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by Nadira Gunatilleke

"Sadu Nada", the latest CD and cassette of veteran vocalist Visharada Nanda Malini will be released on May 26 at the Gangarama Viharaya, Hunupitiya, Colombo 2 at 8.45 pm. She will be the first ever Sri Lankan songstress to release a religious song collection in the Sinhala music arena. Here are some of her views on her creation and the present music industry expressed during an interview with the "Daily News".

Q - What made you to release a collection of Buddhist songs?

A - This is not an impulsive idea. I was dreaming to do this kind of thing since 1958 ever since I sang my first song "Budu Sadu Mama Saman Malak Wennam" (Buddha ! I will be a jasmine). I was planning to do a collection of Buddhist songs since then. This is fulfilment of one of my long standing ambitions.

Q - It is alleged that at present the Vesak Festival has been commercialised and the main objective of the people is earning money.

A - Vesak Festival is the most important event in the Buddhist calendar. People organise several Vesak lantern competitions, Bhakthi Gee recitals, Pandals and Dansalas to mark this festival. Sometimes we can not approve all these things because competition creates hatred and the Buddhist philosophy encourage spiritual offerings rather than material offerings.

But we should not start arguments over these issues because it creates antagonism. "Sadu Nada" will be an "offering of voice".

Q - In what ways will "Sadu Nada" help to promote Buddhism in the country or religious feelings among the society?

A - Sadu Nada is a complete Buddhist song collection. Today several radio channels broadcast different kinds of harmful songs.

Cassette producers' main aim is profit making and they want songs that fit into the popular culture. Some people may think that I am crazy or foolish because I released this song collection.

But I think it is our duty to promote Buddhism in our country. That is why I accepted this financial challenge.

Q - In the past you have sung several songs on different social problems and some people say that you do not sing such songs any more. Do you agree with this idea?

A - I have released 26 song collections so far. I believe that a song should do a social duty. Enlightening society is my duty and I have been doing this ever since I began my musical career. I did "Kunkuma Pottu", a Tamil song collection for the Sinhala community. My aim was to enlighten the Sinhala community on Tamil culture. I have also done several cassettes on the problems of youth, children etc. I always discussed people's problems through my songs still I am doing so. "Sadu Nada" is a need of the hour.

Q - Does Sadu Nada contain any songs originally sung by any other artistes ? What do you think about copying other artistes' songs?

A - I have never included any other artistes' songs in Sadu Nada. But I have sung few old classical songs for "Sadu Nada" including Danno Budunge... and Suwanda Padma.... because I was waiting to sing these songs since a long time. These songs have been sung by about fifteen other singers. These songs belong to the people, not to any particular artistes. Veteran dramatist Henry Jayasena has also composed a song for "Sadu Nada". This song is very significant to me because I admire him very much and I was the one who sang his only two songs composed for two Sinhala films.

Q - What should be an artiste's contribution towards achieving peace?

A - We beg for peace. I did "Kunkuma Pottu" in 1994. Everybody should shed petty differences and be united to achieve peace.

We have to build friendship among communities in order to achieve peace. We can not do this by discriminating against one community. We have to shed narrow ideas. I received a huge response from the people in Jaffna when I sang songs in the "Kunkuma Pottu" cassette recently. Tamil Bharatha Natyam students love to dance to Sinhala songs and Sinhala dancing students love to learn Bharatha Natyam. Only a small group of people want war. Our weapons against violence are songs, poems, films, books and other artistic creations. A lot of artistes have been making contributions through their creations towards peace-building.

Q - What does peace mean to you?

A - Peace means everything to me. We suffered a lot because of the war. All the communities suffered. We lost our dear fathers, brothers and husbands and friends. People left the country because of the war, but they do not like to continue living abroad. Their only dream is to return and settle down in their motherland today. All people live happily because of the ceasefire. We want permanent peace. We should have mental tranquillity to create good artistic creations.

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