Notes from a daughter’s ‘diary’

  

The 25th death anniversary of journalist, lyrics composer, critic and media man Premakeerthi de Alwis fell on July 31.

In the history of Sinhala songs, we come across a little girl called Surangi. She is sad and starts to shed tears. A drop of a tear runs to the river and flows to the sea. This teardrop finds its way inside a pearl oyster and, after few years, it turns into a pearl. The pearls are harvested and return to Surangi’s home in the form of a pair of earrings. Seeing the earrings, Surangi is happy. So she smiles. Yet, her father realizes that there will be a day when Surangi’s ears will be pierced; her ears will be stuck with a needle. Little Surangi will be hurt. These thoughts make the father sad.

This father is the late veteran broadcaster, lyricist and television personality Premakeerthi de Alwis and the daughter is Surangi de Alwis who was yet to get her ears pierced, back in the 70s. “My ears weren’t even pierced when this song was written, according to my mother. My mother says that he wrote this about me, I was too young to remember,” she said. She added that Premakeerthi must have imagined the forthcoming event in her daughter’s life.

Twenty five years after his death, critics still appreciate his talent for songwriting. Veterans still talk about his capabilities as a broadcaster and modern poets admire his poems. Fine attempts to spotlight this late veteran lyricist, with the help of his daughter Surangi and his comrade Dr. Victor Ratnayake.

Samaraweerage Don Premakeerthi de Alwis was born on June 3, 1947 in Colombo. His father Simon de Alwis was a railway employee and they lived in Maligakanda lane, Maradana. He had his preliminary education at Maligakanda Maha Vidyalaya before joining Ananda College, Colombo 10. In 1965, he became the editor of the school newspaper Anandaya. As a student he participated in a radio program in 1961 conducted by the late Karunaratne Abeysekera.

In 1966 he joined the Visithura cinema magazine published by the Davasa group of companies on an invitation by its Managing Director DB Dhanapala as a feature writer. Concurrently he joined Radio Ceylon as a freelance announcer on December 17, 1967. In June 1, 1971 he became a permanent announcer at Radio Ceylon and promoted to the rank of program producer. Apart from that he made a name for himself between 1974 and 1977 as a lyricist and a renowned speaker. At the time of his untimely death at the age of 42 he was attached to the news desk of the SLBC.

The father-daughter relationship is a strong bond. Yet Premakeerthi’s daughter, Surangi, who is still heartbroken about her father’s untimely death, said that their relationship was not as close as she wanted it to be. “My father and mother were separated ever since I could remember. The physical relationship we had was not more different from a guest who visited our home once in a while. He comes, talks with us for a while and goes back,” she said. “Even today when I see a father and daughter, cuddling and happy, I envy that I couldn’t feel it in the same way,” she added. Yet, she said that his influence made a huge impact shaping her life and he was close to her psychologically.

“There were few favorite places my father used to take me. One such place was Galle Face. When he took me to a place, we didn’t just sit and wait. He always had a story to tell me about the place we visited. He told me about their history and related stories in detail. Then he would take me back to my place and he would return to his,” she recalled.

She also spoke about the relationship between her mother and father. Sri Lankan culture doesn’t support divorce and it tends to make the society believe that the divorced couple should detest the ex-partner that they would tear each other if they accidentally meet face to face. She said that the situation with her parents was completely the opposite. “My parents were still good friends even after the divorce. Before he remarried, I secretly wished that they would get together again. Although it never happened, he was always a good friend to my mother,” she recalled her lost hopes.

She reminisced how her father attempted to plant the seeds of reading in her. When he visited them at their home in Maharagama, he had brought her books. “He used to write something in these books; a line or two. I didn’t understand most of it during that time when I could hardly read,” she spoke about two such autographs written on gifted books. One read, ‘Oba yuwathiyak wana dina maa pas godak pamani. E pas goda paganna duwe’ (When you become a young girl, I will be just a pile of dirt. Daughter, trample this pile of dirt. ) “I didn’t understand what this meant by then. When I did understand, I started to wonder whether he could see what’s going to happen. He might have sensed that,” she said. “There was anther book he gifted me, a story about a kitten. He knew I loved kittens so much that he bought me the book. There was a picture of a kitten playing with a broom. Under this picture he has written, ‘Hithawathun athuganna epa duwe,’ (Don’t sweep out your dear ones). As a child I thought he was asking me not to hurt my kittens,” she recalled.

Surangi had been 16-years-old when her father was murdered. Recalling the dreadful day Premakeerthi was murdered to mind, she said that she felt there was something wrong with his nature although he came to visit her. Schools were closed during this period and she had been home waiting for father’s visit. “He seemed to be preoccupied. I felt that he was not in his right senses. But I didn’t know what was going in his head,” she said that they all feared for death during this era and she was aware that her father too had received life threatening letters. “Most of the announcers at SLBC received death threats including my mother and father. Once he came to our house with a letter and discussed it with mother,” she exclaimed while adding that those letters didn’t seem to scare him and that he continued to work. “He was certain that these threats were null, he believed that if he was faced with such situation he would be able to talk it out and clam them down.

