessed ‘bayya’ from Mahakanadaragama, Anuradhapura was cremated a couple of days later. ‘We should ask why Gunadasa Kapuge was sitting in a far corner of the cemetery, all by himself, and weep copious tears,’ a friend told me a few days [...]

Ranbanda Seneviratne is a man who never abandoned the ordinary and especially subjugated segments of this country, not where the Yoda Ela bends and not anywhere else either.  He died on December 5, 2001. The mortal remains of this lawyer cum lyricist and self-confessed ‘bayya’ from Mahakanadaragama, Anuradhapura was cremated a couple of days later. ‘We should ask why Gunadasa Kapuge was sitting in a far corner of the cemetery, all by himself, and weep copious tears,’ a friend told me a few days [...]

It was in the early years of this millennium that my brother first dragged me to R&B.  I am not a music person.  The band X-it was playing but the name didn’t mean anything to me.  I didn’t know anyone in the band, but I liked the music.  I remember the percussionist and that’s because he sang two songs, Bon Jovi’s ‘Bed of Roses’ and Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’. ‘What a wonderful voice,’ I thought.  Someone told me his name.  And that didn’t mean anything [...]

It was in the early years of this millennium that my brother first dragged me to R&B.  I am not a music person.  The band X-it was playing but the name didn’t mean anything to me.  I didn’t know anyone in the band, but I liked the music.  I remember the percussionist and that’s because he sang two songs, Bon Jovi’s ‘Bed of Roses’ and Louis Armstrong’s ‘What a Wonderful World’. ‘What a wonderful voice,’ I thought.  Someone told me his name.  And that didn’t mean anything [...]

[This was written on February 13, 2014 for The Nation of February 16, 2014.  Mahinda Algama will not read this piece.  He passed away on the 15th of February.] Talk of lyricists and there are names that drop off the lips of announcers, presenters and guest speakers, names that drip off the pens of scribes in Sinhala newspapers.  Mahinda Algama is a name that’s not hard to pronounce.  His presence in the Sinhala music scene is such that he is not easy [...]

[This was written on February 13, 2014 for The Nation of February 16, 2014.  Mahinda Algama will not read this piece.  He passed away on the 15th of February.] Talk of lyricists and there are names that drop off the lips of announcers, presenters and guest speakers, names that drip off the pens of scribes in Sinhala newspapers.  Mahinda Algama is a name that’s not hard to pronounce.  His presence in the Sinhala music scene is such that he is not easy [...]

Childhood melodies have a way of staying with us long years after we first hear them. Children, naturally, are less concerned with the singer than with the song. The only reason that I associated Nanda Malini with the voice and the melodies that were sent rippling along the air ways by what was then the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation, is because my grandfather, for reasons best known to him, didn’t like her and said so on more than one occasion. At [...]

Childhood melodies have a way of staying with us long years after we first hear them. Children, naturally, are less concerned with the singer than with the song. The only reason that I associated Nanda Malini with the voice and the melodies that were sent rippling along the air ways by what was then the Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation, is because my grandfather, for reasons best known to him, didn’t like her and said so on more than one occasion. At [...]

My maternal grandmother died on what would have been the 50th birthday of her daughter, who had died at the age of 10. My father mentioned it in passing and observed softly that it can take a long time to get over someone’s death. This is true. People come into our lives without notice, without bugle call and press release. They go without saying anything sometimes. And they return in the same way. I had grieved and done with grieving, [...]

My maternal grandmother died on what would have been the 50th birthday of her daughter, who had died at the age of 10. My father mentioned it in passing and observed softly that it can take a long time to get over someone’s death. This is true. People come into our lives without notice, without bugle call and press release. They go without saying anything sometimes. And they return in the same way. I had grieved and done with grieving, [...]

I remember early mornings and late afternoons in Kurunegala during vacations spent in Kurunegala at my maternal grandparents’ house, anticipating the wonders of play and discovery and the ways in which these dreams are realised, albeit in fracture and through reconfiguration of reality. And I remember the voice of Nanda Malini over the then Radio Ceylon, soon to be the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. They are among my earliest memories. Even today, if ever I listen to "Mal mal heenaya", "Rukaththana gaha [...]

