Dr. Rohana Weerasinghe (born 18 February 1949) is a Sri Lankan musician, composer and singer.

Early life

Weerasinghe was born on 18 February 1949 in Algiriya, Matara in southern

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

. He was the youngest child to his parents Henry Weerasinghe and Sepalin Weerasinghe. In 1954, Weerasinghe started schooling from Good Shepard Family Convent in Nuwara Eliya, and later moved to Vidyachakra Buddhist School Ruwan Eliya, Welimada Maha Vidyalaya, Pannipitya Dharmapala Vidyalaya and Gamini Maha Vidyalaya Nuwara Eliya. In 1977, Weerasinghe married to Leela Beatrice De Silva, a dancing teacher in profession. They had two sons, Kalindu Gajaba and Chirath Kanishka.

Music

Weerasinghe learnt the basics of music from K.V.S Perera Kithsiri Aluthge. He was able to enter the Government Music School of

for further studies in Oriental Music by mastering

Sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in 19th-century India. Khusrau K ...

. Later he joined maestro Premasiri Khemadasa as a Sitar player in his Orchestra. Weerasinghe became a key Sitar player for music concerts of prominent Singers in

such as Victor Ratnayake's ''Sa'',

Nanda Malini Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera ( Sinhala:නන්දා මාලනී: born 23 August 1943), popularly as Nanda Malini, is a Sri Lankan musician. One of the best known and most honoured singers of Sri Lanka, Malini's choice of singing ...

's ''Shrawana Aradhana'' and Sanath Nandasiri's ''Swarna Kundala''. Weerasinghe taught music in D. S. Senanayake College, Senananda Maha Vidyalaya Meepilimanna and Ananda Sastralaya, Kotte as a government music teacher. In 1982, he joined "Sing Lanka" studios as a Sound Engineer. At that time, he composed T. M. Jayaratne's ''Ekasitha dethanaka'', ''Hiruta Horen'' and Neela Wickramasinghe's ''Punchi Sithe Punchi Sina'' which became popular songs in Sri Lanka. So far he has created melodies for over 8000 songs, which includes films, teledramas, stage plays. Weerasinghe has been the Advisor to the

President of Sri Lanka The president of Sri Lanka ( ''Śrī Laṅkā Janādhipati''; ''Ilaṇkai janātipati'') is the head of state and head of government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. The president is the chief executive of the union governm ...

in Cultural and Aesthetic Affairs since 2006. He held the concert "Adaraneeya Rohana" at the BMICH on 14 December 2024.

Notable performances

* Live performances of ''Ransara Dahara'' at

Arts Centre Melbourne Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central M ...

in 2004 * ''Rohana Ransara'' performed at

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

in 2006 * Live performance at

Millennium Dome The Millennium Dome was the original name of the large dome-shaped building on the Greenwich Peninsula in South East (London sub region), South East London, England, which housed a major exhibition celebrating the beginning of the third millen ...

, London in 2008

Awards

Publications

* ''Lankika Sangeethayei Rohana Lakuna – Rohana Icon in Sri Lankan Music'', Edited by Ravi Siriwardhana and Samudhra Wettasinghe, 2002 * ''Gaman Magak'' – Along a Winding Path, Biography of Rohana Weerasinghe, 2009

References

External links

"ප්‍රේමය නම්" මටත් ඕන වුණේ වෙනස් වෙන්නයිසරසවිය සම්මානයෙන් ඇරැඹි රෝහණ වීරසිංහRohana Weerasinghe Songs Listරෝහණ වීරසිංහගේ “සුදු මුතු රළ” බ්ලුරේ ගී තැටිය
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weerasinghe, Rohana 1949 births Living people Sinhalese musicians Sri Lankan Buddhists Alumni of Dharmapala Vidyalaya Kala Keerthi