Rodney Warnakula - Caught in a wave called comedy

 “There are dramatists who preserve their individual work. Yet, what we want is a collective system where all theater work will be preserved for the use of next generations,” Rodney Warnakula, one of the most celebrated Sinahala artistes who conquered the stage, television as well as the silver screen as an actor, producer and also as a singer said during an interview with The Nation. Warnakula made these comments when talking about the resolutions that should be brought for the betterment of the Sri Lankan arts field this year (2015). He pointed out that there is no fine method to preserve the stage dramas or stage drama songs in the country. According to him, even now it’s too late for some of the theater components to be preserved. “We at least get to see reproductions of stage plays. But what about the Teetar, Naadagam and Kolam?” he queried. “Those components too should be preserved so that it provides an example of how rich our old traditional art is,” he emphasized.

Warnakula is from Bopitiya, Ja-Ela. Receiving the primary education from Bopitiya Roman Catholic Boy’s School he entered Pamunugma Maha Vidyalaya for higher studies. His interest, while in school, was the stage because he was a much loved singer and skilled actor.   

In 1980, young Rodney received an opportunity to join the Tower Hall Theater Program. There he said that he received the greatest opportunity of meeting theater legends Anula Bulathsinhala and Lucien Bulathsinhala. “Meeting them was a turning point in my life. They invited me to act in Tharawo Igilethi in 1981. That was the first time I set my foot on the popular stage,” he recalled. Since then he has been working in the field for 33 years and has made contributions to more than 45 theater productions. These include Nari Bena, Vanisiye Welenda, Ananda Jawanika, Madura Jawanika, Guru Tharuwa, Mee Pura Wasiyo, Saranga Nawen Awith and Padada Asapuwa. Among these Saranga Nawen Awith was Warnakula’s debut stage play production.

He also spoke about his connections with the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. “I was a singer before I was an actor. Starting from school, I featured in many musical programs including amateur singer’s programs at SLBC,” he recalled. He was selected for both SLBC’s ‘Sarala Gee’ program and as a dubbing artiste. He reminisced the times he featured in the radio program Thaksalawa, mentioning how he was invited to make contributions in dubbed television programs.  He specifically mentioned that he believes that it was a blessing to work under the guidance of Athula Ransirilal in Inguru Paan Malliya,Kolikuttu Sahodarayo and Dangara waliga lapa wanara.

Warnakula’s stage roles are remembered for his remarkable voice. He is an icon in the Sri Lankan musical theater.    ‘Kumatada Sobaniye Kandulu Salanne…’ in Nari Bena,  ‘Yasa isuru pirunu thana, Siri dew du sitina thanaa ’ in Rathu Hattakari ‘Kadeta palayan Chun Chan…’ in Saranga Nawen Awith, ‘Hanika Warew Kollene..’ in Bera Handa and  ‘Sobawa de…’ in Tharawo igilethi with U Ariyawimal are some of the popular stage plays where one can hear his songs.  

He considers the opportunity he received to play the fox’s character in late veteran Dayananda Gunawardana’s Nari Bena as the greatest fortune in his career. He believes that destiny also played a role in him being selected for the character. He joined the Nari Bena crew in 1993, ten years after the play was first staged. Since then for 21 continuous years, he has played the role of the fox.

Few years into his stage career, Warnakula received the opportunity to enter the electronic media (television) and the silver screen. His first studio drama was Sutin and Martin. Gradually he received invitations to act in tele-dramas.  Among his most celebrated characters are the roles he played in Bodima, Nonawaruni Mahathwaruni, Ethuma, Sodona and Sayawana Patumaga. His character in Nana Kamaraya- a tele-drama mostly popularized through DVDs- is rated among the successful roles he played.

The debut film role he played was the character in Bahuboothayo (a Sinhala comedy). He mentioned that filming the second part of Bahuboothayo has now been completed – good news for fans who enjoyed the first part.  Sikuru Hathe is another in a series of popular films to which he has contributed with acting roles.

Although Warnakula plays many roles on the stage, he seems to be framed into similar type of characters when it comes to television and the film industry. Warnakula is one of the very few comedians with the ability to make people laugh without putting much effort. Yet this didn’t make it necessary to frame him to a set character, a funny servant or an office assistant. He acknowledged that he feels his talents are limited by set boundaries on television and the silver screen. “I keep on receiving similar roles in acting. When a character is successfully played and loved by the audience, producers tend to recreate similar roles. This stereotype characters bore the actors as well as the audience. “I have turned down many invitations to play such characters,” he stressed.

