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Dr. Roland Silva wins Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize 2004

Dr. Sembukuttiarachi Roland Silva, renowned Sri Lankan archeologist, was awarded the prestigious 15th Fukuoka Asian Culture prize 2004, in Fukoka Japan recently.

Fukuoka City, Japan's seventh largest city situated in southern Japan, launched the Asian cultural awards ceremony to honour the distinguished work of Asians for the betterment of the world.

In a ceremony attended by Prince and Princess Akishino, of Japan's royal family, and ambassadors from Asia, Silva was presented the Arts and Cultural Prize Laureate, one of four awards that have now gained international recognition as an important landmark for raising the profile of the cultural work of Asian scholars.

"The Fukuoka Asian Cultural Prize crosses national and political motivations and is aimed at preserving and creating of culture focusing on Asia," the mayor of Fukuoka, Hirotaro Yamazaki, told a packed audience at the award ceremony.

The laureate prize was extended to Amjad Ali Khan, a maestro of the Sarod, a stringed instrument used in Indian classical music.

In its citation remarks, Fukuoka, notes Silva's great contribution to preserve and restore historical monuments and sites in Sri Lanka and Asia, but also extends a special regard for the archeologist's spiritual support for developing a historical insight and deepened artistic and cultural understanding of the subject.

Mr. Silva's work on the Cultural Triangle Project in Sri Lanka, and his guidance in historic conservation in Thailand, Bangladesh, Maldives, Cambodia and Pakistan, was highlighted during the ceremony.

The notice also pays tribute to the formation of a sustainable policy for conserving historic sites that harmonizes the contradictory aspects of historical conservation and creating assets for tourism.

In his acceptance speech, Silva, displayed his internationally acclaimed deep understanding of the artistic and cultural understanding of conservation. He spoke passionately that "humans are moving fast towards an uneasy state of excessive leisure, loaded with fat salaries due to the invention of a 'Machine Man'."

He said the solution was to visit the many historic monuments and sites of human kind and enjoy the "inert spirit of the civilizations of a by-gone era. He reminded the high-profile audience that "culture is the index of the highest levels of evolution as achieved by humans," and should be a part of the "daily appetite of human kind."

Silva also said he "has requested the World Bank to assess the growth of humans by changing the Index of Development .. and recognizing that humankind should be valued according to the culture and religion and not confined merely to a "food basket".

In a public address, after the award, Silva, who was invited to speak to a cross section of the public discussed the issue of ongoing evolution for humans and the need for a growth process through cultural achievement.

He also stole the hearts of the Japanese when he talked about his proposal to make Fukuoka the center for Asian culture, given Japan's financial and technical leadership in the world.

Fukuoka launched the award ceremony to re-visit is ancient connections with Asia. Other prestigious winners include Sri Lankan historiam, Kingsley de Silva, and Mohammed Yunus of Grameen Bank.

Jeewithayata Ida Denna: ... tragic but different

by Prasad Abu Bakr

Tragedy in terms of Sinhala television series is not a new phenomenon to crow about and the tragedy of having to watch them accounts to the same in today's context as there are dramas telecast the entire evening on every channel at a dramatic 'cry baby' pace.

It will be interesting finding out whether this stuff is contributing in any way towards the high suicidal rate that has been rising in the country during the past few years.

Chandani Seneviratne in a scene from her vibrant performance

'Jeewithayata Ida Denna' the classic masterpiece by Ananda Abeynayaka which concluded on Swarnawahini last week was a sob story alright but it had the strength of character to stand by itself as a unique storyline presented to viewers in recent times.

With an irregular (other than Iranganie Serasinghe) but all talented star cast including Serasinghe, the drama was able to pull itself through without many of the regular ingredients that one finds in each and every teledrama that is shown today.

The storyline which is based upon an upper middle class family and the emotional turmoil that takes place in it after the breadwinner, an architect, meets with a tragic accident.

The directors involvement with those emotional overtures and his ability to be able to down play those situations in the most humane manner is what set 'Jeewithayata Ida Denna' apart from the many teledramas that are showing today.

The subtle approach that he used to keep in control even the most emotionally disturbing sequences proved that his language of narration was sharper and more disciplined in comparison to the others in the field.

With a committed star cast Iranganie Serasinghe, Chandani Seneviratne, appearing after a long break and doing a tremendous job as the single mother struggling through life with her two sons. Bimal Jayakody, last year's best newcomer's award recipient at the Sumathi Tele Awards.

As the architect played his part with dedication, Meena Kumari plays the lead as the architect's wife and proves that she is director's material if one compares her to the character 'Vasuda' which she also plays on another channel where in fact she overacts in her role blending well into the South Indian concept of the storyline.

The actor who played the character of the architect's brother and the actress that portrayed his girlfriend enacted their roles with the maximum amount of understanding of the characters they were playing.

Music was mellow toned and the camera movements were slow to accommodate the tempo that the entire production was based upon.

