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Pundit’s ascent from tunes to authorship
Chamikara WEERASINGHE
What would eminent singer and composer Pundit W. D. Amaradeva
compose? Tunes, songs or some music. In fact he is compiling a book
these days. The book is about how Amaradeva composed his melodies and
related incidents associated with them .
The 80-year-old singer is taking a well deserved rest and his health
is more or less affected, The In Tune learns.
The artist is planning to launch his book in September to coincide with
the International Literary month. He is assisted by lyricist W. A.
Abeysinghe who wrote the evergreen Sinhala classic “Adawan Vu Denethin
Galana”, in composing the book.
The book will provide information about master composer’s selected
tunes, 25 of them, and how they came to be created and stories that gave
vent to their manifestation.
The singer had commenced composing the book on a request made by
Jagath Ashoka a Sri Lankan live in New Jersey, America, who had pointed
out the importance of producing such a book for the joy of his fans.
The book will be a treat to his fans. It will also be a reference
book for those who study his music.
Amaradeva had won Magsaysay Award in 2001 for his contributions to
Sri Lankan music and his extensive service rendered to the music field
and its uplift.
Just as much the composer Rev. Fr. Merceline Jayakody did much to
bring Sri Lankan culture into church music of Sri Lanka, W. D. Amaradeva
brought Sri Lankan culture into North Indian classical music.
Above all Amaradeva has been an honest musician. I remember
contacting him over the phone from the editorial of our sister newspaper
Sunday Observer in August, 2001, to ask him about his being recognized
for the Magsaysay Award, whereupon the artist said that he was happy to
have been nominated for an internationally acclaimed award and to bring
honour to the motherland. Amaradeva said that he had never done music
with a desire to win awards.
“To be honest, I did it for my self satisfaction like most other
artists,” he said.
“Dawn of Peace” Concert at Emmanuel Church
The Senior Guild of Holy Emmanuel Church Moratuwa will present
‘Saamaye Arunalu 2’ (Dawn of Peace II) a
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Project Committee of the concert are E. Perera, Clinton
Fernando, Asoka Peiris Viraj de Mel (seated from L to R), Miran
Peiris, Mohan Peiris, M. de Mel and Tilak Perera (standing from
L to R). |
musical concert on Saturday September 1 at Holy Emmanuel Parish
Hall from 6.30 p.m. Among the artists featured in the concert are
Lankika of Golden Chimes, Annesley Malawana, Keerthi Paskuel, Mariazelle
Goonatilake, Anil Bharati, Merril Fernando, Anuradha Mendis, Clinton
Fernando, Thilak Perera & Isuri Andrew. Dancing sequences by Kanani and
Jayagra dancing troupes.
Hemaka Fernando will compere the show. The proceeds of the concert
will go to the proposed Sunday School New Building fund and the
scholarship fund.
The scholarship will be given to children in need, the organisers
said. |
