Siri Raja Siri to join the children’s movie scene

CINEMA: Somaratne Dissanayke’s Siri Raja Siri is his latest children’s movie to join what is popularly known

 as the ‘S clan’:

Saroja, Sooriya Arana, Samanala Thatu and Sankara. The muhurath ceremony of this film took place recently amidst a number of celebrities. This film has

now started its shooting in Kandy, Matale, Anuradhapura, Dambadeniya, Negombo and Colombo.

Kokila Pavan Jayasuriya who is a student of Piliyandala Maha Vidyalaya will play the lead role as Sirimal. Though this is his debut in the silver screen, Kokila had contributed his talent to the stage through Jayalath Manoratne’s Thala Mala Pipila.

Saranya Jayakody, daughter of veteran vocalist Edward Jayakody and Charitha Priyadarshani Peiris will also take roles together with 35 children selected from among hundreds of children.

Leading artists like Jayalath Manoratne, Sanath Gunathilaka, Dilhani Ekanayake, Mahendra Perera, Rathna Lalani Jayakody, Sampath Tennekoon, and Chandrasena Binduhewa will take on minor roles for a change.

Siri Raja Siri the story of Sirimal, his ventures as he approaches the city school from the rural background.

This film unfolds how this youngster faces obstacles and how he conquers success much like a king.

The children’s movie is produced by Renuka Balasuriya. Ebert Wijesinghe will handel the make up and Lal Harendranath will take over the art department. Channa Deshapriya is the cameraman.

Daminda Madawala will act as the assistant director while Edward Jayakody and Harshana Dissanayake will contribute with the vocals.

Ravindra Guruge will edit the film.

Pictures by Palitha Gunasena

Young Soloists’ Concert highlights youth talent

MUSIC: The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka will present the Young Soloists’ Concert on August 11. A highlight of the event will be the solo performances by talented young musicians Satish Casie Chetty, Dhanushi Wijekulasuriya and Nuwan Senaratne, who will bring a freshness of perspective to some of the

 most renown works of old masters.

Tchaikovsky’s Russian Dance from Swan Lake, will be performed by 17 year old Satish Casie Chetty. Tchaikovsky ballets feature dazzling violin solos for the leader, and many of these have become highlights in the solo violinist’s repertoire.

Satish will also be the soloist in Beethoven’s charming Romance in F major for Violin and Orchestra written around 1800, six years before his Violin Concerto.

Satish was the winner of the ‘Young Musican of the Year’ contest of 2006 organised by the Institute of Western Music and Speech. He is a member of the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka and was leader of the Orchestra at their October 2005 concert.

He has been leader several times since, for Camerata Musica. Dhanushi Wijekulasuriya, also 17 years old, will sing soprano in Mozart’s Batti batti o bel Masetto from Don Giovanni, Victor Herbert’s Art is Calling for Me, Puccini’s Musetta’s Waltz Song from La Boheme and Strauss Jnr’s The Laughing Song from Die Fledermaus.

Dhanushi, a student of Ladies’ College, is a soprano with “a true passion for opera”. She has won many singing prizes and gave a superb performance in the vocal category of the Concerto Competition of the Symphony Orchestra in 2006.

Nuwan Senaratne has won several competitions including the piano category of the Sixth Biennial Concerto Competition of the Symphony Orchestra in 2004.

He will be the soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.1 composed in a Mozartian style in 1795. Beethoven was himself the soloist in Vienna at the first performance the same year.

SOSL’s Young Soloists’ Concert is sponsored for the twelfth consecutive year by HSBC.

Tickets are available at Titus Stores, Liberty Plaza and the SOSL office.

Fascinating Spectrum of dance

DANCE: ‘The ninth Asia - Pacific Dance Competition (2007)’ was held in Singapore on July 21 and 22. The event was hosted by the Commonwealth Society Teachers of dancing (C.S.T.D.) and around 550 participants from various countries around the globe took part. One aim behind this prestigious event was to focus on Singapore as a ‘Global City for Arts’.

In Betty Tilley, the C.S.T.D. Asian Regional director’s own words the event makes way for the participants “to come together to learn form each other and perform in a sprit of friendly cooperation”.

