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Contemplations on Sinhala music

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.

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