La Bambas | Sooriya Records | Sri Lankan Music

COCK-A-DOODLE-DO

November 8, 2020 by shamilka

Des Kelly, La Bambas

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.

Everywhere they’re fighting,not just the Chinese cocks
Once, where the people’s brains were
We’re only finding rocks
This World will soon be ending
Someday, around midnight
Still leaves us enough time, my friends
For one more damn cock-fight

It’s the year of the rooster, my Lankan/Aussie friends. Thought I would write this little piece before 2029 (the next birthday of the Chinese-Cock), because, much as I would like to be “still-around” I fear that this is only “wishful/thinking” on my part.

One thing is certain, for persons of my vintage, look at it, anyway but loose, as Clint Eastwood would say, the World of the present “Chinese Rooster” is getting more interesting as each day goes by. INTERESTING, but sadly, not exhilarating.People, men, women & children are either running away from their homes, as refugees, starving to death, or both.

Look at it, anyway you like, but all the “aid”, compassion, or both (again), is going to be futile, in the long run, IF the men & women in these sadly impoverished Countries are going to continue to produce more children. To whom it may concern, get some of your “brains” back in place, use all the “funds” donated to “curtail” the unnecessary populating of our Planet with a simple “birth-control” injection. I will not go into details because I expect my readers to have the intelligence & commonsense to know what I mean. Don’t STOP population, simply CONTROL it.

I have always been very interested,& enjoy the Jerry Seinfeld “Series” now being re-televised over & over again (thankfully, as it is definitely one of the better ones), & in one particular episode, “Elaine” makes a comment while, in the company of a Russian, in reference to the well-known novel “War & Peace”, she mentioned that someone she knew was going to come back with this other book entitled “War, what is it good for? “!!. Well, Elaine, my answer to you would be “War is good for NOTHING, but NOTHING will stop them until the greed for power is eradicated from the human mind. Again, I say, what I’ve always said,
” Wars will not cease while there are rocks in our heads. World war 1, 2, Vietnam, Korean, Falklands, Sri Lanka, etc., (only counting the main ones in MY time),
dozens of others before the above and the STUPID WARS that are in progress RIGHT NOW, and where has it all got us? , absolutely NOWHERE.

Back where I started again, a “Country” song of mine which also gives me the opportunity of “signing-off” my “articles/stories” in a manner where my readers will look-forward to reading more(hopefully), I now revert to Mr.Donald Trump who will very shortly have to report to his physiotherapist for urgent treatment as regards imminent R.S.I. on his right wrist.

Since his inaugeration as President of the U.S.A., he has been doing little else but signing documents, that, he hopes, will make America the greatest Country in the World. Naturally, there is going to be plenty of opposition to all this “signage” BUT, we have to remember that MILLIONS OF AMERICANS VOTED HIM IN TO DO JUST THAT.

We, the people, are the ones responsible for voting in the Governments to “run” the Country and it doesn’t matter which Country it is. If we are not satisfied, we must vote them “out” without running around like headless chooks finding fault, for want of something better to do.

I WILL sign-off now, but not before I give all my readers who have just celebrated “Australia-Day”on the 26th January, 2017 the news that no Indigenous person COULD celebrate this particular day because, in the 26th of January, 1788, Australia was founded, after being forcibly taken-over from Indigenous folk who were already here for goodness only knows, how many thousands of years prior to this. Apologies have been forthcoming from many present-day Politicians but let me just say that I missed Jessica Mauboy who, in my opinion, is one of the “top” female singers in the Country, at the “concert” (the reason being obvious)& I do hope that next year 2018, a “TOTAL-AUSTRALIAN” day, perhaps on another “day” agreed to, by ALL Australians, will feature Jessica and her music that is soooo very good. Here’s hoping.

Desmond Kelly.
“Star of eLanka”.

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My Reflections and Experiences of the Sooriya Show

May 4, 2017 by admin

La Bambas, Priya Peiris, Sooriya Records, sooriya show

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 SOORIYA Shows were organized annually, featuring the galaxy of singing stars that included Darlene Arnolda, Noeliine Mendis, Sam Nathan, Desmond de Silva, M.S. Fernando in addition to the 70s groups such as Moonstones, Three Sisters, Los Flamencos, La Bambas, Dharmaratne Brothers with Shiromie Fernando, Paul Fernando and Victor Silva who had all recorded on the SOORIYA record label during those halcyon and tranquil days.

Most of the shows were held in Colombo at the Nawarangahala and the Ramakrishna Mission hall in Wellawatte – prime venues at that time. The shows were well planned – never too long and boring like certain nowadays programs and were around 3 hour’s duration at the most. The program would start on time and finish likewise. Most importantly, the music which was all performed on stage (not ‘programmed’ the easy way out like nowadays, with technology rather than talent) was very listenable and not unbearable and loud!

A Personal Experience

I recall that the La Bambas required six microphones on stage for our performance – unlike the individual artistes and certain others, as the six of us had to blend our vocal harmonies in a balanced manner while at the same time our unplugged acoustic guitar playing plus the percussion sounds also had to be carried via the sound system and heard by the audience to their liking. All of this ‘balancing act’ was a tricky and a frightening experience! Due to this technical difficulty, at our behest, we were slotted to perform at these shows soon after the halfway intermission. This gave us the opportunity to organize ourselves on stage while the curtain was closed and none in the audience would observe the halabaloo going on behind the stage from where they are seated!

I remember the sound engineer – the amiable Tissa’s role during the interval to ensure that all microphones were placed and balanced accordingly. Once the curtain opened and we began to perform, we would very carefully but feverishly listen to what is heard over the speakers to the best of our ability and adjust our volume and positions with the microphones as quickly as possible during the act itself. This was a nightmare that many other singers did not experience, as an unbalanced result would have been disaster for us!

The SOORIYA SHOW also took us to Kandy a couple of times. I also remember the C.T. SOORIYA SHOW executed as a joint effort along with Mr. C.T. Fernando at the Sugathadasa indoor stadium, when compere Vijaya Corea had to rush out somewhere no sooner the show began – and believe me, I had to compere the entire show wearing someone else’s coat! (Therefore I believe I am the only person other than Dr. Vijaya Corea to compere a SOORIYA SHOW perhaps by default!).

Each SOORIYA SHOW drew a capacity crowd. They were all family oriented programs. Although there were friends and buddies who planned and came for the show, it was more of an intimate affair where family members thronged to witness these shows in great numbers…

la-bambas

COCK-A-DOODLE-DO

My Reflections and Experiences of the Sooriya Show

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