On July 31, 1989 he was assassinated by an unknown group when he stepped out of his residence at Katuwana road, Homagama. She reiterated that he was upset about something on the day he was murdered. “Usually, he comes to our home in the vehicle. He has to reverse out of the yard to get to the road and before he pulls the vehicle on to the main road he would wave at me. But this day he didn’t. He just went. I sensed something was wrong,” she stressed that he was absent minded. “My pet dog was sick this day. He checked up on it also. He promised to bring medicine the next day. But he never returned,” she said.

Dr. Victor Ratnayake was the person who has brought them the message of Premakeerthi’s death. Schools were closed because of riots and Surangi was still in bed when Dr. Ratnayake came to their place with the news. “I heard my mother screaming. And I knew. It was a damned period anyway. It didn’t even take a slip second to realize why my mother screamed,” she said that the period after that until the funeral is still not clear that she fails to recall what happened.  

Looking back she said that she is proud to be the daughter of such a personality, although she lost him unfortunately. “People still respect his name and his contributions. If someone gets to know that I am his daughter, people show gratitude. They still love him,” she said. “He buildup his name through his work and I should know how to protect this dignity,” she added.

Among Premakeerthi’s creations, songs he wrote for Dr. Victor Ratnayake were highly appreciated. Their companionship went beyond this professional relationship that they were close friends in real life. Speaking about his long lost friend Dr. Ratnayake said that Premakeerthi was a friend who was there through thick and thin. “Friends like him are a rare gift and I was fortunate to have him as my friend. He was a symbol of friendship,” Ratnayake said.

He explained that Premakeerthi was a person with a sensitive heart and a mind, who knew the art to speak to another person’s heart. “A person does not become a lyricist for the sake of writing a few lines. Only a sensitive person will know how to address another person’s heart. This is where Premakeerthi becomes important to us, he was exceptionally good at this,” he pointed out. 

 Songs Premakeerthi had written during his short life exceeds 1,400. His capabilities didn’t limit him in addressing a particular age group. He wrote children’s songs as well as love songs and there are unforgettable patriotic songs. Most importantly, he knew how to include satire in songs. Songs like ‘Aluth kalawak soya gatta man, Handa mama udin yathe, Nadayo, Kundumani, Pankiriththa, Theh kudaya pite bandan, Kollai- Balli and Kakille Rajjuruwo are just a few examples. Although it is not widely spoken, Premakeerthi was the person to introduce satire to the modern Sinhala song.

Further to this, his songs spoke about social issues. Songs like Miniseku pita nagi asaruweki, Banen banda rajarata pedesinne, Sabanda api kandu nowemu, Uthuru kone nuba hinahena, and Kundumani were among his attempts in identifying the social issues. As his daughter mentioned, it is not clear whether he could see the future because most of this songs address contemporary social issues. His songs and poems based on human feelings will be valid until there are relationships among people. 

However, as Ratnayake explained Premakeerthi based most of his songs on his personal experiences. “He wrote about his experience. Yet, singing it I wonder whether it was my experience he wrote about. Listeners felt as if it was their experience,” he iterated adding that Premakeerthi was empathetic and knew how to make other people walk in his shoes, thinking that those shoes are their own. “The protagonist of his song, Sanda kan watila was himself. But when other people listens to the song, they feel it as it was their own story,” he brought out an example.

Furthermore, Ratnayaka elucidated Premakeerthi’s capability of generalizing his personal feelings. “Aadaraye ulpatha wu amma was written on a piece from a bus ticket while he was upset about his mother who was admitted to the hospital for an eye surgery,” he recalled. “This was the first song he wrote about mother’s love. It still draws on the heartstrings of any child who loves his or her mother,” he added.

He also pointed out the reason why the new generation of lyricists lacks these qualities. “There is no chance that we can compare his work with any of the new artistes. He was well read, he knew his language and literature and he gathered experiences whenever he could unlike today’s generations,” he continued. “He could write about the beauty of a paddy field from his house in Maradana. I have visited him at his house while he was a student at Ananda College. I was surprised wondering how this person wrote about the beauty of the village so perfectly living in an urban area,” he said. “I don’t know how he mastered these talents. As a Buddhist, I can only think of the merits he gathered from his past lives,” Ratnayake concluded.

http://www.nation.lk/edition/fine/item/31624-notes-from-a-daughter%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98diary%E2%80%99.html

What’s in a name?

Veteran dramatist Rajitha Dissanayaka says that the name of a play makes a huge impact

 

Pic by Chandana Wijesinghe

Witnessing a stage drama is different from all other aesthetic experiences. It’s live and a fine theater production is capable of speaking to the heart as well as the brain of the audience. “Once a person experiences this wonderful feeling he or she will never abandon theater. This is why there is always a good turnout for a fine stage performance and why there is a group who looks out for a good stage play at all times,” said veteran dramatist Rajitha Dissanayaka speaking to ‘The Notebook of an Achiever’, about his voyage in the field of theater.

