Compiled by Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Fete de la Musigne 2008

For International Music day:

Once again ‘Fête de La Musique’ organised by the Alliance Française de Colombo will take form on June 21 at the Alliance Française Auditorium, Colombo 7 from 12 noon to 7 p.m.

This unique musical event ‘Fete de La Musique ‘ began in France in 1982 and now this music festival is celebrated all over the world and every year Professional and Amateur musicians in France take to the streets and parks on this day to Celebrate the Arrival of Summer after a Dismal Spring.

It is free of charge and thousands and thousands of people flock to these parks and streets and performers embrace all kinds of music and nothing is out of place and it goes on the whole day.

Here in Sri Lanka this musical event has grown in popularity amongst the young and old and every year many people take part and people of all ages come to see it.

So here is your chance to expose your hidden talents. It is open for everyone-amateurs, professionals (no age limit),individuals , bands, dancing schools / groups, ballet schools / groups, etc.

If you can Sing (in any language) , play any musical instrument or dance, this is the day for you. Pop, Jazz, Classical, Rock, Baila or anything goes, all are welcome. The organisers will also give a chance for the up-and coming comperes to showcase their talents.

It’s Free and the organisers will provide the hall, sound system and background music by the popular band ‘Annesley and the Super Chimes’, or you can have your own music or group. Please call over at the Alliance Française de Colombo at 11, Barnes Place, Colombo 7 or Telephone 2694162 / 2693467 to obtain application forms.

All are welcome to come and enjoy a great day of music and fun free of Charge. Some professionals are also expected to perform as Guest Artistes.

Leena sets ‘em on fire

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

For some reason or other the word ‘danger’ holds a captivating essence for us human beings. Many of us enjoy a good scare to bring a difference to our monotonous lifestyle. Be it an hour or two of a horror movie or an adventure among the wilderness, we have the innate thirst to seek danger, wonderment and the unexpected.

Kumuduni Wijenayake is an individual who had flirted with danger for the latter part of her life. She possessed a rare talent, the ability to amaze many with her inborn skills in fire limbo and acrobatics. Together with her sister, Padmini Mallika, and her sister’s husband, Kamal Dissanayaka, Kumuduni had made her debut under the stage name Leena as a part of the Spero and Selina fame.

“My sister was a fire dancer and she was expecting her first child when I stepped in to fill her shoes. I was eight and still schooling. Nobody taught me the art. It is not something that can be taught or handed down. You have to possess the will and coach yourself,” Kumuduni explained adding that the first few years had not been easy. She was the fourth in a family of five.

Her father, G.F. Wijesinghe, was the head of the Department of Probation and Child Care services and her mother, M.M. Wijesinghe, was a housewife.

They had been a close-knit family and it is in this love-filled background that Kumuduni grew up. She attended St. Anthony’s Balika Maha Vidyalaya, Kolpitty and recalled her first moment in the limelight as a part of the cast in the school’s drama Mahawali Geetha Natakaya while she was in year six.

“I was also a part of both Western and Eastern bands in our school. In one year I had to lead both bands since the girl who had been the Western band leader got married and they were in haste to find a girl to replace her,” she said.

Kumuduni had also served as the school’s sports captain and school captain. Interestingly she was the first Buddhist student to be chosen as head girl of her school after 14 years. Her ambition had been to become a doctor but with the turn of events she had to make a choice between arts and science. She chose latter since she felt that there was a vacuum in the field.

“I attended many shows including shows at Ceylinco Aakasha Kade, the tallest building of the era. I also held shows at the Grand Oriental Hotel,” she mused adding that it was the same location that she held her wedding a few years after.

She became synonymous in the field of performing art with her dazzling and colourful shows. She never wore the same costume to two shows located in the same area and never wore skimpy clothes as she wanted to draw the crow through her talent.

Would you advice others to try this technique?

“It involves a tremendous amount of risks and is a matter of toying between life and death. I did it for 16 years and was flooded with more contracts than I can handle. I took part in interviews at the SLBC and ITN.

At a time when it was forbidden to even light a cigarette in the Rupavahini premises, I was granted permission to enter the set and perform my fire dance in a programme. You need a lot of concentration for this type of work,’ she stressed.

Sadly, she lost her ability to concentrate on her work after the death of her brother, Captain Wijenayake, who served the army. It was the first death in the family and being very close to her sibling, her brother haunted her thoughts.

