Voice with a Midas touch

Channa Bandara Wijekoon

Angeline Goonetilleke's mesmerizing voice had soothed the minds of Sri Lankans for decades. The contribution she had made towards Sinhala cinema with her silvery screen voice is implanted in the minds of all with deep gratitude.

Duets sung by Jothipala and Angeline had added much glamour to Sinhala films made in 70s decade. These evergreen songs have become the driving force behind today's super star competitions in TV channels.

Angeline Goonetilleke. Picture by Ranjith Asanka

Angeline's musical extravaganza, 'Angelin Goonetilleke Live in Concert - Cinema Gethawalokanaya' will be held on February 9 at Nelum Pokuna. In an exclusive interview with Daily News, the nightingale of Sinhala cinema recalled many memorable phases in her life and singing career.

Q: Your voice has the Midas-touch. Tell us about a brand new song of yours.

A: The theme song in the Tele-play 'Sujatha Diyani' telecast on Rupavahini is sung by me. I am getting very encouraging responses for the song. Some of my fans watch 'Sujatha Diyani' to hear my voice.

Q: How are you maintaining your voice? It has not changed with age.

A. The God will decide for how long I should sing and my voice is to be maintained. I believe only in good deeds. I lead a very simple life. Those must be the secrets.

Q: There is a rumor, some of the new 'super stars' who sing popular songs of decades back in musical shows receive a greater amount of money than what the original singers of those songs are being paid.

A: It is only a rumor and there is no truth in it. Some may have spread that rumor with a different motive. The truth is, some youngsters sing our songs on stage to receive applause and to become popular overnight. They will sing our songs for any money because those songs are already popular.

What they do not realize is, by doing so they hinder their own progress towards becoming an artiste to reckon with. In our times we sang only our original songs in musical shows. Even when it was a Hindi melody, we did not try to imitate it. We gave originality to the song with our voices. Each and every artiste had a reputation of their own.

Q: Tell us about your grooming period to become an artiste.

A: I was born in Pallimulla Matara and went to St Mary's Convent. I had seven sisters and two brothers. My father is a Buddhist and mother is a Roman Catholic. When I was eight, my father who worked in the Railway Department got a transfer to Colombo and we all came to Colombo.

Then we were admitted to Kotte St Thomas College. We learned in English medium. My mother was a tall and beautiful lady. She was a descendant of an Irish origin. Since we were De Lanarolles, boys used to tease us saying, "Lana...Rolle...Mutton role."

I did extracurricular activities in school but did not know whether I could sing. My parents wanted me to learn dancing. My sister Rose had noticed my liking for songs. She applied for a singing competition in Radio Ceylon on behalf of me.

I came second and Chandrani Gunewardena became first in the competition. Siri Sarath Kumara, a singer in Radio Ceylon identified my potential. He introduced me to Karu Aiya of 'Lama pitiya.' I became popular as Angeline De Lanarolle in Lama Pitiya. You can hear my voice in Wallie Bastienz's baila song "Haai Hooi Babi Achchige".

I became an artiste in 'Welanda Sewaya' and recorded songs such as 'Balanna Asai' and 'Onna Olu Malak' with Morris Dahanayake at the time.

Q: Tell us about your entrance to cinema as a playback singer.

A: Radio Ceylon organized a competition for popular artistes. First prize was a Parker 51 pen. Second prize was an opening for playback singing in a film. Henry Perera became first and I clinched the second place which opened doors for me to enter cinema as a playback singer. (laughs).

This was in the latter part of 1950. The film was 'Sohoyuro' and the duet I sang with Sydney Atigala for the film was, 'Adara Ambarae Alokaya Vihidai'. It was recorded at the SPM studio in Kandana. Aruna Shanthi and Leena De Silva performed for the song in the film. I also did a small role in the film. The film had got burnt in 1983 July riots.

Q: How did you do justice to various genres of songs?

A: It is like this. I sing film songs differently with appropriate variations to suit a particular scene.

I ask from the film director and music director whether it is an open air scene, indoor scene, club scene or whatever. Then I adapt my singing style to fall in line with that situation.

Sangeetha Weeraratne once told me, "Akka, fifty percent of the acting is embedded in your singing which makes us easy to do justice to the scene in the film." When I re-record the same song for a CD later, I do not take variations to the same extent of the film-song version.

In the film, the song was meant for a particular scene and the CD is listened in a different context.

I sang radio songs like 'Bangali Walalu' or 'Punchi Putha Mage' maintaining uniqueness for that category of songs. Accordingly, the Hymns in a Church must be sung without variations in a very simple manner. Some artistes try to add variations to Hymns too. My singing ranges from sentimental songs to Baila, Viridu and even club songs like 'Okanda Wela'.

A Baila song must be sung maintaining uniqueness of that category of songs. Have I sung 'None Mage Sudu None' (with Sunil Perera) like 'Sudu Paata Meedum Galaala' the film song? These finer-points in singing were not taught to me by anyone. It comes naturally.

Q: How was the interaction with Jothipala?

A: Our interaction was cordial. Jothi is a very dedicated artiste and a man with a good heart. I have associated with Jothi at a time when his songs were discarded by so-called scholars in the country. Jothi and I sang various types of songs for Sinhala films.

We used to travel in the same bus with other artistes and dancing girls for musical shows. He had never tried to be funny with any actresses, singers or girls in the sphere.

He never came for musical shows or recordings after liquor. Later in life, some people took him for a ride.

Airing Jothi's songs 'non-stop' over radio for 24 or 48 hours now is a joke. It is done for the own benefit of these channels because his songs are now very popular in 'super star' TV shows. It solely is a marketing gimmick.

Q: You are branded as the songstress with best screen voice in Sri Lanka. What is a screen-voice?

A: The voices suited for the film screen is judged by the filmgoer. This prowess can be again defined as an inborn talent (Vasana Gunaya).

It cannot be learned. Some voices have the ability to fill the screen and add more depth to a performance by an actor or an actress on screen.

Jothipala even went to the extent of adapting his voice to suit the particular actor and he was successful in that exercise.

Q: What do you think of singing songs for music-tracks?

A: I prefer singing live with an orchestra, to singing for music-tracks.

The perfect harmony between the singer and each and every person in the orchestra goes a long way. When we sing with an orchestra, we are free to induce feelings and give life to the songs unlike when confining to a pre-recorded music-track.

There were talented artistes like D D Danie, Justin Perera, Nadarajah and Irwin Silva in orchestras who had a good ear to grasp a melody and play it in no time.

Q: Can you mention people who have helped you in your long spanning singing career?

A: Karunaratne Abeysekera, Dharmasisri Gamage, Premakeerthi de Alwis, Sarath Dassanayake, Shelton Premaratne, Clarence Wijewardene, Sydney Atigala and singers like M S Fernando, Jothipala, Milton Mallawarachchi are among many others. I have deep gratitude towards my husband Leslie, who had been with me to share my joys and sorrows.

Q: Could you tell us about the upcoming musical concert and the felicitation?

A: The event will be held on February 9 at Nelum Pokuna. The time will be six thirty. Music is handled by Premnath Kodithuwakku. Fahim Mawjood an ardent fan of mine helps a lot to make the event a success.

My fans want to see me singing live. They will get the opportunity to hear me singing live, 30 songs sung by me in the 70s and 80s decades at the show.

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