Dissanayaka passed his Advanced Level examinations in 1989 yet couldn’t enter the university the same year as the universities were closed due to conflicts that existed at the time. He believes that these experiences during this period of violence might have had an influence on his work. “Schools were closed for months and it was a period people feared for their lives. As students we had despised the government’s attempts to stamp down the riot,” he recalled. Rajitha had developed an interest in drama from schooldays at St. Mary's College, Chilaw. “When the schools were reopened, we wanted to seek a method to vent our frustrations. Drama seemed the ideal medium,” he said. Although he wrote a script, young Rajitha and his group of friends were not allowed to stage the drama in school under the circumstances.

However, during this period while killing time at home till the universities were reopened, he continuously wrote drama scripts and studied the subject. His first public performance, Sakwadawala was directed when he was a student at the Colombo University. His debut stage script was awarded the title ‘Best Drama Script’ in the Youth Drama Festival in 1994.

The young dramatist, motivated by this achievement, was able to give hope to the audience in an era they were losing their faith on stage plays, through Hansayintath Mang Asai (I Love Swans Also - 1996) and Mata Wedi Thiyanne Nadda (1999). Dissanayaka assured the audience of his capabilities when he staged Weeraya Marila staged in 2002. “Our drama team began to receive attention with Weeraya Marila. It was a career milestone. We were able to stage this drama over 100 times in the first round,” he reminisced. Weeraya Marila is the most staged drama among his creations and was awarded the best drama, best Director, Choreographer, Lighting and best script titles at the State Drama Festival 2002. His other plays, Sihina Horu Aran (Dreams Robbed -2004) and Apahu Harenna Ba (No return - 2009) were also selected as the best in many categories at the State Drama Festivals. Bakamuna Weedi Basiy (Owl on the street) was first staged in 2011 and his latest play Adara Wasathuwa (Love Object) will mark its first anniversary this year. Early in his career he also served as a program producer and a script writer for Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.

Adara Wasthuwa

He believes that the name of a play has a huge impact on attracting a large audience. “I think that we can send the society a message through the title of the drama alone. It was during a period in which the integrity, corporation and peacefulness were absent from the society that we first staged Weeraya Marila. It was a frightful period that our idols turned out to be greedy, needy, swallowed by consumerism,” he explained how the name they used spoke of the existing situation in brief while the drama spoke about it in depth. “Sihana Horu Arang was directed in a period in which our dreams were actually robbed. The title states the obvious, yet when you watch the drama you’ll start to think whether you should just stay frozen while your dreams are robbed or whether you should make an attempt to secure your dreams,” he explained.

According to Dissanayaka the main responsibilities of a dramatist are to help the spectator look into their lives in depth, understand their lives, society and impart knowledge so that they will be intelligent enough to identify the changes in the process. “A dramatist can create a window through which to look out for what is happening. Looking out and taking actions is in the hands of the spectator. The dramatist can only set the background required for this understanding,” he iterated. When asked about the freedom of expressing their views on stage, he said that the dramatist cannot expect the society to grant complete freedom at all times. “There will be limitations. The support will not be the same, always. The dramatist has to understand this and work to the best of his abilities,” he said.

Commenting on the current limitations in society he said, “One cannot say that there aren’t any limitations to freedom of expression today. Although there are certain limitations, I believe, that the artiste should understand the circumstances and do their maximum within this frame.” He further said that an artiste should have the ability to produce outstanding creations, even within these limitations if they use their maximum creativity. “That is what we are trying to do,” he emphasized.

Bakamuna Weedi Basiy

Intellectuals criticize contemporary society for not giving priority to cultural activities, in their schedules. They say that this could devalue human life. Dissanayake too, lamented that abandoning the aesthetic activities will make a negative impact on society. “Most among us do not consider reading a book, watching a movie, going out for a drama or listening to good music as a human need. It is very unfortunate that these values are being ignored,” Dissanayake pointed out. He said that the society is made to believe that experiencing art is watching the television at night. “However we do not have state of the art facilities to experience fine aesthetics either. Not only western countries, even India has better facilities in each of its states. India has given priority to establishing good libraries, galleries and theaters,” he added.

He also said that none of the governments that came into power to date have given priority to nurturing these needs. However, according to him people of the country show a lukewarm interest on the subject that they don’t make demands on behalf of cultural requirements. “They can’t be accused of not demanding too when they have bigger problems to look into,” he exclaimed. “I believe that it’s essential that we demand cultural needs in parallel with other demands, or it will be too late if we wait until we find answers for our basic demands,” he said. “It is the duty of the institutions established to oversee cultural activities in the country. They don’t seem to do their duty,” he alleged.