“He died in 1988 and I had to say goodbye to the profession. I was in shock and it was only her marriage, a proposal brought to her by Dharma Sri Gamage regarding G.D. Jayaratne, a hotel manager residing in France, which brightened up her days. The couple got married and went abroad.

“My visit to Sri Lanka is after a long period but I can still recall some memorable experiences in my past. I performed in hotels which possessed very expensive carpets. If they were damaged it would have been almost impossible to replace them but the owners trusted me not to make mistakes.

Tourists applauded my performances and use to question whether I was a performer who had visited from abroad,” she concluded with a smile.

Picture by Ruwan de Silva

Lankan vocalists dazzle fans in UK

It was a night to remember for Sri Lankan music fans living in UK as a group of artistes took the very best of Sri Lankan music to those living far away from homeland and captivated them with there tunes. Named Gee Tharu Rathriya, the event was organised by Palinda Samarasinghe along well-loved actress of the golden past, Prema Ganegoda and talented stage art director, Piya Vijaya Fonseka.

The starry night of songs took place on June 1 and was held at Indigo 2 hall at the Millennium Dome which is similar to Australia’s famous Sydney Opera House.

This is the first time that a Sri Lankan musical event had been held in this prestigious hall.

Sunil Edirisinghe, Edward Jayakody, Neela Wickramasinghe, Lakshman Wijesekara, Nirosha Virajini, Ishaq Baig, Chandana Liyanarachchi and Nelu Adikari dazzled a hall packed with more than 2000 fans with their soulful voices while Rohana Weerasinghe directed the music.

Wijeratne Ranatunge, Kalani Perera, Suresh Maliyadde, Mahinda Bandara, Hemapala Gallege, Mahendra Pasquel, Susil Amarasinge and Priyantha Dasanayake provided the music. RJ

Pavani coming on Mondays

Sandya Mendis and Susila Production’s latest creation, Pavani, a story based on two political clashes will be telecast on Swarnavahini on weekdays at 7.30 p.m. Ravindra Viyaratne is the director and the cast comprises Jagath Chamila, Anjula Rajapakse, Janak Premalal, Gangu Roshana, Susantha Chandramali, Manel Wanaguru, Dayadeva Edirisinghe, Sampath Sri Roshana and Udayanthi Hirushika.

Pavani and Kasun are university graduates. Kasun is a talented boxing champ and he son of a late politician. He grows up under Wanshanatha who is a powerfull minister.

Wanshanatha is against Kasun’s relationship with Pavani. He schemes to get his adopted son married to his daughter, Neha. Kasun and Neha married and migrate.

Years pass by. Kasun returns to Sri Lanka to discover that Pavani is climbing up the ladder of politics. She had become a threat to Wanshanatha who plots to brings his son-in-law to politics but Kasun is not interested in standing in the way of Pavani’s future. After much persuasion Wanshanatha find a way to outwit both Pavani and Kasun. Will he succeed for the second time?

The script is by Kavinda Mallawarachchi, Asanka Sayakkara, Chathura Adikari, Suneth Warnasooriya and Lal Wasantha. Saliya de Soyza is in charge of the line production, Jayantha Ranasinghe is the cameraman, Pushpakumara Bandara is the makeup artist, Deepthi Mangalasoma is the arts director and Saman Ariyaratne is the editor of Pavani.

RJ

Wasantha’s Sobawe Dahama in Badulla

Sobawe Dahama (Nature’s construction) the 33rd exhibition of paintings by Wasantha Kumara will be held at 45/7, Welagedara, Badulla, on June 18 (Poya day).

The artist had highlighted that love and affection is an essential factor for man’s existence. Life is not a product of sexual intercourse alone. If love is lost it has disastrous consequences upon the society and these issues are explored in Kumara’s newest collections of paintings.

Book launch and Dhamma Deshana

Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera’s Nirmansha Prashnaya and Ama Dam Rasa Vehena Vistharatha Dhamma Padaya will be launched at the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress Hall, Colombo 7 on June 15 at 4 p.m. Ven. Kiribathgoda Gnanananda Thera will also deliver a Dhamma Deshana on this occasion.

‘Saranga’ at Nugegoda

‘Saranga’, an exhibition of oil paintings and line drawings by S.H. Sarath will be held at the artist’s residence, Nugegoda, from June 21 to 23. The preview of the exhibition will be held on June 20 at 5.30 p.m.

Events at ICC

An evening of Instrumental Recital by the students of Saradha Kala Nikethanaya will be held at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) on June 20 at 6 p.m.