A new collection of songs by Mervyn
Rajmi Manatunga
Once a popular singer much loved by the Sri Lankan music fans, he
represents a golden era in Sinhala music; the 70s, when the tunes of
vocalists like Victor Ratnayake nourished the local music industry.
 Yet, unlike his contemporaries, the journey of this songster in the
world of music has been slow and measured, his works reaching the public
in long intervals. However, whenever they do come out, his new works
have received warm responses from the music loving masses in the
country.
Mervyn Perera, an icon of the Sinhala music industry at one point,
will release his latest collection of Sinhala songs after a long
interval of 12 years. The collection entitled 'Suwanthethi Kusumaka'
comes almost a decade after the CD 'Nilupul Yuwale' of the veteran
singer-composer who has already enriched the local music with many
melodious tunes.
Among his most memorable songs are 'Oba Dedunna', his debut released
in 1972 which turned out to be an instant hit, 'Me Nagaraya' and 'Adare
Ran Bingun' which have earned him accolades from both the adult and the
young generations.
Like most of his previous tunes, Mervyn's new collection of songs
also revolves around the theme of love which have found expression in 12
songs embellished with his deep resounding voice.
"The new collection of songs is the outcome of several years' effort.
The lyrics of all 12 songs included in it were written by Fr. Lenus
Perera. In fact, he was the strength behind this effort who kept on
persuading me to create and release some new works. I am grateful to Fr.
Perera for making it a reality," Mervyn says.
Roots
Completing almost 50 years in the music arena, Mervyn has come a long
way since his days as a member of the village church choir.
A Catholic, he learned the first notes of music from his father
Herman Perera, a music master, who first taught him how to hold a
violin. Young Mervyn entered the Kalayathanaya in 1959 and after six
years of training, started his teaching career as Music teacher in a
remote village in Ampara.
"It was in Ampara that I started composing music. Before I left for
the job, my friend Tilakasiri Fernando gifted me with a guitar. So when
I am in a pensive mood, I would just take the guitar and compose
different tunes".
Not for a moment did he fancy that these tunes composed as a past
time would later adorn many a beautiful and memorable songs like 'Pawe
Wala' sung by Victor Ratnayake and 'Ayanna Kiyanna' and 'Nilambare' by
Nanda Malini.
According to Mervyn, his career as a singer really started after he
got a transfer to a Colombo school in 1970. That year, he participated
in a Sarala Gee program at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
Two years later recorded his first song 'Oba Dedunna' written by
Premakeerthi de Alwis which mesmerised Sri Lankan music fans. His
successive works rich in both entertainment and meaning, proved to be
equally good, if not better than, the first hit, and brought him to the
zenith of popularity in the late 1970s.
He says veteran artistes like Premakeerthi de Alwis, KDK
Dharmawardene, Prof. Sunil Ariyaratne and GSB Rani Perera made a lasting
impact in his music life.
Quiet musician
Despite the immense popularity his talents both as a singer and a
musician brought to him, Mervyn always preferred and continues to prefer
simple things in life and shies away from the limelight.
Still living away from Colombo, this quiet, unassuming artist says
the tranquil of the village gives him more pleasure than the hustle and
bustle of the city.
"Being away from Colombo might have affected my career as a singer
and musician, as it was difficult to find sponsors for music events. But
I do not want to go after money or publicity. I am satisfied with
whatever the success I have achieved," he says.
This modesty and self-satisfaction explains why Mervyn has released
only around 100 songs in his 50 years in the music field.
New works
After a long silence of over a decade since his last music album 'Nilupul
Yuwale' released in 1995, Mervyn Perera will soon present his new works
of music to the Sri Lankan music lovers in the form of a CD titled 'Suwandethi
Kusumaka'.
Apart from songs sung by himself, it includes duets with popular
female artists like Neela Wickremesinghe, Uresha Ravihari and Nelu
Adhikari. Written by Fr. Lenus Perera, the songs have been adorned with
music composed by veteran musicians like Gratien Ananda, Ernan Soysa and
Mervyn himself.
May 'Suwandethi Kusumaka' be a true fragrance for Sri Lanka's Sinhala
music! |