He pointed out that this situation has a huge impact on theater and dramatists. He suggested that setting up mini theaters is one viable solution for lack of proper theaters. “We need at least three more fine theaters in Colombo and at least one theater in each major city,” he suggested. “There should be a proper plan to maintain these theaters in good condition while giving the dramatist the opportunity to issue tickets at a lower price,” he opined. As he explained, if there is a system to secure sponsorships and reduce the cost paid for the stage, the ticket prices will automatically drop. Theaters should be maintained. Watching a drama should be a pleasant experience. It would not become pleasant if the hall is too hot or lighting is poor,” he added.

“There should also be more space for aesthetics in the education system where children can be taught to be more sensitive to arts,” he said. He also emphasized the importance of encouraging dramatists to produce new autonomous and creative scripts and the effect of fine criticism and appreciation. “When I entered the field, the awards presented at the Youth Drama Festival as well as the State Drama Festival conferred recognition on budding dramatists. Today, it’s different,” he said. “If something can be done to give a hand to budding dramatists we recognize through drama festivals and award ceremonies to sponsor their theater productions, they will be motivated to produce better scripts,” he opined. He also mentioned that seeking sponsors is a challenge for not only amateurs, but veterans in the field. “This is why many veterans leave the field for other careers,” he said.

He also expressed his contentment on the participation of youth as audience. “I have been to many countries including France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. The majority of their audiences are people who are well past their middle-age. Youth representation is very low,” he said. “Surprisingly, youth representation in our audience is very high. In fact the majority audience here is youth. A similar situation is noted outside Colombo,” he said. However, as he mentioned, their participation decreases when they mature in age and when they are faced with life’s challenges. “When they are young and free they can spend time as they please. When they get married and start families they are forced to drop their ‘cultural habits’ although they don’t want to. I have met many who complain that they can’t find time to go out for a play,” he said.

Sihinna Horu Arang

Speaking about the drama festival which is to be held no August 1, 2 and 3, Dissanayaka said that the theater lovers will be able to experience three dramas with three different themes at the festival. “However, all these themes are woven around contemporary society,” he said. “My latest play, Adara Wasthuwa which premiered a year ago at the same venue will be staged on August 2 celebrating its first year anniversary and also the tenth anniversary of Sihina Horu Aran,” he added. Adara Wasthuwa is a well-crafted drama that explores the ins and outs of human relationships in a society where political and economic gains override ethical concerns. “I think that the warmest wishes I received were for this drama Adara Wasthuwa. The audience loved it better than they liked the others. However, we plan to take a small break after a limited number of runs,” he mentioned.

Reminiscing ups and downs along his path, he said that he has tried his best to give the best and he still believes that the drama is the strongest medium he can use to convey his messages to society. Speaking about his future goals he said that he will make an effort to enhance the aesthetic quality in his plays and will try to find a way and provide the experience of stage plays to a larger audience. “Theater should be improved so that it becomes a better place to experience life, to become more content,” he concluded saying that he will continue to write better scripts as long as there is an audience to appreciate his work.

Gifted with the art of composing - Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe

Pic by Chandana Wijesinghe

Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe hardly needs any introduction. Making an indelible mark in the Sri Lankan music industry over 30 years, he remains one of the best musicians in history. His music never fails to enhance the power of the words in a song. “I try to understand the meaning in the lyrics and create a mental image out of it. Then I think of a melody which suits that image which is followed by music composition,” Dr. Weerasinghe said, explaining the process of composition.

Traditional music which reflects the atmosphere of the eras in which Lenchina and Selestina lived; melancholic cello and Hawaiian guitar music which represents the sorrow of garment workers in Re wada muraya awasan wana kanisamata by Sunil Edirisinghe are just a few examples of Weerasinghe’s excellence. Reviewing his music Prof Carlo Fonseka wrote, “To review comprehensively, let alone appraise critically, Rohana’s assembled body of musical creations, one would have to be familiar with some 2,000 songs and the music he has created for 125 teledramas, 30 films and 20 dramas. To be a competent judge of his work one should have knowledge of several kinds of music, lyrical poetry and the role of music in film, teledrama and drama. I fail all these tests.”

Rohana Weerasinghe said that he always tries to give prominence to composing music for the lyrics rather than getting someone to write songs for his melodies. “Creative music is now available as a subject in the university curriculum, but during our days, we didn’t have a proper place to experiment with music. I observed Pandit Amaradeva, Kemadasa Master, Victor Ratnayake and Prof Sanath Nandasiri. They were the best people. Observing them closely, how they composed music helped me to create my own style,” he said. “I saw how they understood lyrics and converted it into music, how they combined the background music with the flow of words, how music was composed with the melody. It helped me improve my gift,” he reflected.