Warnakula along with his co-artiste Priyantha Seneviratne received the opportunity to continue the radio comedy Vinoda Samaya from its original presenters Annesley Dias, Berty Goonathilake and Samuel Rodrigo after several productions. “After these three superstars, Mr. Amarasoma Samarakkodi continued the program for a period. Eventually we also received an opportunity to perform,” he said. “Unfortunately, the SLBC didn’t want to continue with the program. Eventually we had to give up,” he said in a sad tone.

Commenting further on the contemporary comedy programs he said that it is essential that the comedy programs come along with visuals today because the audience demands visuals. “Dialogues solely can’t make people laugh today,” he noted. “Our audience relies too much on visuals today. They have been made to depend on visuals,” he said adding that this implies the fact that the creativity of the audience has declined. “Mindset of the people is shaped according to the speed rhythm media makes people follow. Sometimes it is confusing what people appreciate as art today.”  

He further said that the reason behind the lack of fine comedy programs could be the complexity of the today’s society. “People are suppressed by different problems. They are too stressed to think. Therefore sometimes people don’t understand satire,” he said. “It’s sad when the part including satire has to be pointed out for the audience,” he lamented. Warnakula further stressed that the lack of good satirical scripts is proof for the lack of well read artistes.

Warnakula launched his first music album ‘Ha ha lande’; a collection of stage drama songs in 2000. In 2011, he launched his second album ‘Sanda Eliya Wage’. His other songs don’t seem have grabbed attention of the radio program producers although his drama songs are played on radio channels from time to time. Warnakula said that he is not concerned about these songs not been played on radio channels that his intentions were not to sell his songs. However, speaking of his New Year resolutions he said that now it is time that he start another theater production, after Saranga Nawen Awith.

Voice of courage

Artiste Neela Wickramasinhe of ‘Master Sir’ fame talks about her 47-year-career in the music industry 

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. 

Saman Athaudahetti: On choices made and paths un-taken

We usually recognize people by their outer appearances and not by their voices. It is indeed very rare for an entire country to recognize and remember a person’s voice.  A veteran journalist, writer, lyricist as well as a well-known speaker Saman Athaudahetti is gifted with such a voice.  His voice is still remembered and recognized as Gulliver of Gulliverge Suvisariya or as Oshin’s husand Ryuzo even decades after these were first telecasted. This week, in The Notebook of an achiever we feature this great voice-personality, his experiences and the challenges of playing many roles in various fields.

 

Although he is a well-known personality he said that he wasn’t as forward when he was a kid. “I was a very shy kid on stage, very reluctant to get in and perform. My parents often recounted how they bribed me with 10 rupees to sing on stage” he recalled.  “They used to tease me that I was trying to be a professional even then,” Athawudahetti laughed.

His parents had wanted peace and quiet when they got married and decided to live in Ehatuwewa, a small and beautiful village about 10 km from Galgamuwa. Saman was born there.  When he was three years old his father moved to Siyambalagamuwa Maha Vidayala. Therefore little Saman’s first school was also Siyambalagamuwa Maha Vidyalaya. However, when he was in the second grade his parents moved back to Colombo and he entered Royal College, Colombo where he polished his skills. 

“My parents moved back to Colombo thinking about our education. They had got teaching posts at Royal College but they had deferred because they wanted to travel across the country,” he added.

During this period, the Principal of Royal Junior School was H D Sugathapala who encouraged students to be involved in the arts and other cultural activity.

“He loved the arts and during this period school was a place where many great artistes practiced.  Artistes like Sugathapala de Silva, Dayananda Gunawardena, Dhamma Jagoda, Tony Ranasinghe, Nawanandana Weerasinghe used to come there to practice. We were fortunate enough to be in their company and be duly influenced,” he said. These influences encouraged him to take up theater.  In 1968 the school produced a play for a drama festival. In 1968 he won the award for the best actor in the school drama festival.

Noticing these talented kids, veteran broadcaster Prabha Ranatunge invited them to the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation for the children’s programs.  “That’s how I joined the Lama Pitiya programs,” he explained.

