Death of Dr. Lionel Algama
Chamikara Weerasinghe
Dr. Lionel Algama
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COLOMBO: Veteran film musician and singer Dr. Lionel Algama (74)
passed away at a private hospital in Colombo yesterday after a short
illness.
He was born in Gampaha on March 24, 1935.
The artiste had directed music for many stage plays, including the
critically acclaimed Nari Bena (1964) and Kusa Pabaawathi.
Having entered the film music field by directing music for the movie
Pataachaara, produced by Attorney Ananda Jayasinghe and Narada Jayakody,
Algama composed music for a number of Sinhala movies. Parasathu Mal,
Mayurige Kathawa, Badura Mal, Pradeepe Ma Wewa and Bambara Geethaya are
well-known for his musical input.
He married to Shrima Ranjana in 1963 and was the father of Channa,
Madara, and Anuradha. Algama's remains are lying at his Kalapura
residence at 140\42, Templers Road, Mount Lavinia.
His funeral will take place on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the General
Cemetery, Mount Lavinia.
Dr. Lionel Algama: A gifted, innovative musician
Sunil Thenabadu
Dr. Lionel Algama the renowned and gifted musician, innovator teacher
and composer passed away in the wee hours of Sunday at a private
hospital after a brief illness. He was 74 years old at the time of his
untimely demise.
He was a contemporary of famous musicians Dayananda Gunawardena and
Pandit Amaradeva. In addition he was a 'A' grade singer, in Hindustani
and Bengali as well, examiner, 'A' grade instrumentalist in ballet -
stage - films - teledrama - director, conductor, inventor of the
original instrument called the 'Soorthar' and the sophisticated 'Sree
Veena' which took him about 15 years to perfect.
He made an enthralling demonstration of the 'Sree Veena' as far back
as 1979 at a musical recital at the Bharathiya Vidya Bhawan (UK Centre),
an institute of Indian Culture, London for an exclusive Brahmin music
community.
He successfully wrote two theses for his doctorate, Teaching of Music
and Development of the Chordophones, East and West in 1978 and in 1979.
The final perfected product of the "Sree Veena" was completed only in
1994 after making a lot of research and perseverance.
He is a native of Siyane Korale in the Gampaha District. He had his
primary education at Veyangoda Central. His father, a wealthy
businessman Jinadasa Perera, ran his own theatrical company mainly for
amateurs.
It was a routine every evening for artistes to conduct rehearsals at
their residence. Having identified his talents and interest in this
creative field at the tender age of 20 years in 1955, his father a
person of means he sent him to Visva Bharathi University, West Bengal,
Shantiniketan to complete a degree in Music.
Having studied Bengali and Hindustani he became an important member
of the broadcasting team, of the University as an instrumentalist during
the tenure of his course. As he grew in stature as a musician he evolved
his own distinctive inimitable style.
He experimented with sounds and instruments. Eventually, he invented
the 'Soothar' which is basically the blending of sounds produced by
Sithar, Hawaiian guitar, Sarod, Santoor, Harp and Goothawadyam. Besides
his own "Soothar" he has mastered the Sithar, Sarod, Harmonium, Piano,
Organ, Mendolin, Tennor, Banjo, Guitar, Esraj, Torshani, Santoor, Violin
and Tablano which no other musician in Sri Lanka could challenge.
He was a gifted and the best innovator Sri Lanka had produced, It is
unfortunate that his contribution to the field of music had not been the
due recognition by the administrators in Aesthetic music, He excelled at
classical and jazz concerts and Ballets in New Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay,
Benares, Jaipur and Pakistan between the years 1955 1959.
Subsequently he performed at Perth and Tasmania in Australia with the
Chitrasena Ballet troupe, Broadcasting and T.V. Singapore in 1963.
Between 1979 1980 he performed for B.B.C. London, I.T.V. London,
Manchester, Birmingham Camden Centre London, W.C.I., Commonwealth
Institute of London, Bharathiya Vidya Bhawan (U.K.centre) Institute of
Indian Culture London also toured all the Scandinavian countries for
musical recitals and concerts.