Generally most tele dramas tend to move at a boringly slow speed with no reason to do so but in case of 'Jeewithayata Ida Denna' it started off with a pace that it necessarily had to maintain until the end if it was to create the impact it did.

A good review does not mean that everybody has to follow suit and reproduce dramas with similar themes but what they should realise is that 'Jeewithayata Ida Denna' was outstanding because most of the others failed to meet up with its standards.

In the long term of teledrama production in the history of television in Sri Lanka, there has been invariably a few good ones along the line. 'Jeewithayata Ida Denna' is one of them.

Shilpa - 2004

by Neetha S. Ratnapala

'Seeing is believing'. This was aptly true of the skills displayed by our craftsmen and women the country over at 'Shilpa 2004' at Sirimavo Bandaranaike Centre along side BMICH, Colombo 7.

There were about 1,500 stalls in all, ranging in volume and type of finished articles on view for the public. The public was interested justifying by the numbers thronging to see the variety of items under one roof, a rare opportunity, about once a year, or so.

The public were amazed at the variety and no doubt everyone had a word of appreciation for the arts and crafts of one's own country.

The stalls, though limited by space captured the attention of many local, as well as foreign visitors who patiently spent an hour or more going round the stalls stopping at places of their own interest, longer than usual. Some had an industrial base too.

There was a churning Bowl or a Batter Bowl of adequate capacity a baker's interest no doubt, produced by local craftsmen from Uva. The furniture turned out with cane as well as local timber, and usually unutilised roots of felled trees caught everyone's attention.

As the hand manufacturing process and finishing required much labour and time, they were a little dear by our standards but not by international by any means. These were priced at a little over Rs. 200,000 a complete suite with large glass topped centrepiece and stools. The cane cradle and suites too caught many an eye.

The brass ware and silver ware mainly from Kandy at competitive prices always in popular demand, now a fading art received an impetus and strength for survival by this sort of appreciation.

A demand for these items remains high but the non availability of raw material, the high price the hereditary craftsmen have to pay for the same, the transport costs from the remote villages to the cities or markets are problems they face.

The pottery industry too is faced with the same problems of transport and markets. As their very existence depends on balancing their costs and sales the long wait for an income discourages the craftsman and women engaged in these crafts.

Mats and reed ware could be added to this list. These come from many villages in many parts of the island, the Central, the South, the East and the North Central and North western parts.

They were of good quality, colour and design. Again the craftsmen had the problem of getting adequate reed or palm leaves for their profits were dependant on the consumption. Marketing facilities and increase of supplies were a necessity.

The State has to extend its hand to support these local craftsmen with loans, markets, here and abroad, improvement of techniques, quicker means of production etc.

Sri Lanka could gain by the experiences of her neighbour India or even Indonesia and Malaysia where there was much refineness in the products, better protection and markets for the crafts. Financial aid alone would not suffice to meet a competitive market in handicrafts of quality and beauty.

Sri Lanka textiles - handloomed or power loomed, particularly the hand looms are unique in the weave, fully cotton so suitable to our climate and in great demand fortunately even among the young saree wearers.

These were reasonably priced ranging from Rs. 600 upwards available as sarees or by the metre. They came from many parts of the island. The colourful sarees and shirts too were attractive but a little beyond the average wage earners' reach.

However, it must be mentioned that the local handlooms and furnishing have to compete with their Indian counterparts which caters to a wider market and wider tastes. It's heartening to hear of more experiments to be carried out in this regard.

The availability of quality yarn and dyes at reasonable or concessionary rates would be an encouragement to the small and medium scale enterprising craftsmen. Experiment on new and ethnic designs too would attract foreign markets in furnishings tablecloths etc., both in handlooms and laces - (pillow and crochet).

Now that the sarong is becoming a popular garment among both the males and the females, it would interest the Western Markets if turned out in bold and rich designs and colour.

As mentioned earlier 'Shilpa 2004' brought before the public, the local consumer, export marketers and foreigners a variety of items including the oriental musical instruments as the drums and thabla and traditional kitchen items and utensils, mats, drapings, leather goods and all the sundry, so it was from the kitchen to the drawing room or vice-versa.

Mention must be made of the healthy herbal products, of native flavour hygienically processed and packed displayed in one stall. Something was there for everyone - that one could call our own.

Soft toys for the baby and children, artificial and natural flowers and plants for the young and the old, linen, furniture and 'Osupen'.

Sri Lanka has to be grateful to the craftsmen and women who have toiled and sweated to preserve, turnout a new, or reproduce treasured items of the past for the benefit of the present generations - something old or something new to be called our very own.

The necessity of diversification or transforming one's self from a not so essential or rewarding industry to a more lucrative one to was felt in certain quarters.

While congratulating the Department of Small Industries for encouraging the local craftsmen with merit awards it would be wiser if the woes and just demands of these craftsmen were given a fair hearing, and some guidelines provided that they may not perish.

To this, we presume the People's Bank has come forward with a new Fast Loan Scheme especially in the interest of the small and medium scale industrialists that they may realise their dreams some day.

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