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Golden Jubilee years of Sinhala Pop Music;

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5 years ago

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Christian youth herald an Integrative revolution

By Dr D.Chandraratna

Right at the outset I need to justify the above subtitle. The readers may be understandably perturbed that the use of the word Christian is an irrelevant identity marker, given the violence that identity markers have caused in Sri Lanka. I am acutely conscious of Amartya Sen’s advice, ‘Reason before Identity’ before we classify groups (Identity Violence, 2007). However this identity profiling is only an empirical generalization contextualized here because it has contingent social significance.

I wish to demonstrate how young, predominantly Christian youth, through Sinhala song stumbled on to foster amity, dialogue and communication between communities, ‘unloading a million bricks’ out of the Sinhala psyche (Langston Hughes, The Big Sea, 1986). Having relieved my burden I shall come to the subject proper. This article is to celebrate more than half a century of the continued dominance of Christian youth led popular Sinhala music where they reigned supreme.

Bands Galore

At independence while Sinhala music was experimenting with different forms, amidst debate and rancour the city dwelling youth were emulating the sprouting bands and vocalists in the West, and Latin America. The Beatles, Shadows, Kinks, Rolling Stones etc. and generally fast rhythm music was mimicked by the westernized youth who were mostly Christian whose talents were honed in the arts and performances of the church. The bill was split between competing groups. Among the most popular were La Ceylonians, Moonstones, Sunflowers, La Lavinians, Los Flamingos, Hummingbirds, La Bambas, Los Muchachos, Los Serenaders, Los Caberellos, Beacons, Peddlers, Sunflowers, Spitfires, Gypsies, Eranga and Priyanga and many more in the country towns including the North. The Christian schools in Colombo as St Thomas’, St Peter’s, St Joseph’s, St Benedict’s provided much needed youth to work the bands. Likewise the Christian Schools in towns of Kandy, Ratnapura, Nawalapitiya, Galle, and Jaffna followed suit supplying vocalists and instrumentalists.

The dawn of the ‘people’s revolution’ in the late fifties was turbulent. It was a time Sri Lankan society was badly challenged by language and religion thereby partitioning the pluralities and diversities that were considered the norm. The revolution was executed in a rush without debate and dialogue. Exultation was short lived and as the ideals became distant many communities felt betrayed and perceived to feel outside the Sri Lankan heritage. The thesis canvassed here is that Sinhala popular music championed by Christian youth, led an integrative revolution, which was successful in no small measure.

The sudden loss of the conviviality and robust richness of the cultural mix that was their world may have driven the youth to yearn for a mechanism to return to the beautiful old days. Sinhala pop music beckoned them as the integrative solution that many were yearning for. Their school education, mainly in the liberal arts, equipped them with a number of competencies; an intellectual tolerance, substantial questioning of dogmatism, social maturity, rejection of authoritarianism and a degree of secularizati

on outside of books. They were not oblivious to many aspects of the contemporary world.

Meteoric popularity of the Sinhala bands

With apologies to many bands and artists of yore including the Dharmaratna brothers who were the stars of the Sinhala pop I will limit myself to the trio, Indrani Perera, Annesley Malewana and Clarence Wijewardena. Indrani of the Three Sisters and Clarence and Annesley of Golden Chimes, and their bittersweet re-union in Super Golden Chimes were at the helm for the entire period. Their stamp in the pop scene has survived all these years and naturally they have been dubbed the Queens and Kings of the fifty plus year’s history of the Sinhala popular music.

The stars of Indrani, Annesley and Clarence have burned brighter for more than half a century and I will be excused for selecting the three for the purposes of this article. Indrani’s crystalline voice delivering folk like verses were framed in exquisite musical arrangements prepared by Clarence Wijewardena, the songwriter and producer extraordinaire. He was bass guitarist devising dynamic guitar breaks as a value add, especially to the moody emotion filled songs such as Dilhani and Kalpani Duwani. He once said in public that as a teen he was an avid listener to Beatles and Shadows with Cliff Richard and that after secondary school all he wanted was to make actual music with his interiorized musicality. Indrani’s vocals were often multilayered with harmonies by her sisters. Annesley’s dusky voice ranging in delivery from home based country anthems to solemn folk balladry attracted large crowds and sold the records under numerous labels.