I remember early mornings and late afternoons in Kurunegala during vacations spent in Kurunegala at my maternal grandparents’ house, anticipating the wonders of play and discovery and the ways in which these dreams are realised, albeit in fracture and through reconfiguration of reality. And I remember the voice of Nanda Malini over the then Radio Ceylon, soon to be the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. They are among my earliest memories. Even today, if ever I listen to "Mal mal heenaya", "Rukaththana gaha [...]

Pic Courtesy www.mahagamasekera.org In the twenty years that have passed since that bus ride they have talked about it on a few occasions.  No one said ‘Mahagama Sekera Kandayama’.  Indeed no one mentioned the lyricist most featured in their singing.  Songs are associated with singer, not composer or lyricist, for whatever reason.  Pundit Amaradeva of course mentions his friend with affection every now and again, using the title of a song, ‘Gee pothai, mee vithai’ (the book of songs and the wine) to refer to himself [...]

Pic Courtesy www.mahagamasekera.org In the twenty years that have passed since that bus ride they have talked about it on a few occasions.  No one said ‘Mahagama Sekera Kandayama’.  Indeed no one mentioned the lyricist most featured in their singing.  Songs are associated with singer, not composer or lyricist, for whatever reason.  Pundit Amaradeva of course mentions his friend with affection every now and again, using the title of a song, ‘Gee pothai, mee vithai’ (the book of songs and the wine) to refer to himself [...]

A few days ago I saw a poster announcing a concert.  The title was familiar: 'Piya satahan'.  It was the title of one of Gunadasa Kapuge's songs.  Indeed it was the title song of that album.  It meant 'Footprints'. 'Piya' of course refers to 'father'.  A slight word twist and appropriate too, for it was a son's tribute to a father.  Gunadasa Kapuge died, tragically, in April 2003.  The poster brought back memories.  I remember that day very well.  I [...]

A few days ago I saw a poster announcing a concert.  The title was familiar: 'Piya satahan'.  It was the title of one of Gunadasa Kapuge's songs.  Indeed it was the title song of that album.  It meant 'Footprints'. 'Piya' of course refers to 'father'.  A slight word twist and appropriate too, for it was a son's tribute to a father.  Gunadasa Kapuge died, tragically, in April 2003.  The poster brought back memories.  I remember that day very well.  I [...]

How many times have we heard “stories” like this?!! “My biscuits were too hard Not like HIS Mother used to make He didn’t like my curries Or even the love-cake The coffee wasn’t brewed right Nor was HIS herbal-tea The biryani was “not nice” Nor was the mulligatawny Shirt-buttons “missed” the button-hole Tie knotted on askew I didn’t mend his socks Just like HIS Mother used to do” I stood there, quite dumbfounded While HE kept finding fault “The eggs [...]

How many times have we heard “stories” like this?!! “My biscuits were too hard Not like HIS Mother used to make He didn’t like my curries Or even the love-cake The coffee wasn’t brewed right Nor was HIS herbal-tea The biryani was “not nice” Nor was the mulligatawny Shirt-buttons “missed” the button-hole Tie knotted on askew I didn’t mend his socks Just like HIS Mother used to do” I stood there, quite dumbfounded While HE kept finding fault “The eggs [...]

A beautiful old song from an era that spawned them. Now, a “true story” with a difference.It was during the 1980’s in Melbourne. I had already been resident in my new Country for more than twenty years, now 48 years old, I had already been working here for 22 years, having started permanant/part-time employment less than a week after arrival. I still remember my very first job here, as a “mail-clerk” in Melbourne Town, rushing to the Spencer-Street railway station [...]

A beautiful old song from an era that spawned them. Now, a “true story” with a difference.It was during the 1980’s in Melbourne. I had already been resident in my new Country for more than twenty years, now 48 years old, I had already been working here for 22 years, having started permanant/part-time employment less than a week after arrival. I still remember my very first job here, as a “mail-clerk” in Melbourne Town, rushing to the Spencer-Street railway station [...]

Article sent to me by the late Stuart de Silva JAZZ – the word has never been clearly defined. Someone asked Thelonious Sphere Monk in an interview “How would you define Jazz?” He answered, “Man, I don’t have to define it. I PLAY it. All you critics and non-players have to do is LISTEN!” No truer word was spoken. I was born on the same day that piano virtuoso Art Tatum recorded his devastatingly stunning version of Tiger Rag. (He [...]

