I chuckled heartily, reading Gaston de Roysayro's “Wishing You All a
Good Fa-La-La” in the Daily News on December 12. How true were his
words? I still can't get rid of the scenario of the colourful dangling
balls and balloons hanging all over, adding colour to the season and the
monotonous variety of “Jingle Bells.”
Today it is not music that is dished out locally and internationally.
It sounds like feeding time at a Zoo or a rowdy brawl in a fish market.
This brings to mind a line from one of Shakespeare's plays – “if music
be the food of love, play on”... Not anymore I would say. Those
“memorable and moving tunes” are given such a twisted “rapping,” they
are more crap than rap. As for others, the lyrics as well as the music
are far from soothing or entertaining.
Tuning into radio the words of a song sounded like “you are my dumb
bum” with jarring dumbfounded background music and this went on for two
to three minutes. I thought the CD was damaged and the announcer was
inattentive but when it finally stopped the announcer vociferously hoped
the listeners enjoyed every bit of it and more disgusting was the
history of the recording as if the announcer was the composer. Classical
composers’ (Brahms, Beethoven, Handel) music is not revered or respected
anymore.
Some current stakeholders in the music scene (players, singers,
conductors, impersonators, dancers) hardly know a note of music and
basics.
Dances are even more appalling. One wonders whether they are trained
in a gymnasium or Chinese circus.
Even some judges at musical shows I doubt are certified judges by any
standards. Their bilingual comments degrade them further but perhaps
match the display on stage.
The underlying factor is, some participants have talent but no
quality and standard due to lack of academic guidance and end up with
advertising jingles.
Hope the newly opened Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Art Theatre in
Colombo will be the answer.
This letter has no reference to our cultural musical items.
However it is observed that Kandyan Dancers are seen in
advertisements which have no relevance which I consider an abuse of this
cultural icon.
Melville Perera
Kohuwala
Clock tower at the Naula town is inactive for a few months. This is
under the control of Naula Pradeshiya Sabha.
The public have informed to the local authority but it has neglected
so far.
A A L Dias- Matale district group corr
Recently, I was a victim of an offense which I could not understand.
The offense was not obeying the Traffic Police at a pedestrian crossing.
It must be said that the pedestrian crossing was not visible.
However, I had to go to the Courts and go through the procedure for
having committed a traffic offense.
I saw the area where people had to gather before being summoned, it
was crowded, didn’t have enough space to stand or sit. Moreover, from
time to time the police officer opened the door, called people and took
them in even the inside was crowded.
The relevant authorities have to undertake plenty of work concerning
the Traffic Police.
Sydney Knight
On the subject of Medical Education, there are some negative stories
about the Private Medical College and the intake. We should interview
all those who want to do medicine, so that the Interview Board can
decide whether that person is fit to be a doctor or not.
Till the latter part of the 1950s our universities used to interview
all the students before they were taken in. This may be the time to go
back to that old good system.
S K
General Hospital Colombo is home to a swarm of dogs. I use the word
swarm on purpose to show the number of dogs found there is so much, that
it is virtually a swarm like a swarm of flies or mosquitoes. Like
mosquitoes or flies their existence is ubiquitous. They are found every
where and can be seen running round in large packs any time of the day
or night.
Their presence in the night is the most irritating. One call; bark or
howl by one dog is joined in chorus by about 50 dogs which sometimes
goes on for about half an hour.
Worst is when they mate. During mating season, dogs fight to the end.
Presence of stray dogs is an irritation to all hospital users and the
staff. According to the hospital authorities controlling dogs is the
duty of the municipal council.
Catching dogs once in a way would not solve the problem. It has to be
a continuous exercise, may be once a month till all the dogs are caught
and relocated.
Upali Welaratne
Recently around 8.30 am I dropped into the pillar post box near the
Rawatawatta Methodist Church a Christmas card and another letter
properly addressed and stamped, with my rubber stamp, indicating my
name, address and telephone number affixed on the reverse.
Around 3.30 pm, on the same day, I got a call from a fruit vendor
that he picked a letter just near his stall along Galle Road, carrying
the name and address and my rubber seal on reverse.
I promptly collected it to see that it was the letter I posted that
morning.
Had it not been for the fruit vendor, that letter would have gone
astray causing me inconvenience.
I have reported the matter to the postmaster Moratuwa, and I hope
that this letter will catch the eye of the higher ups at the Postal
Department, to see how this type of negligence on the part of its
employees could be arrested.
Merril. T.M. de Silva
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