He recollects his performance at the Bharathiya Vidya Bhawan
Institute of Indian Culture, London, a jealously guarded aristocratic
preserve of high caste Indian Brahmin. He was incidentally requested to
perform before the institute's board of directors and was allowed to
perform only after passing a rehearsal. The performance was for charity.
His performance fascinated the audience by keeping them spellbound.
From 1959 to 1989 he worked as a music teacher and he had a long
stint at Thurstan College, Colombo. He created the College theme song.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa was a pupil of his and during the time of
his brief illness had instructed all hospital authorities to give his
mentor all necessary care and attention and was very keen about his
quick recovery.
In 1975 he was appointed as a Cultural Development Officer in the
Ministry of Cultural Affairs. He was also entrusted with the duties as
the examiner of music, both theory and practical at the Faculty of
Aesthetic Education, University of Kelaniya.
He served as a supervisor in music, Ministry of Education in the
Republic of Maldives from 1983 to 1984. He was entrusted to design the
North Indian Classical music syllabus for the Institute of Asian
Culture, University of Windsor, Sunset Avenue, Ontario, Canada.
He has composed and directed music in several films, ballets, dramas
produced in Sri Lanka and won awards for the Best Music directions in
1961, 1963, 1966, 1976, 1984, 1996 and 2000. The first of many films in
which he made the music score was in the film "Patachara' He was the
winner of the national award for the Best Music Directions and Creations
in 1995 and also won the best Teledrama Music Directors Award in 2000.
The musical score of the award winning film "Parasathumal" was also
his. He composed music the main theme song sung by Sujatha Attanayaka,
"Parawuna malwala suwanda athethe" music of was his composition.
He had composed music for stage plays such as Dayananda Gunawardena's
"Naribena, Romeo and Juliet, Sinahawa, Nuwana Podiya, Tikirimalie,
Oedipus, Kusa Pabawathie, and the Horror of Mahahena."
Sree Veena He also directed music for ballets, Karadiya, Nala
Damayanthi, Sakunika, Ginihora, Rankikily, Kinkini Kolama, Capture,
Isolation, Making of Men, Through the Desert and Macbeth. In addition he
has composed, organised and conducted music for several feature programs
in Hindustani, Classical and Light music.
He played his new instrument "Sree Veena" in a solo concert at
Elphinstone Theatre, Maradana on 7 January 1996. Professor of Music,
University of Delhi Ajit Singh Paintal was the chief guest had this to
say.'
The "Sree Veena innovated by Algama had unique sound quality of many
Indian instruments like Sarod, Sitar and Swar-Mandal all combined
together into one instrument. Algama's performance is marked with,
highly skilled technique as he is fully conversant with several Indian
and Western musical instruments. It is a unique experience to listen to
Algama playing on Sree Veena Indian Ragas with such depth.
Dr. Lionel Algama celebrated his 70th birthday on 24 March, 2005. To
commemorate the golden jubilee of his musical career it was his
intention to celebrate the occasion with a solo music recital with the
aid of his invention, the Sree Veena. Unfortunately due to the tsunami
catastrophe, he was compelled to postpone the event without any
hesitation.
He has to be hailed, acclaimed and applauded for innovating "Sree
Veena". It has been established and confirmed that the instrument
possess an independent status for a solo concert. As a personal friend
of mine he had a lot of regrets that this instrument could not be sold
for a substantial amount for him to raise funds to manufacture a more
instruments with the aid from competent technicians.
All his attempts proved futile, It is my fervent hope that the
President would intervene and help to dispose this sophisticated Sreena
Veena. His beloved wife Srima bears ample testimony what amount of his
useful time was devoted by him for this magnificent creation that no
other musician has ever invented the only one of it kind in the World.
Hope that justice would be meted out even after his demise in
appreciation of his unique invention.
Late Dr Lionel Algama (Algama koralalage Lionel Kumaradasa Perera)
leaves behind his beloved wife Srima and son Channa domiciled in U.K
Daughters, Madara and Anuradha and the in laws, His loss is irreparable
not only to them but to many musicians and his numerous pupils. |