“I was a relief announcer at SLBC even before I got out from school,” he added.  He remembered the unforgettable experiences received there. “We were able to change the dimensions of children’s radio dramas, educational service as well as the sports service,” he reminisced. In 1978, he was made a permanent employee in the sports service. “Sports programs were unexciting and boring at that time. But we were able to introduce interesting presenting styles to Kreeda Sangrahaya. It was a turning point in the SLBC Sports Service too,” he said.

Jill John and Vandabona in Landesi Dupatha, the two adventurous radio drama characters were created by Athawudahetti and Karunathilake Handuwala and they remain memorable. His first experimental drama script was Rukada Pancha; an adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio. Then they scripted the Landesi Dupatha, an adventurous detective story. “During this period, children’s cartoons and dramas were either fairy tales or realistic characters. We introduced fantasy characters, which fell between realistic and fairy tales. That was challenging,” he recalled.

“I remember Prof Sarath Amunugama, then Secretary to the Ministry of State (Rajya Amathyanshaya) referring to the radio drama as ‘cartoon natyaya’ (cartoon drama),” he said mentioning how they succeeded in creating mental images in the listeners’ minds.

A few decades ago, radio dramas enjoyed a large listenership. However, with the rise of television, they lost the audience. “Radio media changes with the technology. SLBC officials couldn’t identify this change and that’s why this happened,” he emphasized.

“In the early days we had to listen to radio through short wave and medium wave frequencies.  This was no easy task but nevertheless the listeners were a dedicated lot.  When FM frequencies were introduced people didn’t have to go through hardship to listen to radio,” he said.  Although listening to radio became easy, the listenership of the national radio dropped.

Athawudahetti identified the ignorance of the official at SLBC as the reason for this. “When private radio channels started they tried to cater to the demand which had changed with technology.” According to Athawudahetti, private channels were not totally successful. “This is why they have to pay people to listen to their channels. This means that they lack the programs which attract listeners,” he iterated. According to him this might be happening because program producers and presenters were incompetent or because the owners were not brave enough.  “If the owners are willing and the team is competent enough, there is no need to give out money to make people listen to a particular channel. They will be drawn automatically.”

He also stressed that the popularity of a program cannot be measured by the ratings. “Ratings are for the advertising agencies targeting audience segments endowed with buying power; that’s only a fraction of the population. The majority is not included in this category,” Athaudaheti explained.

“For example, many watched the recast of Oshin. Wherever we go people were watching it and talking about it. But it didn’t have a high rating.  Not receiving higher ratings from the population group with buying power doesn’t mean that people didn’t watch it,” he added.

He also pointed out that there is no proper method to check the standards of the programs, songs, language usage or the presenting skills of the announcers. “We did a survey four or five years back to assess the language abilities of the radio artistes. It’s sad to say their vocabulary is as poor as 250 words,” he lamented. “If a person can speak around 250 words fluently that’s the only qualification you need to become an announcer today,” he commented. He also said that there is no point in blaming the new generation for their poor language skills as there is no standardized place for them to learn and practice announcing. “This is not a problem peculiar to the media, it is in fact a problem of society as a whole,” he added.

He also spoke about hiring attractive voices as presenters. “When SLBC chose announcers they gave prominence to the voice as well as for the language skills and practice. I don’t see this happening today. A radio channel would choose an announcer if they agree to tell what the owners want them to tell,” he exclaimed. He further said that the situation is similar in television too.

Saman Athawudahetti is also one of the first presenters of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation. His voice became a need to the SLBC as well as SLRC in no time. His work as a dubbing artiste was remarkable. Anyone who remembers Gulliverge Suvisariya, Dosthara Honda Hitha or Oshin would recognize his voice at once. He recalled how the directors were committed to find voices best suited for the characters.

“There were times when a director delayed the recordings or filming just because he wanted a specific person for a character. But today, if A is not present, the directors would go for B, C or D or else they would get anyone they see and finish off the recording on the scheduled day,” he said. “This is why we don’t remember character as we remember Gulliver or Dosthara Hondahitha even today,” he reiterated.

He said that this issue cannot be solved by protests and riots. “This should come through education and creating awareness. There will be a day that people will understand this,” he said hopefully.

