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gerald-wickremesooriya

A fine lead Guitarist of yesteryear

A fine lead Guitarist of yesteryear

January 8, 2018 by admin
Anton Goonetilake, Dilhani, Gerald Wickremesooriya, Peter, Peter Ranasinghe

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, Even musicians, But quite well known among senior musicians and other senior citizens over here. Maybe some may remember him as the lead Guitarist of the mid to late 80’s band Jade but Not many will know he was the main lead Guitarist for the studio recording of the famous 4 song Sooriya album Dilhani..

An EP album which which is a landmark in the vinyl or record industry of Sri Lanka.

An album produced by Mr.Gerald Wickremesooriya on his own Sooriya label that still holds the record for the highest amount of sales of an EP record in Sri Lanka

Dilhani EP

The album which contained the very first song in the Island where harmonizing was superimposed or overdubbed by the same lead singer by Sri Lanka’s legendary recording engineer the late Mr.Mervyn Rodrigo. (This was actually an experiment but results proved to be very good! and was subsequently added to many more recordings)

A song totally created by a person considered the God father of Singhalese Pop in Sri Lanka ,the late Mr.Clarence Wijewardane for the two week old little daughter of the manger of his first band,The Moonstones, Mr.Sri Sangabo Corea .

The “Person” is, Non other than Mr.Anton Goonetilleke. And as I mentioned earlier, Not known to many but he is the man, who was just 19 at the time way back in 1969 who played this beautiful opening mid and ending Electric Guitar riffs for the studio recording of the evergreen hit Dilhani sung by Indrani Pererabacked by the Moonstones. But Anton was not a permanent member of the Moonstones and had left by the time photographs were snapped for the cover of the EP and sadly as a result did not appear on the cover picture with the rest of the Moonstones. However, Mr.Gerald Wickremesooriya, The big man and proprietor of the record company had seen to his own eyes and heard to his own ears the performance of Anton Goonetilleke and had insisted that at least his name should appear on the flip side of the cover and so it was!

The studio recording was done during the morning hours of the 17th of May 1969 at Sarasavi Recording studio, Dalugama Kelaniya on twin track Monaural and in just two (2) takes after many weeks of practice by the boys & girl.

Enjoy this little part of the opening,Middle and ending Electric lead Guitar riffs combined together along with the first verse of the track which I have edited down to 1 minute and 4 seconds from the full song of 3 minutes and 4 seconds.

Stanley Peiris(www.dailynews.lk

Stanley Peiris and the music of the middle

February 24, 2017 by admin
ajantha ranasinghe, clarence wijewardena, Gerald Wickremesooriya, Premasiri Khemadasa, Stanley Peiris, Sunil Shantha, the moonstones, uditha, Uditha Devapriya, Vijaya Corea

 

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 basis of how their contemporary exponents echo the masters of the past.

 

I love these masters. They taught me how to live. And to love. Amaradeva never fails to enthral me. Khemadasa enthrals me even more (owing to my admiration for the man’s penchant for Western orchestration). Somadasa Elvitigala and Shelton Premaratne, the former dead and the latter domiciled in Australia, enchant me too, a pity since both were marginalised in their time. Sunil Shantha continues to be sung everywhere, teaching us the beauties of a land that undercut him. H. M. Jayawardena and Gunadasa Kapuge have taught me more about humanity and the resilience of the human spirit than any political tract. These people didn’t just compose tunes. They ensured that whatever they composed added meaning to our lives.

 

Unfortunately or fortunately, there were other composers. They also imparted meaning to their compositions. The only difference, however, was that they pandered to a different sensibility, nurturing a different audience. Like Clarence Wijewardena. The Moonstones. Los Caballeros. The Gypsies. Marians. Right down to Daddy. They too told (and continue to tell) stories in their songs, stories which deserve more than a cursory perusal. But if we are to compare them with those other names, I’d be inclined to say that they were responsible for simplifying music. With deference to Marx, I’d even be inclined to say that they brought music to the urban petite bourgeoisie here.

 

Stanley Peiris, who died in 2002 and would have been 75 were he alive, fell into this category. He composed more than 6,000 songs, hefty in a context where musicians today try to score points with a fraction of that amount. He was not an exponent of high music or low music. He was an exponent of popular music. Some of his tunes survive because, like those other composers one can classify him with, he appealed to a cross-section of his society. That cross-section has continued to balloon exponentially in the years following his death. No wonder his work remains popular.