Trained in gospel singing, in Indrani and others the Sri Lankan audiences discovered a national treasure That won lasting affection for bringing us nostalgic experiences of our own lives; beauty of the landscape, undiluted romantic innocence, and the warmth of a human community. Throughout their long and brilliant careers spanning five decades they entertained millions of Lankans. Working long hours in a undervalued vocation in the 60’s and 70’s we who are the recipients of their precious gift owe them an enormous debt of gratitude. A career in music is hard work, a lot of sacrifice, but more importantly need a lot of perseverance and patience.

 

The integrative revolution

The singer and audience relationship is about connection; above all an emotional bond that make you cry, laugh, think, hold out a hand, in brief empathic union. The bands playing western music were moving the people on the dance floor while the Sinhala groups were moving people in an atmospheric emotional direction. Beyond the form they also were driving hard a message to bring the nation together. In sonata style, without big guitar moments, warbling in unhurried tunes, fittingly mellow with mundane lyrics made an impressive appeal.

 

It was the immense capacity to put together a poetic collection of images, sounds, scents and stories, wrapped in mellifluous but simple words. They produced a grand alchemy of songs all testimony to the indigenous artists’ engagement with the country and its people, the common folk. At the same time they evoked something within all and we felt connected. It was a part of the little tradition of the Sri Lankan culture that brought us together.

This change in the music topography and culture that took place from the decade of the 60’s points to something beyond the confines of musical creation and musical thought to the wider sphere of social life and social strife. This was an integrative revolution responding to kindred developments in the realm of wider society. The integrative revolution was led by the suburban Christian youth.

Clarence Wijewardena, mindful of the furious forces that were beating against the barriers that hemmed them in, stuck to his motto throughout: semplice-sempre, simple in style and presentation. Contemporary reality mirrored and expressed in spirited conversations with few instruments, he was able to compose songs like Sigiriya, Ruwanpuraya , Kalu ganga Udarata Kandukaraye, Dunhinda Manamali, Wana bambaro ohoma hitu, Dilhani, Ela dola piruna Gon Bassa, Mango nanda, Gamen liyumak avilla, Udarata niliya heda wage, Kalu mame, and many others disregarding formalistic aspects of language and idiom. Of course some of the words were criticized and even censored for being rustic.

Use of words such as Himihita wetiyan, Umbata rideyinam, ohoma hitu, and bithu sithuwam neluwo were subjected to trenchant criticism. But the most important fact was that this music, lyrics and tempo appealed to all segments of society, Buddhists, Christians, Hindu and Muslims could enjoy breaking ethnic and class barriers. In sociological parlance it can be said that while the earlier bands and music were westernized, the Sinhala pop music was sanskritized.

The authoritative Indian sociologist M.N.Srinivas captured the social changes in the 1960’s in India by devising the term sanskritization for a similar process that we can freely use to describe the changes in Sri Lanka ushered in by popular music. Even to the urban society it impressed both on an intellectual and emotional level. I may be pursuing a tenuous connection leading to a dead end but I considered it necessary to record this transformation as a valuable contribution, as reminded by Reverend Malcolm Ranjith quite candidly. It was a social movement and the implied consequences may not be intended. However as Hegel once noted philosophy should avoid political entanglements.

Music and song became the catalyst that unleashed the forces and opened vistas of all communities including the upper middle classes to fall in line. No doubt there was opposition but there were also entrepreneurs like Gerald Wickremasooriya who unstintingly offered assistance. Perhaps they understood the underlying integrative element because it was a contrapuntal message, given better than any political pamphleteer. Popular artists liberated the melody from its tight constrictive wordy bodice and made it part of the common man’s idiom. More importantly, the text invited all social classes and communities to embrace the ethos of our common Sri Lankan heritage. Maw bima obei sithala, rata deya kere bandila, panamen obei sithala, pili gatha yuthui puthune, they pleaded.

One needs only a comparative perspective to understand how the thought content of their music presented a contrasting but an inclusive society in which all communities and religions to wipe out that ordre positif of the old feudal regime and enter a much better ‘ordre naturel’ preordained by the all-wise and all loving deities whose work men can mar but never mend. Was that the confidence they possessed to accomplish their task fighting all barriers that playwrights like Professor Sarachchandra could not easily dismantle.