The spotlight was on a fascinating spectrum of dance reflecting the rich diversity and abundance of talent in the regions of Singapore, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Sri Lanka and high levels of teaching standards.

The categories were divided as classical ballet, neo-classical, demi-character. modern\contemporary dance items, jazz, tap and national dance.

A combination of solos, duos, trios and ensemble provided plenty of scope for expression. School children from six to sixteen years and those above that age took part.

Representing Sri Lanka from the Nelung Dance Academy was Rangika Jeewantha Vidanage. He performed and captivated the audience in classical ballet, neo-classical and National dance. His performance of a traditional Vannama won him a trophy. This is the first time that Sri Lankan had won a place in this event.

“Most of the audience there had never the Kandyan dance. They were both fascinated and delighted at my

 success. Their response was touching and they displayed great respect for our dance forms,” Rangika expressed.

Rangika who is a student at the University of Visual and Performing Arts is also a student of Neluka Peries of the Nelung Dance Academy.

He had approached the field of dance from the age of eight. He has a twin brother, Rangana Evantha , who had also mastered the art and the two are dance directors of the ‘Rivega Dancing Institute’.

Rangika says that the exposure to so many regional dance styles and dancers was an important means of learning. It made way to gain many pleasant memories of inspiration, creativity, energy and ideas.

Everest of Thavil Music:

Thadsanaamoorthy

K. PIRANAVARUBAN

MUSIC: The Inuvil land produced a thavil expert Thadsanaamoorthy, who had been on the top of the everest

 in world of thavil music. He was the hero to spread the importance of thavil music (thavil means ‘like a drum’), that is the Tamil traditional musical instrument.

He revealed his marvellous talent to the society by using his hand. He had introduced his own typical methods in playing the thavil.

Both Indians and Sri Lankans admired the fact that he is the only one person to play thavil music and the world also accepts the point. Even today Sri Lankans are proud of his magnificent talent.

Thadsanaamoorthy was called as Laiyagaana Kuperapuupathy for his achievements. He was born to the famous thavil expert Visvalingam Rathnam in August 26, 1933 at Inuvil. Parents named him as Gaanapandithan. Then later they began to call him Thadsanaamoorthy.

He ceased his education in Grade three. At first he started to learn how to play thavil from his father. After that Thadsanaamoorthy leant thavil from popular thavil players of his period N. Sinnathamby, B. S. Rajagobaal and Kamaadchi Sundarampillai.

He practised 16 hours per day during his leaning period. After his precise and hard practise he could be able to do a personal thavil programme on stage in his eighth year.

Indian first class thavil expert Shanmugavadivel surprised his excellent talent and invited him to conduct thavil programs in India. Thdsanaamoorthy got a gold tower as a prize for his ability to play thavil in Channai.

In addition musical critics have admired him and have named him as the ‘Rocket of the Everest.’ In December 12, 1968 he got a gold thavil statue on the memorial day of Indian nathaswara expert Thiruvaavaduthurai Rajarathnampillai at Karur.

He has got many awards such as Kadapanaisurangam, Karavekakesari and Laiyagaana Kuperapuupathy. His thavil music was oftenly broadcasted on Russia and western country radio. That is a great chance for his thavil music and specially Tamil traditions. He had gone to Malaysia, Singapore and European countries for his thavil music programmes.

‘King of the thavil music’ Thadsanaamorrthy, passed away from our land on May 13, 1975 at the age of 42. But his thavil music still lives on among us.

A dedicated mural artist

Nimal WIJAYATUNGA Eheliyagoda Special Correspondent

MURAL ART: The partially embossed cement based, art form popularly known as ‘mural’ art has become a demandable art form at present. Thirty-year-old Sanath Kumara of Mudunkotuwa close to Eheliyagoda town has mastered this art form to a great extent.

According to him the secret behind his success towards this art is that he processes a very keen ‘know-how’ that applies the nature of the figures suitable for different, locations.

The raw-materials needed are cement, asbesto sheets and paints etc. Kumara is an artist who chooses very soft colours for his creations that attracts a varied audience.