“Or else, as Mr. Prem Dissanayaka told The Nation last week, people will start rejecting low quality products to the point where the industry will collapse,” he stressed.

 Athawudahetti is also a celebrated lyricist. Kawurunda Oba Mage – Sunil Edirisinghe, Sihilara Sitha Nayana – Athula Adikari, Kawuruth Ennathi…Kauruth Dannathi – Gunadasa Kapuge, Malak Une Ai Nuba Mata and Iri Thaluni Wala - Amarasiri Peiries are just a few examples from his collection of lyrics. He said the situation of the song industry too is sad today.

“If I am to ask you about your favorite song, I am certain that you will come up with a song which is older than 10 or 20 years,” he said. “Today a song will be produced following a package. It would be made to popularize some star introduced by a channel and his or her songs will be played four or five times a day. Then it will be available on the mobile phones. Ultimately, when they make enough money from the song to cover up the production cost, they will be the first to let go of the song and the star they produced too,” he explained. “If a song is truly popular, people would not forget the song in two years,” he added.

Today Saman Athaudahetti is one of the best travel writers in the country. He has already come out with three travelogues under the title ‘Wandering with Pleasure’. He has published his travel experiences along the Hanamichi, the Silk route and on the river Sarawak and he hopes to publish his experiences in India and Nepal in the near future.

“I used to write to the Mihira newspaper when I was a kid and then wrote many scripts for SLBC,” he recalled. Athawudahetti’s first published book was a Kinsi - a collection of children’s drama scripts in 1983. Then he published Raigampalage Kathandara in 1987, Pramada Dosha an account of what went wrong with the SLBC did wrong (for the 50^th Anniversary of SLBC), Harda Suthra in 2005 (with Sunethra Rajakarunanayake) and Eya Mese Sidu Wiya in 2008. His travelogue Hanamichiya Dige won the Vidyodaya Literature Award in the year it was published.

He said that writing a travelogue is not an easy task. “It requires commitment, time and lots of funds. I was able to do this because I received help from a few institutes in those countries,” he said.

When asked whether he is not interested in writing about Sri Lanka as this is a period where people talk more about travel and tourism he said that it would be best if it is done by a stranger to the country. “We have seen our country and its beauty has become something usual for us. Therefore the chance is greater that we will miss the important thing if we try to write,” he noted. “I would not be fair if we write about ourselves. We are prejudiced about our land.”

Athaudahetti’s latest book is a translation. His book Adara Ankura is a translation of the popular Indian author Kishwar Desai’s Origins or Love. “Indian literature is very nourishing and I admire it. As a frequent traveler to India I keep myself updated about new Indian books,” he said. “This is Kishwar Desai’s second book. I got the first book also but it was already translated. Prem Dissanayaka helped me get the copyrights and after that I started translating the book,” he said. “I liked the plot, a social thriller which speaks about outsourcing a pregnancy in India.  The original writers profile is somewhat similar to my profile. I had studied about stem cell therapy. I believe these are the main reasons that interested me,” he said.

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

The making of Navarathna Gamage

Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

Some people know what they want to do as early as when they are kids. Yet some of them have to abandon their childhood dreams when they see they cannot win life by traveling along those chosen paths. They will also remember what they dreamt of, what they wanted to become. When they receive an opportunity, they will not hesitate to fulfill their dreams and achieve what they really wanted. Veteran musician Navarathna Gamage, who is fondly known as Nava in the field, is one such person who received the opportunity to fulfill his childhood dream quite late. Despite the odds he fully realized his dreams. His music career is one of the best examples to prove the idiom ‘better late than never’.

Gamage was born and raised in Gangodawila, Nugegoda. Although this place is packed with motor spare part shops and tall fat buildings, he recalled how beautiful the village was, when he was a child and how he was influenced by the intellectuals there. He specifically mentioned Nugegoda Sumanasara Dharma Vidyalaya and Subadrarama Pirivena.  “I did not come from a rich family, but my family was rich in family values. My dharma School and Balika Niwasa nearby were the main places in the village which enriched the village with cultural values. Balika Niwasa is the place where I watched a movie, Ranwan Karal for the first time. All this influenced me to become what I am today,” he recalled.  He said that the village environment made him curious about art and literature, especially music during his childhood. “Noorthi, Sokari and Vesak drama led the cultural events in the village. These events laid the foundation for my journey,” he said. He also recalled how he was appreciated as a school singer as well as the leading singer of the dharma school. 

