Striking the right pitch

Ruwini Jayawardana

[PROFILE]

Full name: Uresha Ravihari Wickramasinghe
DOB: June 26
Nickname: Ravi
School: Samudradevi Balika, Nugegoda, and St. Paul’s Girls’ School, Milagiriya
Family: father - Dharmasri Wickremasinghe,
mother – Chandra Wickramasinghe
and brother – Navod (Microsoft Engineer)
Favourite vocalists: Sujatha Attanayaka, Latha Walpola, Victor Ratnayake and H.R. Jothipala
Favourite film songs: Unna Eka and Payana Ira
Favourite food: Ice cream
Favourite beverage: water
Favourite slogan: You can achieve anything through effort and dedication
Address: 91/5, Dutugamunu Street, Pamankada, Colombo 6.

Destiny singled her out and transformed her with a wave of life’s magic wand. More than two decades after her foray into the world of music, Uresha Ravihari had become the most sought after playback vocalist in cinema.

She clinched the Sarasaviya Awards for Best Vocalist in three consecutive years and recently bagged the OCIC Award for best vocalist for background vocals in Anjalika along with the Presidential Award for best female vocalist in 2006.

“It is a truly elating experience. I started off my career as a background vocalist by rendering my voice for a song in the movie Shakthiya Obai Amme alongside Sujatha Attanayaka and Tony Hassan. I actually sang the song for a little boy in the movie.

“I have been told continuously that I have a voice that is most suited for the screen. Such comments were very encouraging. I aspired to become a playback singer and got many chances to pursue my dream.

“A lot of directors wished to work with me and trained me to use my voice in the most appropriate manner,” an enthusiastic Uresha voiced her ideas on her recent achievements.

Starting off her stint in the limelight with Unna Eka Gangavaka for Mal Sara Doni Uresha had sung 74 songs for films. She had traveled along a long unwinding path, reinventing consistently both musically and through tangential career choices.

Multi-tasking by juggling dancing, acting and beauty culture for a period, Uresha had finally dedicated herself to her first love – singing.

Heenayaki Mata which she sang with Kasun Kalhara for Senesh Dissanayake’s Adaraneeya Wassanaya , the song she sang for Anura Chandrasiri’s Rajjumala andPayana Ira for Channa Perera’s Anjalika catapulted her further into fame and success.

She became a household name in the field of playback singing and many directors shrive to engage this gifted young vocalist in their creations. She had also lent her melodious voice to a number of teledramas and won accolades in the process.

Though she had sung a lot of Hindi songs at the beginning she now sings Hindi hits when the audience makes requests during a show. Meeting India’s renowned vocalist, Asha Bhosle, was a highlight in her career. She had an opportunity to sing two of Bhosle’s songs, Churaliya and Sonari in her presence. “I was fortunate to sing in front of a vocalist of her caliber. She was delighted with my singing. She told me several times that I am quite talented.

“I will treasure those words forever,” Uresha added with a smile.

Explaining the differences between singing for the screen and on stage she said that a vocalist needs to get into the shoes of the character and situation to control his or her voice to suite the episode in which the song will be included in the film.

She said: “Emotions should come out with the vocals. A sorrowful piece should express the pain and regrets of the character. Similarly the audience should feel the romantic aura in the air when a love song is being played.

“It is much more difficult than voicing for a light song where emotions need not be expressed to such a great extent.”

Around 15 films for which she had contributed in playback singing will be coming up in the future.

“I did the vocals for Sara recently. Uththara, Suwanda Danuna Jeevithe, One Blood, King Hunter and Mago Digo Dai will be coming up in the following months,” she noted adding that she will also begin working on a CD at the end of January.

“Seasoned musicians and lyricists as well as some new comers will be working along with me on the CD. Around 16 songs will be included in the CD,” she revealed. She hopes to launch the CD in April.

“All three of my award winning songs were set to melody by Rohana Weerasinghe and penned by Bandula Nanayakkarawasam and Sunil Wimalaweera.

“Two of the films which included the hits were produced by Dammika Siriwardena. They were directed by Udayakantha Warnasuriya (Aasai Mang Piyabanna) and Sanjaya Nirmal (Rosa Kele). I wish to thank them all, especially Weerasinghe, for their support.

“The success is all due to team work,” she noted while expressing her gratitude to her parents, her teachers Sujatha Attanayake and Austin Munasinghe and all the artistes who had offered words of wisdom to her.

She will be flying to Australia with Sunil Edirisinghe in April to attend a string of musical shows. She wishes to organize a solo performance which will include some of her most popular film songs.