Professor K.N.O Dharmadasa noted in an introduction to a booklet on Maname the interesting and enlightening dialogue between Professor Sarachchandra and a Cinnamon Gardens lady on the steps of the Lionel Wendt theatre on one of the early days of Maname where the lady said that Sinhala nadagama appealed nicely to the likes of her kitchen maid. No more profound expression of the class divide of the Sri Lankan Weltanschauung is needed. The upper classes were steeped in a world quite alien to the common Sri Lankan heritage. We therefore pose the question whether the musicians, mostly brought up in the Christian Church background lifted the impenetrable barricades as they sang ‘Api enawa murakawal okkoma bindala’ with much more ease, one wonders.

In the 1950s and sixties the freedom, equality and liberty that independence had granted to Sri Lanka was blotted out by dark shadows of communalism and religious bigotry, a society already fractured by caste and creed. The Bandaranaike revolution was hardly inclusive. The politics at the time failed to create a liberated society, a society that is able to express a richer and fuller life. The people’s revolution brought out the monstrosity of communalism more repulsive than the semi feudal class oppression that it was intent on driving out.

Here we draw the power of the form and thought of creative art in song and music. These musicians, who were the progeny of parents outside the ‘purists’ managed to enter the depths of the consciousness of those who were distracted by the people’s revolution and unobtrusively connected them with the Sinhala mainstream society. While appealing to the common multitude they also entered the homes of the rich and famous freely and all this without political undertones.

All we can say is ‘Thank you for the music and thank you for bringing us close’.


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Life style

Meet the author rewriting the rules of children’s fiction

Published

3 days ago

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2026/09/13

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Representation matters:

By Ifham Nizam

“There are no books written about pirates with prosthetic limbs, sporting blades, or racing wheelchairs—that is, until now,” says award-winning international children’s author Jann Weeratunga, whose Polly’s Piralympics series is challenging conventional ideas about who gets to be the hero in children’s literature.

For Weeratunga, representation is not simply about placing a disabled character somewhere in a story. It is about putting that character at the centre—leading, competing, winning, making friends, overcoming challenges and, most importantly, having adventures on their own terms.

Her books are designed not merely to be read, but to be experienced. Through interactive pages, children can colour, draw, write and respond to the stories, leaving something of themselves behind as they explore themes, ranging from disability and bullying to friendship, resilience and family.

At the heart of her growing literary brand is Polly’s Piralympics, a series in which disability is not presented as a limitation, but as part of a character’s identity and adventure.

The inspiration came from an unexpected moment during the closing speech of the 2012 London Paralympic Games by Sir Philip Craven. He recalled a young boy looking at an illustration of a pirate with an eye patch, a hook, a parrot and a wooden leg.

When his mother asked who the figure was, the boy replied that because the man had only one leg, “he must be an Olympian.”

The story moved Weeratunga deeply.

That moment of innocent perception—where disability was associated with sporting achievement rather than limitation—sparked the idea of Polly and her extraordinary Piralympic world.

In the series, Polly, a bird-napped African parrot, finds herself bullied in a Scottish pet shop before being rescued by Captain Hake. Their shared one-eyed view of the world becomes the beginning of an unusual friendship. Captain Hake teaches Polly the ways of a pirate, while Polly creates the Fellowship of Pirates and the Pirates Paralympics.

Soon, pirates from around the world are competing in events ranging from three-legged races and climb-the-rigging gymnastics to walk-the-plank diving and even a MasterChef competition.

It is an imaginative world, but behind the humour and adventure lies a serious message about inclusion and leadership.

Weeratunga recalls one school visit that brought home to her exactly why the books mattered.

A student with a prosthetic leg embraced her and said: “Thank you for writing these books for me, Auntie.”

The words left her overwhelmed.

“That was why I had written these books,” Weeratunga reflects.

Her journey towards becoming an author, however, began long before Polly sailed into the world of children’s fiction.