Although young Gamage was curious about art, culture and literature, he had to pursue a professional career in a technical field. He was selected to the Colombo Commercial Engineers Company to study Engineering. “I was the eldest in the family and I didn’t have plans to pursue a carrier in the music field. I was only a fan of art and literature,” he said. Yet, when he started traveling daily to Colombo he started to meet young enthusiasts like him, who aroused his old curiosity about aesthetics. “I was a knowledge seeker at the village library, Chandra Pradeepa Library. Later I found this at the Colombo Public Library. I met people like me there, who were interested in arts, society, culture as well as politics. These new people reminded me about my old interests,” he recollected.  

During that time Gamage was economically independent as a youth and he realized that he could now follow his interests and chose music to satisfy his curiosity. His disapamok was maestro B Victor Perera. He started making his contributions to the theater during the same period. The first stage play he contributed towards as a singer was Reginald Jayamanne’s Vikal Samayama in 1986.  Deepthi Kumara Gunaratne’s drama Niruwatha in 1987 was the first time Gamage directed music for a stage play. 

Prof Ediriweera Sarachchandra staged Maname in 1956 for the first time. Twenty years later, Gamage received the opportunity to become a member of Maname team. “I was selected as a B grade Nadagam singer at Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. And I was lucky enough that I got to speak to Prof. Sarachchandra. When he asked me to come and join the drama group, I was more than surprised. I worked with them for over eight years,” he reminisced.  He was also a member of the dramas Mahasaara, Lomahansa, Bawakadathurawa and Pematho. 

He believes that the opportunities he received to become a background vocalist in Nanda Malini’s Sathyaye Geethaya show and to join Somalatha Subasingha’s workshops as important events in his life. In 1996, he was certain that he had to abandon the professional career and become a fulltime musician. He stated to receive invitations to create music for stage dramas, teledramas and films. In less than two decades Gamage was able to reach the top in the Sri Lankan music field. He also mentioned that meeting Yasanath Dhammika Bandara was another milestone in his journey. “He invited me to compose music for four of his songs, including Gana thel sandun waralasa, Walakulu pelin basinna and Suwanda mal. I couldn’t believe when those songs became hits and I started getting the attention of the media,” he said.

Gamage continuously received invitations from the television channels to compose music for programs as well as from teledrama directors and singers to compose melodies. Gamage’s next milestone was when he was asked to direct music for cinema. “My first invitation for a film music direction was Inoka Sathyanganee’s Sulang Kirilli. Simultaneously, I received invitations for four more films including Pura Sakmana

Sudu Kaluwara and Sathkampa,” he mentioned. “It was a challenge to receive so many at that time. But I faced my challenges,” he added. So far, he has directed music for over 200 teledramas.

Although he chose music as his field of profession later in life, he was able to climb the ladder from the first step. He said that he finds producing music for a theater play far more challenging than others. “Theater is live and we also have to travel across the country with the same theater production. There can be no difference in music in the play, when it is played in Colombo and when in Mahiyanganaya.  Or else the aesthetic feeling and maybe, even the story expressions will be completely different from the original,” he noted. He explained that when the music is produced inside a studio how well it can be prepared and redone, if a mistake is made. “Studio music can be presented as a fine final copy where as stage music will have variations from one show to the other,” he added. Gamage has produced and directed music for 50 theater productions. 

The popular Sinhala song is limited to only a few old songs of stage dramas. Although there are many new stage plays, those new songs don’t seem to receive much attention of the fans unlike teledrama and cinema. Gamage pointed out that this has happened because of the lack of interest of the local radio channels. “Earlier, the SLBC used to promote these songs. Their culture was such because there were people from various fields gathering at the SLBC. Here people had the opportunity to produce ideas freely,” he said. According to him, this unfortunate situation, where stage songs don’t get the necessary attention occurred when these free productions stopped and private music production houses were established. He lamented that even though there are a large number of radio channels in the country, none of these are interested in recording and preserving new stage drama songs.

