It’s not only her songs that are remembered when the name Visharad
Neela Wickramasinghe is heard. As much as her flexible voice is widely admired,
social services she has rendered are also remembered and valued. Among all, Sri
Lanka will not forget her service in helping the Polio eradicating program in the
late 1980s.
Neela’s voice was first introduced to radio listeners in
1959 through a program in Radio Ceylon titled ‘Adunika Handa’ (Amateur’s Voice).
In 1966, she bagged the opportunity to become a playback singer for Sinhala
films. “Singing is what I do since I was just three years old,” she told The
Nation. “I have been in the field for 47 years. This was not an easy journey,” Neela
said recalling the path she has traveled. She is also an accomplished music
teacher as well as a versatile music composer.
Neela believes that she inherited her musical talents from
her parents. Her mother and father were both known for their skills in singing.
Neela said that her path to success was cleared for her by her reputed music teachers.
Among them are Amara Athukorala, Vincent Somapala, Ananda Jayasinghe, Sarath
Dassanayake and Premadasa Mudunkotuwa. In 1967 she had the privilege to record
her first song, ‘Sende ambare nisha mal yata’ with Radio Ceylon. By 1973,
she was an A grade artiste on the merit of the songs sung for the research
section of the SLBC.
In 1974, she graduated with a Sangeeth Visharad degree after
studying North Indian Classical Music. Completing her studies, Neela opted to
become a music teacher. “I was a teacher for 23 years till I retired in 1998,”
she said.
Going on to establish her career, she won her first
Sarasaviya Award in 1984. She secured this award for her song ‘Bodhiye
Viharaye…’ sung for the film Ethin Ethata. “Since then I have won a number of awards.
After a few I stopped counting,” she laughed. “I don’t believe that it is a
wise idea to run behind awards anyway,” she said.
So far, she has won the Sarasaviya Award thrice,
Presidential award, Sumathi Tele award Zonata and Vanitha award. However, she
said that she felt gratified when the USA presented her with the International
Award of Excellence on 100th International Women’s Day in 2011 and Vishva
Abhimani together with a Gold Medal by the Human Rights Organization of Justice
and Peace in recognition of her contribution as a singer in the field of music.
Although she was first identified as a young voice which was
mostly suitable for the folk music, later in her career, she evidenced that her
voice is versatile enough that it also suits heavily westernized compositions
as well. Best examples for this are her songs such as ‘Viyo Gee’, ‘Rantikiri
Sina’ and ‘Master Sir.’
Looking back, she said, she is shocked by the
transformations in the Sri Lankan music field. “The song has elements which can
directly address the human heart.
Therefore song should only be used to convey worthy messages,” she
explained. “Some songs today, depress me; the language used or the messages
conveyed are sometimes unbelievably horrible. I believe these songs can do more
harm than terrorists. Terrorists’ harm was visible. We were able to stop them.
Yet, harm done by cheap art creations is indistinguishable in that no one sees the
depths of the damages done,” she iterated.
She held the media responsible for the changes made.
According to her, media is open to anyone who can produce a song which is high
in marketable value regardless the quality of music or the meaning. “If they
can make it a hit, it’s all what matters,” she expressed her grief. She
compared the contemporary field with the days when she was still an amateur. “Today
becoming a singer follows an instant procedure. Sometimes, media men come to
the studio, wait till a new comer finishes a song to collect it. Next day, this
song tops the charts. Isn’t it a pun played on listeners?” she raised a
question. Neela also said, back then, a song had to undergo several assessments
before it was broadcast. She believes that this would have been the reason why
70s is called the golden era of the Sinhala Song.
She prefers to give talented young musicians their due
place. “We see that there are some new singers having lots of potential. But
the way they are made to become popular don’t allow them to remain in the field
for a long time,” explained Neela. She affirmed that this situation affects the
future of the song industry. “We will not be there forever. There will be a day
that I cannot sing. There should be a generation which can take the industry into
their hands safely when we are no more. But, I don’t see anyone who has entered
the field during the last two decades capable of taking this responsibility,”
Neela lamented.
She also said that although media is very enthusiastic about
new songs of amateurs, they have closed their doors fully to new creations of
veterans. “Most veterans in the field are not silent. They too work on new
creations. But for a reason which is hard for me to understand, media is not
open to new creations by us. They play and replay the old songs,” she said
adding that the stage is the only place open for new songs of old people.
Wickramasinghe also spoke about the Music Research Unit of
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) where her talents were identified. Veteran
broadcaster C de S Kulathilake, shares credit for introducing Neela to the
field though his series of programs on Sinhala folk music on SLBC’s music
research unit. Her debut song, ‘Dethata Walalu’ was written and music composed
by C de S Kulathilake based on Sinhala folk music. She also recalled how SLBC was also in its
golden era during late Mr. Ridgeway Tillakaratne’s time. “Even SLBC is not
giving the due space for a veteran to present something new. Leaders of the
media institutions should be held responsible for this,” she further opined.
On 2012, to mark 45th anniversary of her musical career, Wickramasinghe
started a solo concert named ‘Master Sir’. The popular song ‘Master Sir’ was a
creation of veteran musician Nimal Mendis for the movie ‘Kalu Diya Dahara in
1974. Master Sir Solo concert has travelled across the country as well as the
globe since 2012. She iterated that the feedback she receives for this show is
enough evidence that there is still demand for decent music. “Listeners can’t
be fooled. They are much ahead of our media men,” she stressed. “This is the
reason why there is a high demand for classical music concerts. If and when
media deprives them of what they want, they will always find a way to fulfill
their need,” she emphasized.
Wickramasinghe participated in the UNICEF Project to
save the children by eradicating polio from our country in 1989. She sang a
song composed for this campaign, which was heard frequently over the radio and
TV channels. Her efforts helped immensely to eradicate polio as through this
campaign. Sri Lanka was able to eradicate Polio by 2000. She said that she is
proud and content about the life she led, her achievements and the social
services. She added that she believes that it is her duty to serve the country
to her fullest capabilities through her ‘The Mother’ organization. Wickramasinghe
founded this charity organization in 2002 with the aim of catering to children,
elders and artists who made a lifetime contribution to the field.
She encountered many hurdles on the road she has travelled.
Yet she was courageous enough to pass through all this. She attributes the
blessings of people, who admire her songs, to her success in the music industry.
“I know I have done my best. My efforts in art were never a fake. Proof for the genuineness of my work is the
appreciations I receive from music lovers. It will always come as a blessing
for me,” she concluded.
No comments:
Post a Comment