Earlier in her life, Weeratunga was a Scout Leader in the UK, where volunteering became a way of life. She subsequently spent a decade in Sri Lanka, falling in love not only with a Sri Lankan, but with the country itself.

After her husband died just four years into their marriage, she joined five other women to establish a small school in Senarathwela to teach English to those who wanted to learn. Many of her pupils, subsequently, found employment at the newly opened Victoria Golf Course.

When she returned to Sri Lanka in 2025 and revisited the village and golf course, she found a landscape transformed by new roads, homes, shops and businesses. But the people she had taught remained.

“The village is unrecognisable, with new roads, homes, shops and businesses, but my dear pupils were still there as Caddies, Caddy Master and Golf Pro. I was so proud of them,” she says.

Her connection with Sri Lanka deepened further during one of the country’s darkest moments.

On Boxing Day 2005, while holidaying in the UK with her recently widowed mother, Weeratunga was woken by the words: “Something terrible has happened in Sri Lanka.”

She rushed to the television and witnessed the devastating aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunami.

That very day, she established a non-profit organisation to raise funds and take relief to Sri Lanka. With support from local McDonald’s franchises, schools in Ferndown, the Mayor of Ferndown, freight companies and her friend Mr Wijekoon, a local Grama Niladhari, she helped rebuild lives in Arugam Bay.

The experience was hands-on and deeply personal. A family’s home had been swept away, and days were spent persuading surfers to help construct a future for her adopted family.

A Montessori was established on the hill, within the Buddhist temple grounds, while evenings were spent crafting, building and working with a small but effective generator.

Meals of rice and curry, prepared by the family’s sisters, using provisions donated from Senarathwela, brought the long days to a close.

When Weeratunga returned to the family, in 2025, she was able to see how far they had come.

Jann Weeratunga

Today, living in South Africa, she continues to draw inspiration from the landscape around her.

“Travelling—it leaves you speechless and then turns you into a storyteller,” she says, echoing the famous words attributed to Ibn Battuta.

And storytelling has become her way of opening conversations with a new generation.

While Polly’s Piralympics remains the flagship of her children’s publishing brand, Weeratunga’s wider collection explores a range of issues that matter to children and parents.

Terry and the Bully gives children practical and empowering ways to stand up for themselves, transforming a difficult subject into a story through which young readers can explore courage and self-confidence.

In Evie Visiting Grandma, children encounter the sensitive experience of visiting a loved one who now lives in a residential home. Rather than avoiding a potentially difficult subject, the story gently opens the door to conversations about ageing, family and change.

Terry the Toucane explores another universal childhood experience—the challenge and beauty of being different. Its central message is simple: being different should never prevent us from developing deep and lasting friendships.

Then there is Captain Bluebird, a resilient and entertaining adventure exploring what happens when Captain Bluebird receives a brand-new ship.

Across the collection, Weeratunga combines entertainment with meaningful life lessons, while her interactive approach gives children an opportunity to become participants rather than passive readers.

They can colour illustrations, draw pictures and respond to pages, making each reading experience personal.

That approach also gives the books an added value for parents and educators. They can become conversation starters—helping adults discuss subjects that children may find difficult to raise directly.

For Weeratunga, this is part of the larger purpose of her work.

Her books seek to fill a gap in children’s literature where diverse characters are not simply included for the sake of inclusion, but are given agency, personality and leadership.

In Polly’s Piralympics, disabled characters are not watching from the sidelines. They are the stars.

They lead.

They compete.

They win.

They champion their own adventures.

And that, ultimately, is the brand Weeratunga is building: children’s stories in which every child can find a place, a voice and perhaps even a little courage to become the hero of their own story.

Representation matters.

For young readers in Sri Lanka, Weeratunga’s books are now available through Sarasavi Bookshop, Vijitha Yapa Bookshop, M. D. Gunasena and Expo Graphics, Battaramulla.

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An evening where hearts sang as one

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3 days ago

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2026/09/13

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Rajiv and Clan kept the evening alive with their vibrant music

By Zanita Careem

Music, laughter and a generous spirit filled Raflfles Hotel Colombo as Heart to Heart sing along brought together a vibrant gathering for an evening of melody, friendship and giving. The elegant ballroom reverberated with familiar lyrics as guests joined in, sang along and simply let their hair down. Adding to the infections atmosphere was the talented Rajiv and Clan, whose lively performance kept the energy soaring and had the gathering singing to some much loved favourites.