Rohana Weerasinghe was born in Black pool, a rural village in Nuwara Eliya in February 14, 1949 as the youngest son of Dickmadugodage Henry Weerasinghe and Sepalin Weerasinghe. “My singing talent was first recognized. I remember running to the temple to listen to the gramophone. Hamuduruwo used to say, “Mahaththaya, why don’t you sing? It’s not doing you any good just listening to the gramophone. So I sang into a microphone so that the whole village could hear,” he reminisced. His formal education commenced at the same temple. He later entered Welimada Central College, where he laid the foundation for his musical journey. He studied music under KVS Perera, who was the music teacher at that school. “Looking back, I think it’s the first landmark of my career,” he said. He had to choose subjects for higher studies after graduating to grade eight. He chose Arts subjects ignoring the objections of his family. “I had good grades and I was the first in the class.

“My family thought I was going insane when I chose music as a subject,” he recalled his stubborn decision which enabled him to become one of the best musicians in the country. This period was quite hard for little Rohana because he lost his father and his music teacher had to leave school following a transfer. School became dull since there were no more music lessons. “I came to a cousin who worked in Colombo and got into Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyalaya for the Advanced Level,” he said. Yet, his dreams were shattered since there wasn’t a good music teacher. “I was devastated. I didn’t know what to do. To suppress my devastation I got into the habit of watching Hindi movies,” he recollected how he used to adore Hindi melodies.

“However, I failed the Advanced Level at my first attempt and I was asked to return home. They were already disappointed about me since I was the stubborn one,” he smiled. After returning home he met Kithsiri Aluthge, the music master at Gamini Maha Vidyalaya, Nuwara Eliya. He encouraged him to repeat his Advanced Level Examination. “When the Gazette announcement was made to declare open the Government Music School, master Aluthge himself told me that I would do well to join it, since my passion was music,” he said. He joined the Government Music School in 1969. “That is the second landmark of my journey,” he added.

At the Government Music School, he met a few lifelong friends including Lakshman Wijesekara, Bandula Wijeweera, Malini Bulathsinhala, Somapala Ratnayake and Ananda Weerasiri, who are well-known in the Sri Lankan music field. “We all studied music under HDS Jayasekara. He was attached to the amateur artiste’s programs at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and he used to make us participate in these programs,” he said. “This was during the 70s, which was considered the golden age of SLBC,” he added.

He was introduced to the field through SLBC and his talents were recognized by few veterans in the field at that time. Dr. Premasiri Kemadasa having noticed young Rohana’s skills invited him into his orchestra as a sitarist. This was a big breakthrough for young Rohana as it helped his journey as a professional musician. As a musician playing various instruments including sitar, Rohana contributed to Sa concert of Victor Ratnayake, Shravanaaradhana of Nanda Malini and Swarna Kundala of Sanath Nandasiri. He attempted to master his singing when he passed his light classics (Sarala Gee) test at SLBC. “But I wasn’t very good at that. I didn’t receive good feedback like I received for my music. In fact I was discouraged by the feedbacks,” he admitted.

Discouraged to sing, he started music composition. “People like my melodies. I was also happy they admired it. Therefore I continued with music composition and gradually lost interest in singing.” In 1977, he settled down in matrimony with Beatrice de Silva and started the journey of family life. In 1979, he composed music for his debut cassette recordings, including songs like Eka sitha dethanaka and Hiruta horen - sanduta horen by TM Jayarathne and Punchi sithe punchi sina by Neela Wickramasinghe. He was introduced as a music composer to the silver screen with the release of Aaradhana by Vijaya Dharmashri in 1980. Yet his debut music composition for the silver screen was for Sathischandra Edirisinghe’s Vadula. He received his first Sarasavi award for music composition in 1980. He started contributing to teledrama, directing music for DB Nihalsinghe’s Rekha. Other than that, Sinhala films like Adara Hasuna and Saptha Kanya and teledramas like Du Daruvo and Giraya won him an array of national awards.

He believes that music can be mastered through practice if a person has an innate talent. “People like Jothipala had the gift. Amaradeva mastered his talent through learning and practice. Latha Walpola established a name in the field using her inborn talent where Nanda Malini studied the subject,” Weerasinghe explained. "I do not have much talent in singing; I cannot sing some of the musical ornaments (Alankara) properly. That's why I thought of sticking to music composition,” he added. Yet, songs he voiced like Muthu kuda ihalana mal warusawe or Nathi bari mohothaka pihitata enne fascinates the listeners as any other singer, even though he underestimates his own singing.

Weerasinghe emphasized that there are many talented musicians and singers in the new generation who are awaiting an opportunity. “I have met many talented young students during Kavitha, university talent show,” he iterated. Yet according to him, it’s less likely that they come into the field as professionals. He put the blame on contemporary media for this regrettable situation. “Not all, but many media institutions are responsible for this. Their commercialized motives do not allow the new generation to come up with respectable creations,” he pointed out. "We were less interested in money but valued the sensation of making a musical creation. It was the mentality of that era,” he recalled. “All our advice on media ethics are in vain, despite how hard we try,” he lamented. “Media is in a race to give the worst possible to the society. No surprise that they have to pay the audience to watch or listen,” he added.