With the experience he has gained ranging from working with Prof Sarachchandra’s generation to today’s reality shows, he said that the new trend of reality shows can be seen as a positive reinforcement for the new generation. “Unlike the earlier generations the number of enthusiasts is high now. I, myself have directed these newcomers to higher education in music,” he said. “But the problem is that the new generation gives up quickly. They kill their enthusiasm with their own hands,” he emphasized. “They have enough resources if they want to move forward and become successful. They just need the courage older generations had,” he emphasized.

 Gamage shares his years of knowledge and experiences with the younger generation by undertaking teaching assignments at aesthetic educational institution like Sri Palee Campus and Belwood Music Institute of the National Youth Council. He believes that a music student should not be limited to a specific style. According to him, a student must study different styles and choose what is best suited for him. He even agreed on fusion of music in different styles. “I always tried to include as many styles as possible to the syllabus when I was in charge of the academic syllabuses. This helps to mould a good musician as well as help the person to identify the possibilities, become more aware of the depths he or she could travel,” he opined.

During the last two decades, where Gamage found the depth he could traverse to, he won many awards and was appreciated for his contributions to the field. “Looking back, I can be satisfied with the attention and appreciations I receive.  There were times when I didn’t receive appreciations when I was expecting. But it wasn’t heartbreaking,” he said. “I like the attention I receive. I believe those appreciations made me travel this far. But I have never composed music expecting to receive an award,” he said. So far, he has received awards and been recognized on more than 50 occasions. “I think, I have received almost every award a Sri Lankan musician can win, including Sarasavi award, Presidential award, Raigam, Sumathi and awards in state drama festivals,” he said adding that he believes those awards were the way of paying justice to all his hard work.

Gamage’s latest production Panamura Kunchanadaya opera will be held at Nelum Pokuna Theater on May 30 and 31. He said that this event is an outcome of three years of comprehensive research in music and the tragic story of Panamure Tusker. “I won’t call Panamura Kunchanadaya as an opera or as a symphony. It is a fusion of all these from the knowledge I gained from the theater,” he iterated. “This is the result of his research and it is musical and theatrical interpretation of rhythmic and universal balance between forest, nature and history of human civilization. This would show the man who evolved from the forest, pointing his gun back at the forest,” he added.

He explained how Panamura Kunchanadaya became a major theater production. “Few years back, I was invited to compose music for the theme song of the Panamure Elephant Museum opening by SP Saman Ratnayake. Ratnayake’s knowledge was so rich that he enlightened me on this incident. I had to travel there frequently. I saw the place myself and I did my own research observing the environment and talking to people,” he said. “I saw how the civilization was initiated within the forest and how it has now come out of it.  I wrote down what I saw into a script,” he explained how the event was his brainchild.

He also said that he and his team continued to complete this project facing many untold troubles. Financial issues are only one aspect of it. “There are over 200 people in the Panamure team. Their needs should be taken care of when they are working for this. It was very difficult to seek funds for such a large group. There were times when I felt frustrated in being unable to raise the necessary funds,” he said. “It was very hard to explain what this is to the potential sponsors. Many didn’t understand what we were trying to say. But we continued till the end with these difficulties,” he iterated.  He reiterated why they couldn’t abandon the production considering the financial limitations. “This will be a new experience for everyone. A mother who sees this would want her child to see this and learn what this is. I know this will be a revolution regarding theater. So how am I to abandon this?” he queried, with loads of hope. 

'Art can’t be faked’ - Sunil Edirisinghe

 

 “I believe what I sing through a song should be solely for the betterment of society” Pics by Chandana Wijesinghe

Only very few people can boast of having fulfilled their dreams. When Sunil Edirisinghe was young he too had a dream of becoming a singer one day. He had the talent, support, commitment as well as people to show him the way. He recognized this and used all these factors to become the best he could. Now a much older and wiser Sunil Edirisinghe, basking in this week’s spotlight of ‘The Notebook of an Achiever’, said that all these factors are vital prerequisites to succeeding in any field.

Edirisinghe was born and raised in Nugamugoda, Kelaniya. According to him the encouragement and influence of his own family contributed immensely to his success. “My mother could sing well and she used to recite poems at home. My father was also appreciative of art. I believe that my siblings and I were inclined to join the field of art because of our parents,” he said. He is the youngest in a family of eight and his eldest brother, PD Edirisinghe was the first to enter the field followed by Sathischandra Edirisinghe. Sunil Edirisinghe began his schooling at Sri Dharmaloka Vidyalaya in 1955. After completing his secondary education in 1969, Edirisinghe began working for the Government Printing Corporation.

