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Maxwell to help young lyricists

Sri Lankan born singer, guitarist and composer Maxwell Fernando is a permanent resident in Australia. A few weeks ago Maxwell contacted me from Australia, and told that he is willing to give a hand to upcoming lyricists in Sri Lanka in that he plans to include a few songs by these songwriters in his next CD to be released shortly.

He asked that these songs may be sent to the following address: Maxwell Fernando, 19\15, Udayarthoppuwa Road, Kundanwila, Negombo. He says he will pay to those songs that will be selected for his new album.


Maxwell enthralling the audience

Being a Catholic Maxwell helps with artistic activities of the Sinhala School at St. Alban's Buddhist Temple in Australia. He has composed music for a number of Buddhist songs.

Ven. Pallewela Devarakkhita Thera of St. Alban's Vihara, Western Victoria, Australia told In Tune that Maxwell is a key figure behind Sri Lankan national, cultural and religious activities which are held in Australia.

One thing about Maxwell is clear, he is not trying to run away from his culture in spite of his Australian citizenry.

This prompted me to take a stroll down memory lane of late Rev. Fr. Marcelline Jayakody, the poet, lyricist, pianist, and music composer, who touched Sri Lankan hearts with his music like no other Catholic priest have ever done.

Being a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Jayakody not only brought his national culture to the church with his music, he also fulfilled the sentiments of the Buddhist public with his music creating religious harmony. The song Wesak Kekulu Athu Aga Hinda in Lester James Peries' movie Rekhawa is a fine example for this.

One should not forget that persons like Maxwell tread on a path which had been set out long ago by Rev. Fr. Jayakody, who died in 1998 at the age of 96.

Maxwell was a B Grade singer of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation from 1980. His songs are broadcast on Sinhala radio stations and TV channels in Australia.

I asked Maxwell about his background.

" I studied in St Mary's College, St Joseph's and Maris Stella College in Negombo. I started singing in 1950.

"I was a guitarist and vocalist of the band "Rhythm Crabs". I played bass guitar for Sri Lanka Air Force Western Band, Blue Eagles for a few years from 1986 as a guest artist.

"I went to the Middle East for a job. I was playing in a band there as well," he explained his experience with the beat bands.

"I settled in Melbourne, Australia after that. I studied North Indian classical music at Monash University under lecturer Indumathee Pandei," he said.

"I got a music degree from Benares University of India where I studied Hindustan classical music in depth between 2002 and 2004," said Maxwell.

He remembered his mother who taught him the violin and his music teacher at Thimbirigaskotuwa Central College, Lionel Liyanawata with gratitude. "I was a member of the church choir. It helped me improve my vocal repertoire," he said.

Maxwell released his first album Samanala Pancho in 1990. Among those who wrote songs for that album was Rev. Fr. Marcelline Jayakody. Song writers Ven. Rambukkana Siddhartha thera, Pallegama Somarathana Thera, Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne, Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe, Kularatna Ariyawansa, Dr. Ajantha Ranasinghe and Eric Eliyapparachchi had done rest of the songs.

Maxwell had done duets with Latha Walpola, Swarnalatha Kaweeshwara, and Maya Damayanthi in that album.


Evening with world renowned Lankan pianist

Alliance Francaise Colombo has invited the internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan pianist Shani Diluka Abeygoonaratne who lives in France and her husband cellist Eric Couturier to put on a musical evening in Sri Lanka in October.

"Shani Diluka is considered as one of the greatest talent of her generation" Piano Magazine.

Shani was Born in Monacco and was of Sri Lankan origin. She was accepted unanimously to the Conservatoire National Superior de Musique in Paris and recognised by great musicians of today: Leon Fleisher, Murray Perahia Chiristoph Eschenbach, Maria Joao Pires or Menahem Pressler.

She was admitted to the prestigious International Piano Academy in lake Como in 2005.

The academic is presided by Martha Argerich for which only six pianists from around the world are selected each year.

Her recording of Mozart by Radio France was selected to represent France and is broadcast on 150 radio stations in more than 25 countries, including USA and Canada for the Mozart Commemoration year.

Shani Diluka will release a Mirare/Harmonia-mundi recording of the Grieg concerto and Lyrical pieces recorded on Grieg's piano in Norway.

Eric-Maria Couturier, cello

Born in 1972, Eric-Maria Couturier studied cello and chamber music at the Conservatoire National Superior de Musique de Paris and graduated with the Jury's unanimous highest honours. He has distinguished himself as prize winner at several international competitions (Rostropovitch, Trapani, Trieste, and Florence) and has been awarded scholarships by the Natexis and Pendleton Foundations.

He was a member of the Orchestre de Paris and solo cellist at the Orchestre National de Bordeaux-Aquitaine, before joining the Ensemble intercontemporain in 2002.

He shares his quest for new forms of expression with ensembles such as Arcema, Carpediem, and Multilaterale, Eric-Maria Couturier has performed chamber music alongside Tabea Zimmermann, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Jean-Claude Pennetier, Christian Ivaldi, Gerard Causse, Regis Pasquier and Jean-Guilhen Queyras.

His growth has been profoundly shaped by encounters with Pierre Boulez, Wolfgang Sawallish, Carlo Maria Giulini, Gyorgy Kurtag, and Peter Eotvos, as well as by delving into works by lannis Xenakis, Luciano Berio and Franco Donatoni.

His studies of Indian music with Patrick Moutal have stimulated him to probe the relationship between contemporary composition and improvisation. The scope of his music research also extends to the circus.

Tickets will be available at Alliance Française de Colombo for the Colombo show and at the Alliance Française de Kandy for the Kandy show and at the Alliance Française de Matara for the Matara show.

The schedule:

Colombo: October 14 at 7.00 p.m.

Venue: British School Auditorium, Alvitigala Mw, Colombo 8

Kandy: October 15 at 7.00 p.m.

Venue: Engineering Faculty Auditorium, University of Peradeniya

Matara: October 16 at 7.00 p.m.

Venue : Nupe Cultural Centre, Nupe, Matara


Hi folks,

It's been an eventful week for me. You may have heard the name Vasilissa, a character in Russian fairy tales. Vasilissa is carrying a doll that advises her and helps her to overcome her troubles with her cruel stepmother.

I met a Vasilissa last week. But this one was real. I mean she cooks, she makes tea and she does a lot of things, all by herself, just like Vasilissa. Moreover she loves cats.

That's not the interesting part, the Vasilissa I am talking about reads fairy tales. Can you believe it...

Ok, let's get serious folks before we get carried away with the story of Vasilissa.

I came to learn recently about an incident where one of the new stars in the field, one among those hurled to stardom through publicity of a private TV channel, has become very keen to know what the stars like Kasun Kalhara, get as their fee to perform on stage.

It's OK. Because stars are supposed to know what is happening around. But I learned in this case that the new star has inquired how much that the senior stars get in order to raise his performance charge to their level.

Fair enough. An artist can demand a price. But this is not the point I want to make. I tell you straight.

The amount you put inside your pocket is not the indicator that determines how big or how good a singer, player or whoever you are.

It is always determined by your skills, if you are a singer how well can you sing or perform on the stage. That is also not in a day, or a week, or a month. It will be after a long time. The "instant noodles" theory may apply to Mudalalis but not for artists.

To say in other words folks, the popularity is not the foundation of a good artist. It is only the result.

The foundation of a good artist is not even his or her skills. It more or less depends on the skills you have developed through practice and experience and also your attitude towards other artists among other things.

I would still say there is nothing wrong in selling popularity. It's a market theory that is seen everywhere. But there is a way to do that.

Don't take it personal, take it cool.

 

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