Weerasinghe was appointed a presidential adviser on cultural and aesthetic affairs in 2005. In 2011, the University of Visual and Performing Arts conferred upon him an honorary doctorate in recognition of his outstanding contributions. When asked about the insinuated step motherly treatments towards artistes, Weerasinghe said, “Artistes earn money and spend it all without a proper plan, waste it on drinking and put the blame on the government when they don’t have a way of living out their old age. How fair is it in a country where there are farmers, teachers and laborers who go through untold troubles?” He went on to say that he is aware of the dissatisfaction among artistes. “I am doing my best as a presidential adviser making plans and suggestions. That is the farthest I can go. It’s up to authorities to operate them,” he further explained. According to him, there is a clear upbeat in the teledrama and film industries. “I’m not sure whether people who always complain are aware of these positive facts,” he said.

He further expressed his grief on the failure to implement a working set of media ethics on contemporary media. “People put the blame on the government for not controlling this unfortunate situation in media. But when we try to implement ethics the opposition party protests that the government is trying to censor media,” he emphasized. “I’m not sure how to make things work in this country, it is complicated,” he added.

He also spoke about remaking and remixing of music. He emphasized that that these improvements are always a good sign as long as there is a mutual understanding between the remaker and the original creator. “It is very hard to cope with the mafia of remaking, downloading and ringtones. We went through a lot of hardship to draft a law on royalty payments under the Intellectual Property Act. Only one or two channels follow this rule,” he affirmed. “These channels have been breaking the law for almost three years now. No one talks against them,” he reiterated.

Speaking about the Sannaliyane musical show, Weerasinghe said that everything is ready to stage the event. He said that he believes it is a blessing for him to receive the opportunity to direct music for the event. “Pundit Amaradeva’s songs will be sung by various other artists on stage. My responsibility was to recreate these songs without harming the original, maintaining quality,” he said. 

Signature in brush strokes - Interview with Dr. Jayasiri Semage

Kalasuri Dr. Jayasiri Semage’s solo art exhibition, Chronicle of love will be held at Lionel Wendt Art Gallery from April 4 to 6. Paintings employing historical themes will be featured at the event. “These paintings were a challenge. I had to recreate the costumes and jewelry that were used in the times of kings, how they dressed, the environment and most of it are creations of my imagination,” said Semage. “I think this would be a great opportunity for Sri Lankan art lovers and school children to learn something about both art and history,” he added.

Semage has become an icon in the Sri Lankan art sphere with his unique style. Conquering the local and foreign art galleries he promoted his unique Sri Lankan painting styles and the country’s name simultaneously from 1956. Like Geoffrey Bawa or Solias Mendis, today, Semege too has become a landmark in the history of Sri Lankan art. He spoke to The Nation about his childhood, achievements and the upcoming art exhibition on this week’s ‘Notebook of an achiever’.

Semage was born in a small fishing village in Ambalangoda and received his education from Ambalangoda Dharmashoka Vidyalaya. He self-taught himself at the beginning, while at school. Later on, while still at school, he passed all examinations held by the Royal Academy School of Arts, London and became the first child artist to hold a solo painting exhibition at the Art Gallery in 1957. “MWL De Silva was the art master at school. Later there was a Mr. Silva, who was trained at Shanti Niketan India to teach us. His influence increased my interest in the painting style of Ajantha Caves in India and frescos in Sigiriya,” he recalled. Since then Semage has held a series of solo exhibitions in countries including Singapore, Thailand, Sweden, Switzerland, Finland and Oman. In 1990 he was awarded with the national honor Kalasuri by President Ranasinghe Premadasa and Kalabooshana award by the Ministry of Cultural affairs in 1999. Ceylon Society of Arts (Lanka Kala Sangamaya) honored him with a Doctorate in Arts in 2006.

“But with time I realized that it is more important to create a unique identity rather than imitating something,” he explained while adding how he built his identity in painting. After finishing his school education he joined the Lankadeepa editorial in pursuit of his dream of becoming an art journalist. Later he became the Chief Artist of the now defunct Davasa group of newspapers. Up to this date, he contributes to many newspapers as a freelance art journalist.

He was a key person in President Premadasa’s Gam Udawa program. He created the pandal in at the entrance of the Gam Udawa site, which became an identity of the program. He contributed to the program as the main artist from 1982 to 1992. The jumbo Buddhist pandal he created at the entrance to Asia Pacific Exhibition, Fukuoka, Japan in 1989 still tops the list among his great achievements. He also mentioned his painting which was selected for permanent display at the United Nations Hall in Geneva, Switzerland in 2006.