Edirisinghe won the presidential award for playback singing in 1983 for Maya Miringuva Pirunu Lo Thale from Adhishtanaya. He was awarded with the Swarna Sankha Award for playback singing in 1988 for Thurulaka Hurathal from Mangala Thegga and for Walakulak Gena Muwa Karamu from Saharave Sihinaya in 1990. He has also won the Sarasaviya Award for playback singing several times.

“I remember, when I was just ten, I used to chaperone my sisters to music lessons,” recalled Edirisinghe. During these visits he developed the constructive habit of eavesdropping on what was taught in class. “I heard folk music in Dr. Makuluoluwa’s class and Ragas in Amaradeva Master’s class. I used to practice them by myself,” he added. He also remembers how he learnt, listening to his third brother Nimal Edirisinghe, who was a student of Haywood College. 

He said his first fans were his family and recounted how they encouraged him to improve vocal skills. He reiterated the importance of encouragement within the family system to help shaping a child’s future. “I remember, my father and mother embracing me, asking me to sing a song or recite a poem I learnt at school. I remember how they praised me. With time their appraisals made me realize what I could achieve,” he recalled. “I believe that what I received from my family is important to every child. The love, affection and kindness of family have the potential to shape the ideal child,” he said. He also remembered how he was loved by his classmates and music teachers at schools.

Not every singer is lucky to be recognized from his or her very first song. Not only was Edirisinghe fortunate enough to be recognized, his first song is still much loved. He entered the field in 1970 with Sandakada Pahanaka for his brother Sathischandra's film Matara Achchi. Music for the song was composed by Victor Ratnayake, the song was written by Wally Nanayakkara. “According to Wally Nanayakkara it was the first song he wrote. It was the first film Victor composed music for and this film was my brother’s first attempt at directing. And it was my very first recording,” he reminisced. In the field of arts, this song is known as a Siw Kulundul (a debut effort of four different artists) and Edirisinghe believes that is no other song which could be unique in that way.

Edirisinghe was recognized for his talent through this song and he was encouraged to study music by his family and as well as Dr. Victor Ratnayake. “It was a challenge for me as well as for my brother. If he didn’t have faith in me and give me that opportunity, things would have been different,” he spoke of how he accepted and the challenge as a youngster who didn’t have experience in the field.

As humble as he is, he had to accept that suggestion to study music. His first music master was, renowned musician, PV Nandasiri. In early 1980s Edirisinghe joined Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation and was graded an outstanding singer. According to him, meeting Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe and Kumaradasa Saputhanthri at SLBC was another milestone in his career. “Saputhanthri wrote many songs for me and Rohana composed melodies for them, which I believe, is the reason for the success in my career,” said Edirisinghe.

Since his debut song in 1970, he has been in the field for almost 45 years. Unlike many artistes who changed their style to suit the trend, Edirisinghe remained steadfast and consequently maintained the quality of his songs. None of his songs can be passed over as meaningless or not worth listening to. He attributes this pursuit for quality, as well, to the environment he grew up in, which inculcated in him a good taste for aesthetics. “I believe what I sing through a song should be solely for the betterment of society. I was trained to think like this because of the influence of my family throughout my childhood,” he said. “Credit for the lyrics should go to Kumaradasa Saputhanthri. Not only did he write most of the songs I sing, he also taught me how to choose songs,” said Edirisinghe.

According to him his friends, whom he considers a treasure, is another reason for his success. Apart from Rohana Weerasinghe and Kumaradasa Saputhanthri, he also mentioned Lakshman Wijesekara, Ananda Weerasiri, Kularathne Ariyawansha, Bandara Eheliyagoda, Sisira Wijethunge, Bandula Nanayakkarawasam and Wasantha Kumara Kobawaka. “They were always around. They were the influence behind choosing the best, always. It’s a rare strength for a person,” he said.

