The song of the masses

Piyasena Wickramage

It is his music, his melodies, his musical arrangements that gave life to singers (late) H R Jothipala and Milton Mallawarachchi to haunt the silver screen of Sri Lanka. Sarath Dasanayaka never set a side as he began his film career in 1969 as a cine-music director till his death. He was the most wanted film music director for the popular films of Milton Jayawardana, Sena Samarasingha, Lenin Moraes, Daya Wimalaweera, and of course the late Wijaya Dharmasri; Wijaya D who shot into fame partly because of the film music of Sarath Dasanayaka.

Song as entertainment

The songs 'Bonda Meedum Kandurelle, Ran Kenden benda and Vena Vaya' still haunts the ear of ordinary music lovers! (The film 'Duhulu Malak'). As a film musician Sarath Dasanayaka contributed a lot for the development of the film industries golden era in the seventies. They were very special creations - the original creations done by Sarath Dasanayaka was able to establish a leading film music director in the Sri Lanka's film industry, compared to Dr Premasiri Khemadasa, maestro Sarath Dasanayaka had his own style of film music.

Sarath Dassanayaka

Sarath Dasanayaka's main concentration was on film song, his melodies were so able to attract the common cinema-goer. This social strata is the majority of the film viewers in Sri Lanka. After a hard days work they go to a cinema for entertainment. They like dreams! The serious cinema viewers may not agree with this type of ordinary cinema-goers.

In Sri Lanka the film exhibition is basically a commercial venture. The cinemas can't survive without full houses! At that point Sarath Dasanayaka's film music was very much sought by the film directors, who (whether we like it or not) made use of Sarath Dasanayaka's musical extravaganza. Actually as a film music director he was able to challenge the typical South Indian and the North Indian songs and the dance music without any hesitation.

Sarath Dasanayaka's film songs in Sena Samarasingha and Milton Jayawardana namely 'Sadhatama Oba Mage, Kasturi Suwanda, Nilla Soya', Ranjith Perera's 'Dinum Kanuwa', Thimothy Weeraratna's 'Sangeetha', Sarath Rupasingha's 'Ava Soya Adare' - to name a few - is still able to haunt music lovers of two or three generations. Many of Sarath Dasanayaka's film songs are continuously sung in the 'Super Star' musical shows - as a never ending phenomenon!

The immortal singer of five decades H R Jothipala's most popular (original) songs are the creations of maestro Sarath Dasanayaka. Maestro Sarath Dasanayaka belongs to the new generation of musicians of the school of aesthetic - which later became a university in aesthetic studies in Sri Lanka. He once told me at the beginning he had no knowledge of music or musical instruments. He was asked by the Guru - as to what you like in musical instruments! Sarath has told him that big Veena with a big nut on the top (loku gediya) which became his specialized instrument into the future - the sitar.

Spoiling type

The main feature in his all musical creations the sitar is a prominent instrument used by him.

Sarath Dasanayaka was once attached to the Education Ministry as a Director of music. Once in an interview he told me the 'school bands' are spoiling the sensitive type of music listening! The harsh sound of the bands is a disturbing feature to refine music listening. He made it to a point that he is totally opposed to 'school bands'. After sometime (according to my knowledge) he left the government service to be a full time cine musician - and later of course he produced a few films. (I wonder whether he directed the last one!).

As a film musician he was able to cater the popular Sinhala films and much more advanced films of Dr Dharmasena Pathiraja (Eya Den Loku Lamayek) and Sumitra Peries (Duvata Mavaka Misa - I guess!).

Quite unfortunately the Sarath Dasanayaka's film music was not admired by the serious film critics as he was branded as a popular musician! His role as a film musician who was able to fade away the influence of Hindi and Tamil 'copy' songs and the South and North Indian influence in Sinhala film songs - to create them in an indigenous flavour.

For instance he once told me, in some of Sena Samarasingha feature films, he with the consent of the director, was able to use the native drum beats in some of his film songs. He had a thorough knowledge of Sinhala folk music, which at times he used in some of his film songs and in most of his Radio song compositions.

Sarath Dasanayaka had rendered his musical compositions for a number of children's songs too. With the Radio Ceylon in his era he had many more musical directions for most of the new generation singers - which paved the way for recognition to them.

Personally I feel Sarath Dasanayaka is an exceptional musician - some sort of a giant in his short span of musical career limited only for three decades.

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