 

He was born in Kandy and was educated at St Anthony’s College in Katugastota. He studied music at the Kandy MGC Institute and worked for a while at the Sri Lankan Navy, eventually becoming a Signal Officer. During this time, the Moonstones had more or less empowered the pop music industry in the country, a landmark given that pop music had hitherto been limited to calypso bands that came out of nowhere and disappeared. Emboldened by this, no doubt, Stanley decided to strike his own path, forming his own group (Fortunes) and specialising in instrumental music.

 

The Moonstones would shortly be uplifted by Vijaya Corea, who made the waves in our radio and music industries in the fifties and sixties. In 1969, the band had travelled to Kandy to perform at a dinner dance. Corea was to compere that dance. Stanley and his brother, Rangith, began their gig for the evening and went on, until late that night, with their saxophones. They had enthralled the compere so much that the man, wasting no time, told the duo to come to Colombo and not be limited to Kandy. When he himself went back to Colombo, he contacted Gerald Wickremesooriya. He asked the latter to accommodate Fortunes and, if possible, make them famous.

 

Legend has it that Gerald wasn’t too enamoured of Corea’s proposal, but legend also has it that, thanks to Corea’s ability to persuade, he got the duo to come and perform for him. So one morning, at Gerald’s residence in Kollupitiya, Stanley, Rangith, and the rest of the boys in Fortunes went on from one item to another. History doesn’t tell us what Gerald would have thought. History does, however, tell us that he smiled at Corea, looked at Stanley and Rangith, and nodded at them. Fortunes was in, and with it Stanley too. Later, when Stanley partly abandoned his saxophone (which stayed with him, until his last days) and opted for a career in composing, rather than performing, music, he would look back and admit that if it wasn’t for Vijaya Corea, there would probably never have been a Stanley Peiris.

 

6,000-plus songs, as I mentioned before, is a hefty amount. With them, he got to meet and associate with a great many vocalists and lyricists, each different to the other by a considerable margin. He gave Chandrika Siriwardena her two most memorable songs, “Igillila Yanna Yan” and “Ran Tharawako”. He gave form to Ajantha Ranasinghe’s reminiscences about a nameless woman he’d seen in the city and got Amaradeva to sing “Tharu Arundathi”. He got together with Sunil Ariyaratne and Nanda Malini and got the latter to sing about the true spirit of Christmas with “Jesu Swami Daruwane”. And of course, he gave us a near-perfect fusion of romance and silliness and got Raj Seneviratne to sing “Sili Sili Seethala Alle”. There are a hundred other songs I have grown to love, but now’s not the time to list them all.

 

Was there something that brought all these together? Probably. Khemadasa’s signature became evident with the violin: he managed to get us hooked with even his lesser work, which he gave us regularly and despairingly so in the eighties, by resorting to that instrument. Stanley resorted likewise to the guitar, which remains treasured by the very same audience he won to his side.

 

In arguably his most rebellious song, the much vilified but scantily assessed “Seegiri Geeyak” (which got him working with Sunil Ariyaratne again), he conjures up with the guitar the very image of the Seegiri Apsarawo, alive and animated, as they dance to Nirosha Virajini’s fervent wish for her lover to carve a sandakada pahana in her heart. “What is the meaning of that song?” a prominent lyricist once asked me, to which he supplied his own answer: “Meaning is relative. So is music. If we question the meaning that the lyricist and the composer wanted to bring out, we are implying that we know better. We do not.” Aptly put, I’m compelled to concede.

 

Stanley didn’t go solo, of course. He scored some films: Saranga in 1981, Baisikale in 1982, and Soora Saradiel in 1986. He taught at his own school. Among his students was Rookantha Gunathilake, who with Mahinda Bandara and Keerthi Pasqual would form the band Galaxy under Stanley’s guidance. He guided other vocalists and composers, prime among them Dinesh Subasinghe. Among his later collaborators, who’ve graduated since, one can count Rohana Bogoda, Raju Bandara, and Nelu Adhikari. They all remember him today as self-effacing, kind, gentle, and never self-centred. A veritable portrait of a veritable artiste, I should think.

