Renowned vocalist speaks out

Social unrest conducive to art

E. M. G. Edirisinghe

MUSIC: "The universal art must move forward searching for new avenues, ideas, talents and trends to avoid stagnation and to keep pace with social, cultural and scientific advances. No artist can move with time without fresh thinking and innovative experimentation," said Visharad Nanda Malini in an interview with the Artscope. Excerpts.

Question: You are recognized as the foremost female vocalist in the country today. How do you react to this rare recognition of eminence?

Answer: I was able to elevate myself to national recognition owing to my total commitment to my vocal rhythm, creative talent and devotion to children. From my very childhood I had the good fortune of being in the company of men of learning and talent.

Q: You have been singing in various fields like the cinema, television, radio and stage. Which of these fields do you enjoy most?

A: All these fields are different from each other. When you sing for the radio we know to whom you sing and we are free to reach the listeners as we have to sing patriotic, religious, devotional, educational or children's songs.

When it comes to the movies, we have to sing to suit the visual in the imagination of the director. We have no idea whatsoever as to how the artist breathes life to a particular character. We have to vocally capture the visual that is in the image of the movie director. So is also with the teledrama.

The vocalist in addition to his voice, through his vocal contribution makes the lyric more meaningful, lively and impressive. This extra bit comes through the emotions into which the vocalist enters which instantly instils the vocal imprint of the song on the listener.

When we sing on stage to a live audience these emotions are intensified and that makes us enjoy singing more and better with live and spontaneous reaction of the audience transmitting a vigorous response which heightens our feelings.

Difference

Q: Can you describe the difference between singing a song and reciting a poem?

A: The song is born out of poetry, and poetry forms the nucleus of a song. Sometimes poems are sung into a melody as I did in Sudu Sevaneli and Siribo Ayya. Incidentally, I won national awards for the best vocalist of the year for these poetic recitals.

In such instances, the vocalist infuses life into a poem whereas it is basically meant only to convey an idea more meaningfully and symbolically; a poem enshrines a greater degree of expression. The challenge to enliven a poem into a song is heavy.

Q: The listeners always tend to remember and love the vocalist while they do hardly remember even the name of the music composer or the lyric writer. What is the reason for this?

A: Song is a trilinear creation each of which has no singular effect without the other. However, the rightful ownership of a song is vested in the lyric writer and music composer. It is the stentorian or the mellifluous voice of the vocalist which enlivens the lyrical sense and the melody. It is the vocalist who communicates with the listener to whom a song is finally addressed to.

Yet, the vocalist ranks next to the lyricist and the musician. The listener, however, remembers only what rings in his ear which he soundly commits to his memory. Thus the voice of the singer echoes in him with refreshing renewals.

A good composition is essential to create an imposing melody, and the vocalist enriches its impact on the listener with his sweet voice and tonal modulations. It shows that however meaningful the lyrics are and so sweet the melody is, if the right vocal depth is not given to it, the song will never be settled in the imagination of the listener.

Duets

Q: With whom do you like most to sing a duet?

A: My experience in singing duets is limited. Generally I sing solo. However, I love to sing with Amaradeva because he is my guru who spotted my hidden talent first and trained me to be the vocalist I am today. Our voices match harmoniously.

However, I have sung duets with T. M. Jayaratne, Sunil Edirisinghe and Victor Rathnayake as well.

Q: Which of your songs since your entry into the profession in 1963, you cherish most and why?

A: I commenced my career as a playback singer in Ranmuthu Duwa. I recollect all my recitals with pleasure without any discrimination. I have sung for over 75 movies. I love all these songs. So are the songs I sang for the television and the radio.

My songs are different from each other, making every song of mine unique and novel. Altogether I have given my voice to about 700-800 songs.

Q: William Shakespeare said, "If music is the food of love play on." What have you got to say about it?

A: That is quite true. If you take me personally it is because of music that I was able to overcome the umpteen number of problems I had to face in my personal life. Moments of sorrow, joy, happiness, fear and danger enrich the music in you. All channels of love (e.g. patriotic, religious, parental, juvenile, carnel) are fostered by music which is inherent in a person.

Q: Victor Cousin once said, 'Art is for art's sake'. Do you agree with it?

A: That does not fit into the present context. Artists have to become professionals for survival. Social life of our country provides the ideal context and the content for our songs. Such issues as youth frustration, war situation, social unrest, cultural degeneration etc. form the necessary substance for reflection in vocal art.

That makes the work of an artist more meaningful and realistic. An artist cannot stand aloof today from his social environment. A good example is the prevailing ethnic conflict in our country. Kunkuma Pottu which I sang sometime back was to draw the attention of the Sinhala majority to the Tamil cultural traditions.

Q: "Music first and last should sound well. Never mind the inner significance," says Sir Thomas Buchan. Is it true of songs as well?

A: It relates to symphony orchestra. In Europ music is in a continuing process of study in depth. They are used to instrumental music. In our country art of music has not reached the perfection it had realised in Europe. We are more accustomed to enjoy the emotional content enshrined in a song. Poets

Q: Robert Burton says that all poets are mad. What do you think is the meaning of this saying? A: Poet is an ennobled artist. Intellectually and emotionally, a poet is an artist full of vigour and vision. That is why we have just a few poets of that genre.

So Burton would have meant that poets are of an exclusive category of artists who do not fall within the other artists. They have achieved a higher status of creativity, visionary and imagination.

Q: What is your opinion about the rap music and pop culture that is encroaching upon our traditional dance forms and the art of singing?

A: The universal art must move forward searching for new avenues, ideas, talents and trends to avoid stagnation and to keep pace with social, cultural and scientific advances. No artist can move with time without fresh thinking and innovative experimentations.

There are young artists who are quite clever and inspiring. They have emerged on their own on the foundation laid by the generations who lived before them. They have a sound knowledge of the new technology.

New groups should come up. They should improve whatever talent they have, but they should ensure that our national and cultural identity is preserved. To quote Rabindranath Tagore, "We must throw the windows open inviting fresh air, but should not let the furniture inside be blown off."

Advice

Q: What is your advice to those who take to singing as either as a profession or a pastime?

A: Our field of art has undergone vocal and instrumental transformation, but that does not mean that we should leave the field to the young and retire. Those who are willing to make singing their career should have the dedication, love and self-esteem, and they should be humble enough to learn and develop their skill and to be selective.

Honest and healthy advice should be accepted with a bow. One should not hesitate to learn from anyone, and that makes one a complete artist.

Q: What are your own plans for the future?

A: I am determined to launch a new work every year as I look for new avenues of expression. I have already launched 26 compact discs each different from the other. I intend to do a new cassette by October this year.

..................................

<< Artscope Main Page