Melodious wisdom

Amalshan Gunerathne

Fusing different streams of music together with his melodious 'Sitar' tunes, he possesses the gifted touch to create exuberant musical compositions that can make your aesthetic taste-strings dance. Experimenting with delicate expertise, he blends different genres of music together to create refreshingly new music compositions. While drawing inspirations from traditional music elements, he also incorporates bit of mild rock, exuberant jazz rhythms and other modern music elements in his music. This enables him to touch varied segments of audience. "You have to experiment with music. Otherwise if you keep playing same thing over and over again, music stagnates and nothing new comes up," he says.

Pradeep Rathanyaka. Picture by Geeth De Mel

Gathering aesthetic wisdom at Santiniketan India, he passed his Master of Music degree in 2003 with a First Division pass. With his gifted talents and the acumen that he has gathered, Pradeep Rathanyaka, the renowned local Sitarist has been able to create a unique identity for his Sitar. Now a senior lecturer in the 'Department of Languages and Cultural Studies' at the University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Pradeep is Encounter of the week.

Can you go back through your memory lane and recall how your love for music started?

I had lots of music instruments at my home like Tabla, Harmonium, Violin, and Esraj. But I didn't have 'Sitar'. I used to play Hawaiian Guitar when I was five. I started to learn Sitar at the age of six. D.A Dewage was my first teacher. When I was ten Pundit Ravi Shankar came to Sri Lanka. His visit changed my life. I got a chance to perform in front of him and he was impressed. He wanted to take me back to India, but my father didn't allow me to go with him. But meeting him was inspirational for me; I started to follow his principles.

Then I did my A/Ls in math, not music. I think, all the mathematicians are good musicians, even Einstein was like that. Music is based on mathematical calculations. Then I went to Shantiniketan to study music extensively. I got highest marks there. Then 1996 came here and started the concert called 'Pradepanjalee.' I think it was the first instrumental music concert here in Sri Lanka.

Do you feel that the younger audience is shying away from classical music and art?

Yes most of them don't know how to enjoy art. At this rate, in few years down the line, we will have robot like younger generation. They won't have any feelings or any aesthetic sense. The media plays an important role here. Instead of promoting cheap music programmes, they should give a place for good musicians. Because we have good local musicians here in Sri Lanka, they can do good music programmes with the help of those musicians.

As a musician who has studied extensively on foreign soil, traveled abroad and done many concerts, can you make a comment on where we stand on the field of music, when compared to other countries?

In other countries, they study music extensively; they have to get through exams in order to perform music professional wise. But here, people are bit reluctant to study subjects like music extensively, because it doesn't provide them with a clear career path, which is a sad thing. And also, in Sri Lanka there is not enough competition; if there is a competition they can see what is bad. They don't understand the difference. They don't know the standard. If you go to any country, they study music extensively. What we do is study bits and pieces of everything and that doesn't always work. Even hip-hop music, if you do it correctly, it is good.

The instrumental music concerts are still not popular here in Sri Lanka. How can we draw more audience towards these types of shows?

The best thing is to popularize music all over the country, but the problem is that it demands you to invest lots of time and you need the support of the sponsors. It is very hard to find sponsors for these kinds of events.

How important it is to experiment with new music styles? How should one go about experimenting with music?

It is important that you experiment with music. Otherwise if you keep playing same thing over and over again, music stagnates and nothing new happens. But experimenting has to be done in the correct way.

You composed music for Lestor James Peiris's classic film 'Wakanda Walavva', how did the great film director get in touch with you?

Yes, that was my first film. In nineties, there was a big ceremony for central bank opening. They told me to compose some music melodies for that opening which I did. Lester has somehow got a chance to listen to that music which I composed and wanted me to compose music for his film.

Any advices that you would like to give to young people who want to start learning music instruments.

It is always better to start with the classical background. If you want to study guitar, piano or any instrument for that matter, it is always better to know the background. And also focusing on one major instrument always helps.

Tell us a bit about your latest concert that is happening on fifteenth of this moth.

It is a part of a series of cultural events organized by Alliance Francaise de Kotte and French Embassy. They call it the 'French Spring in Sri Lanka'.

I am supposed to perform with a talented multi-instrumentalist called 'Abaji'. He is a French artist with a Lebanese origin.

He is coming to Sri Lankan on thirteenth and we are planning to start practicing after his arrival. The show will happen on June 15th at BMIC Open Air Theater.

Is there anything new that the audience can expect to see in your latest concert?

I am hoping to introduce electric Sitar to the local audience. I think it is the first time that electric Sitar will be played in a local concert. It is hard to play classical music styles through electric Sitar.

You can play modern stuff. It is happening in Open Air Theater. It will also be a new experience for me, as I have never played in an open air theater before. I hope it won't rain.