Article sent to me by the late Stuart de Silva JAZZ – the word has never been clearly defined. Someone asked Thelonious Sphere Monk in an interview “How would you define Jazz?” He answered, “Man, I don’t have to define it. I PLAY it. All you critics and non-players have to do is LISTEN!” No truer word was spoken. I was born on the same day that piano virtuoso Art Tatum recorded his devastatingly stunning version of Tiger Rag. (He [...]

The greatest Jazz drummer Sri Lanka ever produced I knew Cass when I was a teenager also interested in drumming. We respected him a lot as he was much older, stern, and extremely serious. His younger brother, Faleel, also a great drummer of his vintage, was more closer in terms of age and hence we were much more comfortable with him. The class and style of both Cass & Faleel on drums has never been matched by anyone in Sri [...]

The greatest Jazz drummer Sri Lanka ever produced I knew Cass when I was a teenager also interested in drumming. We respected him a lot as he was much older, stern, and extremely serious. His younger brother, Faleel, also a great drummer of his vintage, was more closer in terms of age and hence we were much more comfortable with him. The class and style of both Cass & Faleel on drums has never been matched by anyone in Sri [...]

පින් කේත හෙළ රන් දෙරණේ යලි උපදින්නට හේතු වාසනා වේවා ! Pundit W.D. Amaradeva [Pic by Sandra Mack] ‘Amaradeva: yesterday, today and tomorrow’ was a show held at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Performing Arts Theater.  It was a grand 85th birthday party for the maestro and his wife who shares his birthday, even though the latter as she always has been was in his shadow.  Before the show, there were rehearsals, light and heavy both.  Years before, I had the honor of interviewing him, [...]

පින් කේත හෙළ රන් දෙරණේ යලි උපදින්නට හේතු වාසනා වේවා ! Pundit W.D. Amaradeva [Pic by Sandra Mack] ‘Amaradeva: yesterday, today and tomorrow’ was a show held at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Performing Arts Theater.  It was a grand 85th birthday party for the maestro and his wife who shares his birthday, even though the latter as she always has been was in his shadow.  Before the show, there were rehearsals, light and heavy both.  Years before, I had the honor of interviewing him, [...]

MILLIONS OF THEM HAVE BEEN WRITTEN, PLAYED BY INSTRUMENTS, OR BEEN SUNG TRILLIONS OF WORDS IN THEIR LYRICS, COMPOSED FOR THE OLD AND THE YOUNG WHAT’S THE TRUE MEANING OF “MUSIC”, HOW COULD IT EVER BE WRONG? READING MY WORDS WILL NOW TELL YOU, EXACTLY, THE MEANING OF “SONG”. “Music” is the only TRUE International Language in this World of ours. Even the tiniest corner of the Globe will, at some time, during its day or night, feature the music, song [...]

MILLIONS OF THEM HAVE BEEN WRITTEN, PLAYED BY INSTRUMENTS, OR BEEN SUNG TRILLIONS OF WORDS IN THEIR LYRICS, COMPOSED FOR THE OLD AND THE YOUNG WHAT’S THE TRUE MEANING OF “MUSIC”, HOW COULD IT EVER BE WRONG? READING MY WORDS WILL NOW TELL YOU, EXACTLY, THE MEANING OF “SONG”. “Music” is the only TRUE International Language in this World of ours. Even the tiniest corner of the Globe will, at some time, during its day or night, feature the music, song [...]

It HAS been a very long forty three years since I set foot in Sri Lanka (my lovely Island home) in 1973. I do not remember the exact month or date, but I do remember that there was a Gerald Wickremesooriya representative at the airport to meet me, even though I had told no-one that I was coming back home after eleven years, having migrated to Melbourne in 1962. When Gerald's name was mentioned, I could not possibly refuse the [...]

It HAS been a very long forty three years since I set foot in Sri Lanka (my lovely Island home) in 1973. I do not remember the exact month or date, but I do remember that there was a Gerald Wickremesooriya representative at the airport to meet me, even though I had told no-one that I was coming back home after eleven years, having migrated to Melbourne in 1962. When Gerald's name was mentioned, I could not possibly refuse the [...]