Magnificence of the Maroons

Old Anandian media magnates and musicians foregather in hallowed premises :

Sachitra Mahendra

Acclaimed Anandians at Ananda Rathri

* Wijeratne Warakagoda 1951 - 1954

* Rohana Siriwardene 1956 - 1971

* Rosmand Senarathne 1958 - 1962

* Bandula Padmakumara 1964 - 1970

* Amith Walpola 1965 - 1977

* Sarath Kongahage 1966 - 1973

* Jagath Wickramasinghe 1977 - 1981

* Anusha Pelpita 1980 - 1983

* Jananath Warakagoda 1985 - 1996

* Sahan Ranwala 1989 - 1997

* Bhatiya Jayakodi 1988 - 1995

* Kasun Kalhara 1987 - 2000

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It was the moment. Rare, indeed it was when father and son performed to a packed audience in the school where they walked through feats in different periods.

Wijeratne and Jananath Warakagoda mesmerized the audience which was mostly comprised of old Anandians.

Ananda Rathri witnessed Old Anandian musicians (from 1950 to 2000) performing in Kularatne Hall – the theatre hall named after P. de S. Kularatne, a former principal of the college. This was to be in line with felicitating four Anandian media chiefs: Rosmand Senarathne, Sarath Kongahage, Bandula Padmakumara and Anusha Pelpita who respectively head Independent Television Network, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd and Sri Lanka Telecommunication Regulations Commission.

Event that makes history

It was a history-making event to have a number of singers and four media chiefs from the same school felicitated on the same stage. The event is organized by Ananda College School Development Association.

The souvenir issued to mark the event contains the memories of these Anandians laid down briefly and precisely.

Wijeratne Warakagoda joined Radio Ceylon still being a student. However culture and arts was not his cup of tea right after leaving the school. His contemporaries were Dayananda Gunawardana and former Lake House Editorial Director Nihal Ratnaike. Rohana Siriwardena represented the school for the islandwide painting exhibition. That was in 1966, and Siriwardane still has the painting stashed away, treasured.

First song

“My first song was A. B. Victor Perera’s Sambuddha Divakarayano at the school. I joined Karunaratne Abeysekara’s Lama Pitiya at the Radio Ceylon still being a schoolchild.” Siriwardana recalls. Amith Walpola was the first to be in the editorial team of Anandaya newspaper. Bandula Padmakumara, with his contemporary A. D. Ranjith Kumara, reminisces those good old days with Nim Walalla, a film to have been executed by the youngest crew. Sarath Kongahage recalls times with his contemporaries, Gothabhaya Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa, Rajitha Senaratne, Rohitha Bogollagama, Wasantha Karannagoda and Sarath Weerasekara.

Jagath Wickramasinghe had a time when he was lambasted by a teacher for playing a music instrument aloud during a study period. He dreaded the thought of playing the instrument once more, though destiny decided otherwise quite later on.

Last in the league

Bhatiya’s contemporary Jananath recalls how nervous he was when he drummed the Magul Beraya before an impressed crowd. Sahan Ranwala could never be up to any mischief merely for the fact that his father Lionel Ranwala was a teacher of the same school. Lionel Ranwala could take decisions in choosing vocal teams for many occasions, and that meant Sahan hardly had any luck of being on board.

One teacher sternly advised Bhatiya against getting involved in too much of music and jazz and think of education seriously. Bhatiya soldiered ahead nevertheless throwing the caution to the wind. And last in the league, Kasun Kalhara, admits most of his music friends are those who studied at Ananda.

It was the moment - rare, indeed.

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