Gerald Wickremesooriya (; 1920 – 9 January 2006) was the founder of the Sooriya Record label that produced many popular hits from the late 1960s to the early 1980s.

Personal life

Gerald Wickremesooriya was born in 1920 at

Ambalangoda Ambalangoda is a coastal town located in Galle District, Southern Province of Sri Lanka, famous for its ancient demon masks and devil dancers. Ambalangoda town is distinct from Ambalangoda Urban Council. The borders of Ambalangoda town are dif ...

, Sri Lanka. After his early education at

Dharmasoka College Dharmasoka College is a coed school in Sri Lanka. The college was established in 1913. It was supported by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott, and accordingly is one of Sri Lanka's oldest schools. It provides ...

Ambalangoda, he completed his education at

S. Thomas' College, Mt. Lavinia S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia (abbreviated as STC), is a fee-levying Anglican selective school, selective entry boys' private school in Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by James Chapman (bishop), James Chapman, the first Anglican Bishop ...

. Gerald pursued interests in Agriculture travelling every weekend to his estates located in southern Sri Lanka. Due to partial blindness, Gerald, driven by his wife in their Austin A 40 would not only walk every inch of his fields but on Sunday's sell vegetables grown in his back yard at Colpetty, at the weekly Jathika Pola, held at Bullers Road, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka.

Early years

In 1948 Gerald started his career in the Plantation sector by joining EPA Bogala Estates Ltd. He ventured into his own business “The Children’s Bookshop” in 1959. Originally dealing in the sale and distribution of Children's books, he went on to sell vinyl records, which eventually led him to his next venture: The Sooriya Record label. With his natural ability to play instruments by ear Gerald played the Esraj in the orchestra of Ananda Samarakoon.

Accomplishments

Wickremesooriya popularized Sinhala pop music amongst a widely western speaking audience. He was able to recognize and pick talent and transform them into stars in the Sinhala Pop scene: Golden Chimes, Mendis Foursome along with Maxwell Mendis, Stanley Peiris and The Fortunes and produced countless hit songs for which Sooriya is well known today. Gerald lobbied and wrote articles in the newspapers supporting artiste's and their creations when popular songs were banned by the then Radio Ceylon considering this music “Thuppahi music”: unsuitable for the intellect. He was bold enough to produce Tamil pop music when it was not in vogue. He fused instruments used in Hindu temple rituals with electrified music of the Sinhala pop idiom, synthesized the sounds of local Drum Rhythms with that of a symphony written by Winston Jayawardena, recorded and produced Nurthi Gee (songs of the old Sinhala theatre) and brought to life Tower Hall music in an era when this music was unheard amongst the public. Gerald pioneered in offering royalties for music creators under the Intellectual Property Rights in Sri Lanka's music industry, which was unheard of in the 1980s. The weekly Sooriya radio show and live concerts featuring the stars of the Sooriya label were one of the most popular and sought after shows in the country. The “Sooriya Show” in 1974 was produced by Gerald on a floating stage at the St. Joseph's swimming pool which had shadow dancing basing dancers on the diving boards of the pool.

Late career

A secret in his life was that Gerald was blind in one eye, due to a sports accident in his mid-teens. Gerald lost his vision completely in 1981 due to a failed cataract operation. He contributed to the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind, while his wife Dulcie continued to look after the interests of Sooriya. Gerald Wickremesooriya died on 9 January 2006 at the age of 86.

References

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