Keeping the evening moving with plenty of wit and warmth was the compere Mirzab Sherifdeen who ensured there was never a dull moment between the music, laughter and spontaneous sing-along moments, Guests were also treated to prizes galore adding an extra element of excitement to an already festive evening. There was cheers as winners stepped forward to collect their prizes, while friends and families aplauded and celebrated every winning moment.

Yet beneath all the sparkle was the meaningful purpose of Heart to Heart Trust Fund, founded by Dr. Rajitha Y de Silva and Dr. Ruwan Ekanayake, bringing people together in support of a cause built on compassion and care.

The dedications and the volunteering was evident throughout the evening with their commitment adding a special warmth to this special event.

Adding to the evening’s indulgence was a sumptous spread of cuisine by the Raffles, Hotel with an enticing selectiom that kept guests happily returning for more. From savoury favourites to tempting desserts, the food complemented the festive mood perfectly.

As the final song faded and the evening drew to a close, there was a quiet sense of gratitude. Behind the music, laughter, prizs and beautiful memories was a cause built as compassion, a cause that has continued to touch lives through the dedication of Dr. Rajitha de Silva and everyone who has stood beside him in the journey of Heart to Heart.

And as guests left Raffles Hotel with the last melodies still lingering in the air the most beautiful note of the evening remained – the sound of hearts earning for hearts. At the very heart of Hearts to Heart is Dr. Rajitha whose compassion has become the soul of the initiative. Dr. Rajitha’s work reminds us that medicine is not only about repairing what is broken. It is about giving people the courage to believe in tomorrow. And perhaps that is the greatest gift he offers. This spirit was beautifully reflected throughout the evening.It was a beautiful evening of music, friendship and generosity, with every contribution going towards a worthy cause- keeping alive a legacy built one one simple but powerful belief that every heart deserves a chance to beat on.

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Life style

Taste of Ceylon leaves a lasting flavour

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3 days ago

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2026/09/13

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The scene at Taste of Ceylon

Taste of Ceylon opened its doors at Beira Kitchen, Courtyard by Marriott Colombo, on September 3rd; a festival of Southern, Central, Uva and Northern regional food, brought together on one table.

Four Regions, One Unforgettable Table

Each night, guests moved between four distinct culinary worlds. From the South came the deep, coconut-rich flavours of malu abulthiyal and Negombo pork curry with pineapple, alongside a lively fish polla roti action station. The Central province brought Kandalama lake fish, black octopus curry and carrot kalupol; dishes rooted in the region’s lakes and forests. Uva’s table leaned rustic and warming, with village chicken stew, prawn curry with murunga, and a coconut pittu drawing steady queues. And from the North came bold, unmistakable flavours of Jaffna crab curry, Jaffna mutton curry, and a dosai action station that quickly became one of the evening’s most talked-about corners.

Layered around the four regional stations was a spread that told its own story of Sri Lankan hospitality, from belimal herbal welcome drinks and a bread corner stretching from curry leaves rolls to kurakkan viyana rolls, to a dessert corner where watalappan, wood-apple coconut wandu and king coconut jelly sat alongside a full spread of traditional Sri Lankan sweets like kokis, athirasa and aluwa.

What the guests had to say

The feedback on opening night carried a common thread: guests were struck by just how different each region’s food tasted, side by side, on the same table. What could easily have blurred into “just Sri Lankan food” instead came through as four distinct culinary identities; the fire of the North, the coastal warmth of the South, the earthiness of the Central hills, and the rustic comfort of Uva, each unmistakably its own.

A Word from the team

Reflecting on the festival, the team at Courtyard by Marriott Colombo shared that Taste of Ceylon was designed from the start to be more than a menu. It was meant to be an experience guests could travel through, one region at a time, without leaving Beira Kitchen. Judging by the response over the four nights, that’s exactly how it landed.

There were many rave reviews and as the Taste of Ceylon experience at Beira Lake drew to a close, the flavours, aromas and vibrant spirit of Sri Lanka lingered on.

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