 

On October 13, 2002 Stanley Peiris succumbed to cancer. He was helped even in his final days by his students, who organised a musical show at the BMICH to raise funds for him. At the time of his death, the pop music industry in Sri Lanka was fast being inhabited by pretenders and amateurs, those who resorted to the same hackneyed themes in a bid to simplify their art even more. In the end, tragically but inevitably, we fell into a crevice, in which we remain stuck and in which we prefer to remain stuck.

 

What Stanley did, which the likes of Clarence began before him, was to bring music closer to the urban middle-class Sri Lankan. I think it was the inimitable A. J. Gunawardana who titled his tribute to P. L. A. Sompala as “The music of the middle”. That would have been an apt heading for Stanley’s epitaph and for the kind of music he composed. On the other hand, though, what his descendants did (which they continue to do) was create an artificial common denominator so as to evade the burden and energy entailed in composing, writing, and singing songs which were original and spoke of experiences felt and lived through. We should regret, this I believe.

By Uditha Devapriya

Des Kelly

Sooriya Show 1900 &73

June 30, 2016 by admin
Des Kelly, Desmond Kelly, Gerald Wickremesooriya, Sooriya Records, sooriya show

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.

Paper Articles
Paper Articles

When Gerald’s name was mentioned, I could not possibly refuse the offer of doing a “stage-show” for the man, whose “Children’s Book-Shop” in the Fort, I had “haunted” since it’s very inception, mainly to read and “thumb-through” the various books & magazines for sale, where, later, I also met Gerald and his lovely wife, Mrs. Wickremesooriya. I remember them both, even now, 54 years hence, with pride, because it was an honour to meet and get to know both of them.

Later on, Gerald started selling “Records” as well. The little 45 rpm records and the larger L.Ps. At that stage, I was practically “living there”. Most of these “good things” I couldn’t afford, but I suppose that the Wickremesooriya family knew how much pleasure it was for me to simply even just “handle” & drool over the two “first-loves” of my life, BOOKS & MUSIC”.

Then, later, in 1958 I recorded “Dream-World” and, I remember that The Children’s’ Bookshop actually sold
some of the initial copies of this recording, which became a big “hit” in Ceylon (at the time) , later, in India, and now, is considered a “perennial favourite“ all around the World. “Dream-World” was my first recording,  my own original composition(words & music) to be picked by Philips in Holland & promoted under their own label. The “Sooriya-Label” had still not started but was “a future dream” for Gerald and wife.

I do think however, that Sooriya Records got going after I left the Island and had precious little time to “keep in touch” with everything that was happening “back home” having to work so very hard in Melbourne to ” put food on the table”, so I don’t really know who the “Sooriya-Stars”  of the past were but, even then, the “name” Sooriya, alone, would have tempted many “locals“ into their recording studios.

This “story” is dedicated firstly to Gerald Wickremesooriya who has “gone” to his bookshop in the sky, his wife, who, I believe is still with us, his family & all those who are, or have been featured on the famous “Sooriya” label. Now, I am proud to be “re-united“ with the “re-launch” of this “ship”.  May she sail along smoothly & in PEACE.

At the “Des Kelly Sooriya Show” on November 17, 1973
At the “Des Kelly Sooriya Show” on November 17, 1973

Back to the “Desmond Kelly” “Sooriya Show”.

Gerald Wickremesooriya’s “Man” informed me that they would be “in-touch” with me later with details about the show. My base in Lanka was at a good friend’s home in Nugegoda. They were the ” Gauders”. Even they did not know when I was going to arrive, however they did know that I would be staying with them as they had previously invited me to do so.

Anyway I hailed a taxi, got in,  and said to the driver that I wanted to be driven to Nugegoda. “Hondai”, he said. “Kowda balanda the, mahatmayo?” I replied in a word. “Gauder”!!(still had to get used to my colloquial “Sinhala”). He must have thought I was having him on. “Kowda?”, he asked again, and I said again, “Gauder”!!
We went on like this until we reached Nugegoda and I was laughing so much, by this time, I had forgotten the bloody address of the Gauders.

