Contemplations on Sinhala music
G A Chitranayana, - Senior Lecturer,
University of Visual and Performing Arts
Contemplating on the musical tradition of Sri Lanka, it goes far back
into folk music, Wannam, Pirith chanting etc. During the middle of the
last century when the intelligentsia of the country was considering
about the developing of a purely Sri Lankan national music, the great
musicologist Professor Ratanajankar of Bhatkande Institute of Music was
invited to help discover the truly national genre of Sri Lankan music.
When Ratanajankar interviewed the contemporary musicians and
requested them to sing what they thought to be the national music of Sri
Lanka, he traced the sources of those songs to be either North Indian
Raghadhari music or European music. Ultimately he concluded that the
sources of Sri Lankan national music are to be found in folk songs,
Vannam and Pirith chanting.
However, what we consider today as popular Sinhala music has its
beginnings in the early forms of Sinhala drama known as Kolam and Sokari.
According to some scholars those dramas also have their origins in South
India.
Sinhala music developed immensely through the influence of North
Indian Raghadhari music. Travelling theater group from North India,
headed by Balivala visited Sri Lanka late in the nineteenth century and
they brought with them a host of songs based on Raghadhari music.
Just as these dramas impressed the people, their music appealed to
them more. Local artistes began to compose songs according to the
melodies of North Indian Raghadhari music. Those songs became very
popular among the people in Sri Lanka at the beginning of the twentieth
century.
Then there were the nurtis or dramas produced by C Don Bastian, John
De Silva and Charles Dias. Those dramas were profuse with songs composed
according to Raghadhari melodies. Those were the times when there was
neither radio, television nor the internet. The music lovers resorted to
the gramophone. There were songsters almost in every village and they
were capable of singing popular songs. They were entertaining the people
by singing songs. These songsters became indispensable at weddings and
other functions. So the musical taste of people of Sri Lanka was
fashioned in the backdrop of North Indian Raghadhari music.
As time passed on people became fed up with these songs and the music
lovers began to search for new pastures. A certain event that took place
at that time paved the way for new horizons in Sinhala popular music. It
was the visit of the great poet, musician and literati, Rabindranath
Tagore. He had brought about a Revolution in the arts and music of
India. People of Sri Lanka became impressed by his dramas and songs.
Tagore has developed a new kind of music known as Rabindra Sangeeth.
This was primarily based on Bengali folk music such as Batiyali. It also
was influenced by North Indian Raghadhari music and Western music. These
songs were highly melodious and the novelty of it appealed to the people
of Sri Lanka.
Many enthusiasts of Tagore went to Shanti Niketan in India, the great
university of music and arts, and studied music and art there. The
greatest among them was Ananda Samarakoon. He studied art and music
there. On his return to Sri Lanka, he composed many songs and sang them
himself following in the footsteps of Tagore.
These songs were lyrical and highly romantic and the people at that
time were very much impressed by them. There was a popular wave of
Samarakoon songs pervading the whole country. His songs such as "Ase
Madura Jeewanaye", "Vile Malak Pipila", "Podimal Ethano", "Ennada Menike"
and "Handapane" were in the mouths of the young. These songs became
indispensable at weddings and other functions.
There were a host of musicians who followed in the footsteps of
Samarakoon, among whom Amaradeva was leading. Early songs of Amaradeva
were influenced by Ravindra Sangeeth tradition which reached us through
Samarakoon. Subsequently Amaradeva's songs were influenced by North
Indian Raghadhari music upon the advices and suggestions of professor
Ratanajankar, he sought to transmute folk music in developing his
melodies. It goes without saying that Amaradeva's contribution to
Sinhala music is immense.
Then there were Sinhala musicians who followed their individual genre
of singing. Chief among them was Sunil Shantha.
He was influenced by Bengali music and Catholic Church music. But he
was able o develop a unique style of singing of his own. His songs such
as "Ho ga Rella Nage", and "Mihikatha Nalawala" impress the people with
their lyrical beauty and sonoriety.
There was C T Fernando who was primarily influenced by Western music.
He had a born talent for singing and was able to create a lasting
impression in the hearts of people through his songs such as "Ambaruk
Sewanelle" and "Barabage". Among a host of talented singers' names of
Tillekasiri Fernando who sang, "Enna Madanale" and Kanthi Wakwalle come
to the forefront.
Mention also must be made of some musicians who were well versed in
the tradition of classical Raghadhari Music and whose songs became
popular on the sonority of their songs. Amara Ranatunge, Dayaratne
Ranatunge, W F Wimalasiri, P V Nandasiri and Sanath Nandasiri are in the
forefront. Their songs such as "Maha Re Yame" and "Bindu Bindu Mal'
still linger in the memories of connoisseurs.
Another trend in popular Sinhala music is Sinhala film music. Sinhala
films came to be produced round about the middle of the twentieth
century. Among with these arose a wave of Sinhala film music. Songs such
as "Sandyawe Sriya", "Eyi Kale Yamek Aale" were representative of
popular film songs.
In this respect songs of Rukmani Devi and those of Mohideen Beg are
significant, former for her sweet voice and the latter for his alto male
voice. Most of the film songs were composed by inserting Sinhala words
to popular Hindu melodies. Since the middle of the twentieth century
film music became a dominant aspect of Sinhala music.
Another trend in Sinhala music is worthy of notice. A teacher in
Sripali, Horana, Art and Music Institute, which was started on the lines
of Shantiniketan of India, Makuloluwa by name was interested in a search
for the origins of Sinhala music.
He went all over the country in search of a comprehensive variety of
folk songs and he recorded them in the voices of the rural folk in their
pristine purity and laboriously made the music notations of those songs.
Subsequently those folk songs began to influence the contemporary songs.
His contributions rendered Yeoman service to the development of Sinhala
music. It was owing to his untiring efforts that music lovers of this
country came to feel and appreciate the charm and serene beauty of
Sinhala folk music.
Mention also must be made of the musicologist C De S Kulatilleke who
did lot of research in the vast repertoire of folk music and discovered
invaluable gems of Sinhala folk music.
Ultimately we can conclude that attempting to find a purely national
music is a futile attempt. Sinhala music has evolved through ages under
the influence of North Indian Raghadhari music, Carnatic music of South
India, Western music and our own folk music. One can even discern the
influence of Japanese music in our songs. Song "Lowuthuru Pem Wature" by
Pundit Amaradeva resounds with undertones of Japanese music.
This erudite and rich music of the great tradition which we spoke of
does not appeal to the younger generations.
They neither sing, appreciate nor admire the songs of this great
tradition.
They have prostrated before the pop music which was fashioned along
the lines of western pop music which has its roots in the Syncopated
Staccato Jazz music of Africa.
It is high time that the Stalwarts of our rich music tradition should
look into this sorry state of affairs and do something and put into
correct track taste in music of the younger generation. |