In 1995 Kalasuri Semage held his first international exhibition in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, on an invitation by the Lanka Kala Sangamaya. According to him this exhibition resulted in an invitation to paint murals at the Buddhist Vihara in Malaysia and Mangala Vihara in Singapore. He considers the murals in the Sri Maha Bodhirama Purana Vihara in Divulapitiya, Borelasgamuwa as one of his gifts to the country. “I remembered Geoffrey Bawa and Solias Mendis and what they gifted to the country. I thought of doing something similar and the Divulapitiya Purana Viharaya was the ideal place for it,” he iterated.

Semage has published three books to date. His first art collection Ridma Rekha, a book on traditional decorative motifs in Sri Lanka was published in 1996. Chithra Lekha, a collection of line drawings was published this year. Prof Bandara reviewing his paintings once wrote that Semage’s art could be identified as his, even without his signature on the painting. He said that the unique characteristics of his paintings had created a strong identity than his signature. His paintings had the distinct Sri Lankan flavor with Liyavel and Hansa Puttuwa and if examined closely, curves and brush lines will help one to recognize the rhythm of his painting.

“I give prominence to the rhythm, topics, color schemes and beauty. I never draw violent things like blood or murders. My art should be peaceful and beautiful, something that gives pleasure to others,” he iterated. “Who would want to buy violent art and hang it somewhere where they see them all the time?” he queried. Most of his paintings illustrate human beings. Animals or landscapes are rare. When asked why, he said that he didn’t want to paint landscapes or sceneries since most of the artists do this. “I see the beauty in human beings, therefore I choose to draw them,” he said.

He expressed his grief about the inadequate facilities of the country for artists. “There are only few private galleries here. Not everyone can afford to have a his or her own private gallery. There are no good galleries for exhibitions. There is only one in Colombo and none outside. It’s a shameful situation which the government should look into,” he pointed out. “I’ve been to many galleries around the world. I was surprised to see the enthusiasm to appreciate art displayed by people in many foreign countries. But I don’t see this enthusiasm in Sri Lankan public,” he added. He emphasized that there should be at least one art gallery in prominent towns like Kandy or Galle outside Colombo and pointed out that this would also help the artists to promote and preserve their paintings. 

Dr. Jayalath Manoratne is fifteen thousand days strong

 Theater’s potential to shift politics

 

Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

“It’s almost 15,000 days since I first set foot on a stage. This is why the festival was named Dawas Pahalos Daha (Fifteen thousand days). In other words it’s been almost 45 years since then,” Dr. Jayalath Manoratne told The Nation, speaking about his drama festival which is scheduled to commence tomorrow. Seven dramas out of 12 he has scripted and directed will be staged at the festival. “We always try to do a similar festival every five to six years, since it helps university and school students engaged in theater and it offers a great opportunity for anyone rehearsal who is in love with theater,” he said. “It is also a great opportunity for us, as we get to meet the audience, talk to them and see what they feel or whether their expectations were fulfilled.” He explained that this creates a sub culture within the field, which he sees as a blessing in the development in Sri Lankan theater.

Dr. Manoratne, fondly referred to as Mano, is an extraordinary character on the stage. He has mastered singing, acting, directing as well as playwriting. His folk songs, stage songs and Noorthi enrich Sinhala song culture. Although he has acted in several tele-dramas and movies and was highly appreciated for his contribution, his love for the theater remains steadfast. Manoratne has won several awards including the State Drama Awards for best actor, director and also playwright during his journey of 45 years. Peradeniya University presented him with a Doctorate in Literature (D. Litt) honoring the service he has rendered to the field of arts.

Manoratne was born on June 12, 1948 in the village called Dehipe in Nuwara Eliya District. “My village was a farming village. During spare time after harvesting, villagers act out folk plays such as Sokari or Sandakinduru and I felt the wonder of it. That’s how I became enthusiastic about plays,” he explained. Receiving his primary education from Dehipe Mixed School, Manoratne entered Poramadulla Madya Maha Vidyalaya for his secondary education. “Sunil Sriyananda, music teacher of our school was the earliest to recognize my talent. He selected me for many school dramas he produced. I was selected for the main role of the school play, Assa Gudun and it won the first place at the Interschool Drama Competition of Central Province the same year,” he recalled.

Passing his advanced level examination in the arts stream he entered Peradeniya University in 1966. Fortunate enough to learn under a legend, Prof Ediriweera Sarachchandara, he set foot on popular theater during his university days. Being one of Prof Ediriweera’s brightest students, Manoratne got to act in his play, Pematho Jayathi Soko. He also contributed to Maname and Singhabahu. Since then, he has been engaged in theater work for over 45 years, continuously. His latest production, based on the life of the last Sinhala king Weera Parakrama Narendra Singha, Sellan Nirindu, was staged for the first time last December. With Manoratne himself enacting the main role as Narendra Singha, who was said to be a flamboyant king, Manoratne said that this story relates to the present social situation.

