Avurudu journey to maturity

'Is it possible for you to go to Kurunegala and do a live radio commentary about Avurudu events place there,' asked the late Mr. Guruge who was planning for the first time the coverage of various events round the country titled, ratavata avurudu.

This happened some years ago roughly around the mid sixties 'I want some new listenable innovations,' he

added.

'I don't mind, but I have no previous experiences,' I said softly.

'But you can surely join hands with someone senior and do some homework together.'

'Who is the person you suggest?'

'Well, ask J. H. Jayawardhana, he comes from Kurunegala. He liked to go with me to his ancestral home there. The broadcast was scheduled to go live in the morning hours of the Sinhala Avurudu day or the new year day.

I found that all the auspicious times were lined up between early morning and the midday. The commentaries also scheduled to be transmitted at that time.

'We should go there the day before with the technical staff and line up whatever we are going to do,' suggested JH.

As a junior broadcaster I had only to nod my head in agreement with him. The late Mr. Colombage was our coordinator and Mr. Guruge was our advisor. As it was intended to cover a few provinces and key cities of the island, quite a number of commentators were selected.

Both of them briefed us as to what we should do 'Try to make a lively good commentary giving a coverage of all socio-cultural aspects of the festive season getting the help of some of the elderly people if they are within your reach covering as much events as possible, so that the listener will know what is happening around the country' was the briefing lesson given to us.

The day before the new year dawn I managed to go to Kurunegala with JH and two other friends by my Morris Minor. Even while driving the car I was thinking as to what I should do and discussed the matter with JH who seemed to believe that there could be many trends in broadcasting inclusive of interviews, commentaries, chitchats allowing various sounds to seep into the structure and even a dialogue will be ideal.

I was equipped with various documents dealing on the aspects of new year rituals and auspicious times, traditional folk games etc.

'Keep all that as a safety valve,' said JH. 'I have an idea to be implemented if possible' he said.

'What is it?' I asked JH.

'There is a very old lady named Hulugala Hamine the last in the line of Hulugala Upasaka who went to heaven with the reverend Maliyadeva Rahatanvahanse. Do you know the story of Arahath Maliyadeva who went to heaven with the Hulugalu Upasaka?,' asked JH.

I knew the legend as told in the Sinhala text Saddharmalankaraya.

'This lady is the great granddaughter of that Upasaka. Perhaps she should be able to tell us something about the new year as she saw it during her time.'

'I think that is a brilliant idea, is she very old?'

'Passed the hundredth birthday I suppose.'

Then I remember how we went to see the great granddaughter of the Upasaka in the night before the new year dawn. It was a difficult mission, as she found it difficult to say what she knew during her days.

But she managed to say that new year season had been a collective function on the part of all the villagers helping each other with the best of well wishing and mutual understanding in the communal life.

She came out with some of the rarest facts pertaining to the festival. Her language and the use of words were rather disjointed and perhaps abusive at times, she used such Sinhala slangs such as topi, topila, ballo, muspentuwo, paharayo and came out with some caste names which I felt as unethical usages. They were meant to insult anybody but used as a way of expression akin to her character and attitude.

'What are we going to do now?,' I asked JH.

'Perhaps we can use an edited version after recording.'

'Then it's not going to be a live commentary, is it?,' I asked JH.

'Let us get an advice either from Mr. Colombage or Mr. Guruge.'

'Get her voice recorded in the form of a commentarial description on the part of an elderly lady who had seen the new year festivities over the years during the time in the area, then edit it to suit our purpose and impress that it is coming alive at the spur of the moment.

I hope you have a good technician with you, see that you don't use the entire interview but please bring it for any future use,' said Mr. Colombage.

That was indeed a bit of good advice on the part of a seasoned broadcaster imparted to juniors of our calibre and we were feeling quite happy about our discovery.

Then we managed to get a lengthy interview from the great granddaughter of Hulugalu Upasaka which our technician cum recordist Somapala edited to suit our purpose.

When the time arrived for our chance to transmit, we used the voice of Hulugalu Hamine, behind which the sounds of the new year were interspersed.

As a prologue we announced that we have discovered the right kind of person to talk about the age old traditions connected with the new year. Everything seemed to have gone well for our good advisors happy about our part of function.

'Did the commentary go well?,' I asked my two friends who came with us, as observers.

'That was really good' they said.