Compared with other mediums of art, song is considered powerful in that it has the capacity to change people. Edirisinghe explained why the song should be used for the betterment of society. “We should always seek ways to heal people as they are constantly suffering. The song should act as a salve for this suffering,” he explained. Pop art can only distract a person from his worries, he explained, there is a clear distinction in what a more meaningful art form can do. It has the potential to make a person realize the meaning of life, he pointed out.

When asked whether pop art, directed at satisfying pleasure senses is not necessary, Edirisinghe said, “Not everyone is intelligent enough to grasp the meaning of a song. Many covet simple things they can understand. It is the way of the world. We cannot change that.” Yet he said that it is the responsibility of the artiste to seek ways to provide society with meaningful songs in such a way that anyone could grasp. “They should look for ways to spiritually satisfy people while they also receive physical and mental satisfaction.”

Frequent Facebook users would have noticed a picture shared on Facebook, which compared Sunil Edirisinghe’s Malliye naraka mithuran piliganna epa and another new song sung by a novice singer which appreciates a thug’s life. The picture shared on Facebook compared the literary quality of songs now and then. It also pointed out how easy it is to remember these lyrics, but takes effort to by heart a meaningful song. “The human mind is reluctant to take the trouble to make sense of profound things. It can easily grasp the simple. A person’s education also plays a role in creating this attitude,” he said. “Even in Western countries few people enjoy a symphony. Millions would want to watch a popular music show,” he noted.

When it comes to meaningful songs, Sunil Edirisinghe’s Banen banda raja rata pedesinne and Miniseku pita nagi asaruweki, written by late Premakeerthi de Alwis are two examples for how songs can make a change in society. During the time these songs were first broadcast, beef consumption and gambling had dropped. “Once I was asked to do a program at SLBC on the value of cattle. I asked Premakeerthi whether he could write me a song for the program. He agreed and wrote a few songs on the topic and Banen bande was among them,” he recalled. “Premakeerthi wrote Miniseku pita nagi asaruweki for a Sarala Gee program.” He explained that it was capable of bringing about a change in society, pointing out certain lines from the songs.

“Heta mama gedarata sura sapa denawa…tomorrow I would treat my family to comforts of heaven, Ada raa lunu mirisen gatha wenawa…His children would have to satisfy their hunger with basic foods. But he won’t be able to give them the comforts he dreams of tomorrow either, as he loses his money betting on a horse race and the children would have to continue to sleep on their mats. Kasi malla sathekuge pita yanawa, Du daruwan padure nidiyanawa,” he explained how Premakeerthi de Alwis contributed to making a difference in the society. “These songs at least forces people to think and question what they do. That’s where change begins,” he reiterated.

Edirisinghe has this amazing ability to sing the song as if he is living in that moment. He makes the listener believe that it’s his experience and going beyond this, his voice makes the listener feel the same emotions that a person in that situation would feel. “If you contribute to a song, you should be honest to what you do. Art can’t be faked. When I receive lyrics and music composition, I should study both, so that I can make a note of where I should emphasize with feeling,” said Edirisinghe. It’s the kind of commitment Sunil Edirisinghe shows for his vocation.  Good lyrics, music composition, voice, rhythm, simple language, honesty and commitment; all these should come together to make a song successful,” he added.

According to Edirisinghe, this song Seethala diya piri sunila wilai, was selected from Mahagama Sekara’s book, Nopala Kavi (Unpublished Poems) after his demise and he considered it as one of the greatest opportunities of his singing career. “I have not met him, but I was fortunate enough to see him on several occasions at the Fort railway station. I was taking the train from Wellawatta as I took a typing course there. He takes the train from Fort. Unfortunately I never got a chance to speak to him,” he remembered. Edirisinghe was excited to see him, but he never imagined that he would sing one of his songs. “Sekara was a highly influential character back then. I put him on a pedestal, since I was young and I never imagined that I would ever get a chance to sing one of his songs.” After many years Edirisinghe was still excited to recount seeing his childhood idol.  

He expressed his grief at commercialization of the industry. “Time is money. This concept came to us from the West and we have also become slaves to money. Our society depends on money,” he said. “We travelled far with gifts bestowed on us by a culture based on the Buddhist philosophy. But now, we have to give up these time tested good practices, since we are obsessed with money. There were people who foresaw this Kaliyugg. What can be said but, Antho jata bahi jata, entanglement inside and out,” he concluded.