Maxwell to help young lyricists
Chamikara Weerasinghe
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
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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.
Chamikara
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