Prof Ediriweera Sarachchandra, Henry Jayasena, Sugathapala de Silva, Dayananda Gunawardena and Gunasena Galappaththi are the five pillars of modern Sri Lankan stage. They were all able to create unique styles. “These five were exceptional and I got the opportunity to act under all of them. Their knowledge on local and foreign stages was a blessing; it was like studying in five different universities,” he said. “They enlightened us about theater studies and my love and respect towards the theater grew.” Gaining knowledge under veterans for many years, Manoratne wrote and produced his own play, Maha Giri Damba in 1980.

So far he has written and produced 11 stage plays. Puthra Samagama; a translation of Alexander Vampilov’s The Elder Son is the only adaptation among his plays. “I love to experiment with different styles,” said Manoratne. He uses both naturalized (Swabhawika) and stylized (Shailigatha) genres. Most of my experimental plays fall into the documentary genre.” Documentary theatre was first introduced to the Sri Lankan audience by Dayananda Gunawardena through Gajaman Puwatha. According him historical incidents and biographies can be staged in documentary form. “Historical stories are adapted according to the contemporary society. Many parallels can be drawn between incidents that took place in the 1700s or 1600s and present. It’s true that history repeats,” he said.

Manoratne admitted that he has noticed a lack of interest, on the part of the younger generation, in developing their own style. “However a handful of amateurs are keen on experiments rather than following the same old styles. Eventually they’ll find the best style suited for them. This would only happen with maturity and experience,” he noted. He also noted that youngsters are more interested in foreign scripts. “I think 99 percent of the dramas written by the youngsters are adaptations. As with styles, autonomous scripts are very rare. I have noticed a lack of interest towards native styles,” he emphasized. “I don’t say this is off beam, but if you take foreign countries like USA, Germany or Italy; they seem to have built-up their own identity even though their theater does not have a long history,” he added. Manoratne stressed that if the dramatists want to build-up a unique identity on Sri Lankan stage, they should be exposed to native drama styles. He said that it is not fair to complain about lack of opportunities anymore since Drama and theater studies are a subject in school and university curriculum.

Manoratne has staged his plays in many countries. With over 45 years of experience and knowledge he gathered traveling around the world, Manoratne observes that, compared to world theater Sri Lankan plays are still in a primitive stage. “Recently we had shows in Nikaweratiya, Bandarawela and Ampara. I was in those places in 1970s. I notice no development in these theaters, not the least bit,” he expressed his displeasure. “I don’t think any of the responsible parties have noticed this. It’s the spirit of the dramatists that takes their dramas around the country,” he said. “We can’t wait until all these issues are resolved. We can only do our best with the resources available to us,” he added. He said that the massive crowds the theaters in rural areas draw is proof that audiences still love theater despite these shortcomings. He also spoke about the need of preserving the scripts as well as plays and pointed out that currently there is no such system.

According to Manoratne, the number of people in the audience fluctuates from time to time depending on the country’s social situation. “There was a huge decrease in numbers during the war. Now it’s comparatively high. There is a small decrease in numbers these few days because of the election,” he said. He noted a general decrease in the numbers with the impact of the television. “There is an increase in the numbers again now. It’s a good sign,” he added. While explaining he said that the quality of what dramatists gift the audience should be looked into as some dramatists try to sell ‘cheap laugh’ to the audience. “There are a few who always act responsibly to present dramas of aesthetic quality.”

There are folk, popular and classical plays. Classics are few and the average audience is rarely exposed to these as opposed to popular or folk dramas. Manoratne pointed out that Sri Lankan dramatists have misunderstood the concept behind popular dramas. “Dramas cannot be called popular dramas just because they are widespread. Popular dramas are not like classics. They might be simple, but the storyline conveys a strong message. Our dramatists have mistaken it for humor and profanity,” he noted. “Making the audience laugh should not be the motive of the dramatist. Laugh is essential, but it should be meaningful,” he reiterated. Manoratne said that the audience should laugh, but they should be made to think what and whom they are laughing at, at the end of the play. He elaborated on this fact using Prof Sarachchandra’s Mahasara, KB Herath’s Mayadevi and his own script Andarela as examples. “Dramatists should see to it that the audience is enlightened with the artistry,” he said.

He also spoke about theater’s potential to change a person’s political ideologies. As he explained, a strong political message could be sent to the audience through a play. Manoratne emphasized that an artiste does not have to engage in party politics to make the country better, contrary to many Sri Lankan artistes who choose party politics to ‘serve the country’. “I do vote for a political party which compliments my views. But I don’t do political campaigns for them. It’s unnecessary,” he reiterated. “A dramatist’s responsibility is to serve the common man, but he doesn’t have to restrict himself to a political party.”

 

Manoratne’s stage plays

Maha Giri Daba (1980)

Puthra Samagama (1985)

Thala Mala Pipila (1988)

Andarela (1993)

Guru Tharuwa

Sanda Gira

Kaneru Mal

Lokaya Thani Yayak

Sudu Redi Horu

Buruwa Mahaththaya

Rehearsals of Lokaya Thani Yayak

Sellam Nirindu (2013)