We had just had a shower of rain and all the “old smells” of wet, green foliage came back to me. Yes I was back home again, perspiring freely, having up to three cold “showers” a day, going out and perspiring again but coming back to where the Gauder’s “Amme“ had prepared another delicious “rice & curry meal for us, complete with the old “pol sambol””pappadams” & “lunu-miris” which I ate with gusto, only to start sweating like a horse, again.

Then I had to go for rehearsals for the show with Gabo & the “Breakaways” This was another interesting story. Gabo picked me up in a car that he had to “start“ & restart with a couple of “wires”. Usual “start-up” keys didn’t work with this car. It was probably older than me and I was 37 at the time. He also DROVE  in a strange way. Going towards the Fort, Gabo “drove“ on the “pavement” for at least half a mile, until there was a break in the traffic and he could get onto the sea-side of Galle Road to continue on our journey. The people on the pavement scattered, I think he drove over two dogs and I then started wondering if I was going to be able to go back to Australia & my family. I don’t know whether he was just trying to “show-off” but I do know that he was one crazy driver.

The band treated me well. We rehearsed for about two hours, then sat down to enjoy some orange-barley water and I told them the story that about 23 years earlier I started my own Carol-Party in Lorenz Road and went “caroling” to earn some money about 3 days before Christmas, “visited” a large, grand-looking home in Dawson Road, sang carols for about 15 minutes  and THEN an “Ayah” came out onto the upstairs balcony and said “Kawuruth gedera naa”. 15 minutes of lusty singing, all for nothing. We were all very annoyed, but what to do men?! My friend, Carl Jansz (R.I.P) broke a few “flower-pots” on the way out.

Every rehearsal I attended after that and there were 3 of them, as soon as the band saw me coming, Gabo would yell out “Kawuruth gedera naa Desmond”.  They were a great bunch of guys and I was “Kawuruth”.

Now, FINALLY to the Sooriya Show. I remember that the Navarangahala Hall was a fairly big venue. It was a “sold-out” concert. I was thrilled and very proud to hear that there were people coming all the way from Badulla (or “Bajula” to us, Lansiyas) , to see me “on-stage.”. I did not want to disappoint them but I was already feeling very hot & uncomfortable in my “full-suit”. The place was “packed” Gabo and the Breakaways were on stage, Vijaya Corea made the introduction and Desmond Kelly was ON. I sang my first song, a Neil Diamond “hit” of that era. NO response whatsoever, from the audience. I sang my second song, again, no response. Gabo was getting upset, I was getting upset. I could see Gerald Wickremesooriya & his Lady seated in the front row and they were starting to feel uncomfortable too.

Des Kelly at the Sooriya Show at -Navaragahala on November 17, 1973
Des Kelly at the Sooriya Show at -Navaragahala on November 17, 1973

What was I going to do? KNOWING PEOPLE ONLY KNOW, WE ARE WHO ARE. The audience looked like they were at a funeral. Who was this bloody suddah on stage, singing songs that mean nothing to us? Why did “ape Wickremesooriya mahatmaya” put THIS BUGGER on the stage? (typical SINGLISH comments). I then got an idea. When you are in Lanka, do as the Lankans do.

I raised the microphone to my trembling lips and spoke to Vijaya who was standing there in the audience. “VIJAYA, ENNDAKO STAGE-EKATTA, MAY YAKKATA TIKAK SINGALEN KATHA-KARRANDA!!”. The “funeral-audience” BROKE UP! Vijaya came up on stage and spoke to me in perfect colloquial Sinhala.

Des Kelly at the Sooriya Show at -Navaragahala on November 17, 1973
Des Kelly at the Sooriya Show at -Navaragahala on November 17, 1973

I replied in thoroughly broken-Sinhala,  then signaled for Gabo to start my “Baila-Session” which he did, and, for the next hour and a half I had the entire audience in the “palm of my hand”. They shouted, stood on the seats, applause, applause, what any worthwhile entertainer would give his eyes-teeth for. By this time, I had my coat off, my tie off  & was on top of the World.

The “Sooriya-Show” featuring Desmond Kelly was an unqualified  success. I enjoyed it, the audience enjoyed it and Gabo & The Breakaways went AWAY saying ” Kawuruth gedera naa”, Gerald paid me and I think he did not LOSE any money on my show either.

Desmond (Kelly from Colombo).

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