Sri Lankan Music
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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, ...
has its roots in five primary influences: ancient folk rituals,
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religious traditions,
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religious traditions, the legacy of
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an
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, and the commercial and historical influence of nearby
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n culture—specifically,
Kollywood Tamil cinema is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Tamil language, the main spoken language in the state of Tamil Nadu. It is nicknamed Kollywood, a portmanteau of the names Kodambakkam, a Chenn ...
cinema and
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, is primarily produced in Mumbai. The popular term Bollywood is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (former name of Mumbai) and "Cinema of the United States, Hollywood". The in ...
cinema. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in Sri Lanka, landing in the mid-15th century. They brought with them traditional
cantiga A ''cantiga'' (''cantica'', ''cantar'') is a medieval monophonic song, characteristic of the Galician-Portuguese lyric. Over 400 extant ''cantigas'' come from the ''Cantigas de Santa Maria'', narrative songs about miracles or hymns in praise of ...
ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...
s,
ukulele The ukulele ( ; ); also called a uke (informally), is a member of the lute (ancient guitar) family of instruments. The ukulele is of Portuguese origin and was popularized in Hawaii. The tone and volume of the instrument vary with size and con ...
s and
guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
s, as well as conscripted Africans (referred to, historically, as ''kaffrinhas''), who spread their own style of music known as
baila Baila may refer to: Music * Baila music, a Sri Lankan music genre * "Baïla", a 1996 single by the French boy band Alliage from their album ''Alliage l'album'' * " Bailá Bailá", a 2021 song by Swedish singer Alvaro Estrella * " Baila Baila B ...
. The influence of both European and African traditions served to further diversify the musical roots of contemporary Sri Lankan music.


Folk music

Caste-based folk poems, ''Jana Kavi'', originated as communal song shared within individual groups as they engaged in daily work. Today, they remain a popular form of cultural expression. Folk poems were sung by ancient people of Sri Lanka to minimise their loneliness, sadness, tiredness etc. There isn't a known author for the folk poems. Kavi was also sung to accompany annual rituals. These ancient rites are rarely performed in contemporary Sri Lanka, but the preserved songs are still performed by folk musicians. Sri Lanka is known to have songs that date back to 1400 A.D. That are still performed today. Another traditional Sri Lankan folk style is called the ''Virindu''. It involves an improvised poem sung to the beaten melody of a rabana. Traditional song contests were held in which two virindu singers would compete through spontaneous verse. The Portuguese influenced
baila Baila may refer to: Music * Baila music, a Sri Lankan music genre * "Baïla", a 1996 single by the French boy band Alliage from their album ''Alliage l'album'' * " Bailá Bailá", a 2021 song by Swedish singer Alvaro Estrella * " Baila Baila B ...
has been a popular folk tradition along the coastal districts in the past five hundred years and is now part of the mainstream music culture.


Sri Lankan country music

The art, music and dances of Sri Lanka were derived from ritualistic responses to natural phenomenon. Sri Lanka's earliest folk music was later influenced by the influx of Buddhist traditions. These songs were performed by commoners, and not merely recited by the priestly castes.


Pageantry

Sri Lanka has a highly evolved pageantry tradition, which has a unique array of music.


Kolam and puppetry

Kolam music is a low country folk tradition of the south-west coast and its use was both in exorcism rituals as a form of healing and in masked comedy and drama.


Nurthi Music

Nurthi is a stage drama that influenced by Parsi theater as a consequence of arriving the drama troupe in the latter part of the 19th century, which belonged to the Elphinstone Dramatic Company of India. Nurthi is the colloquial Sinhala form of the Sanskrit term "Nritya". The music of Nurthi was based on North Indian Music. Don Bastian of Dehiwala introduced Nurti firstly by looking at Indian dramas and then John De Silva developed it and performed Ramayanaya in 1886.


Sinhala light music

Some artists visited India to learn music and later started introducing light music. Ananda Samarakoon was the pioneer of this attempt also composing the Sri Lankan National Anthem. Then Sunil Santha who also did not stick to
Hindustani music Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or ''Uttar Bhartiya shastriya sangeet''. The term ''shastriya sangeet'' ...
introduced light music of his own, influenced by the Geethika (
Christian hymns A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the world. The words ''Christ'' and ''Chr ...
) tradition of Sri Lanka. Pandit W.D. Amaradeva is credited as the major contributor to the development of this genre into a truly Sri Lankan style, along with Amarasiri Peiris. It is enriched with the influence of folk music, kolam music, Nadagam music, Noorthy music and others too. Most of the musician in Sri Lanka have come out with their own creations. The temple paintings and carvings used birds, elephants, wild animals, flowers and trees. The colors were made of nature. The traditional 18 dances display the dancing of birds and animals. * Mayura Wannama – The dance of the peacock * Hanuma Wannama – The dance of the monkey * Gajaga Wannama – The dance of the elephant * Thuraga Wannama – The dance of the horse It has several subgenres. The folk music is created with few instruments only and the frequency range is narrowly. The folk songs and poems were used in social gatherings to work together. The Indian influenced Classical Music has grown to be unique. The traditional drama, music and songs are typically Sri Lankan.


Sri Lanka's traditional musical instruments

The classical Sinhalese Orchestra consists of five categories of instruments. The drum is the king of local percussion instruments and without it, there will be no dance. The vibrant beat of the rhythm of the drums form the basic of the dance. The dancers' feet bounce off the floor and they leap and swirl in patterns that reflex the complex rhythms of the drum beat. This drum beat may seem simple on the first hearing but it takes a long time to master the intricate rhythms and variations, which the drummer sometimes can bring to a crescendo of intensity. * Gatabera - The typical Sinhalese Dance is identified as the
Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
an dance and the Gatabera is indispensable to this dance. It is a long, double-headed drum with a bulge in the middle, worn around the player's waist. * Yak-bera - The Yak-bera ("demon drum") is used in low country dance, in which the dancers wear masks and perform devil dancing, which has become a highly developed form of art. This is a double-headed drum with a cylinderic wooden frame. * Dawula - The Dawula is a barrel shaped drum indigenous to the Sabaragamuwa dance style. It is used as an accompanying drum in the past in order to keep strict time with the beat. * Thammattama - The Thammattama is a flat, two faced drum. The drummer strikes the drum on the two surfaces on top with sticks, unlike the other traditional Sri Lankan drums, which are played by striking the sides of the instrument. In the Hewisi Ensemble, this may be a companion drum to the aforementioned Dawula. * Udekki - A small double headed, hourglass shape hand drum used to accompany songs. It is approximately in length. The face, valayama, is not used to produce sound rather by pressure applied on the string. The middle of the drum, giriya or gela, which means neck in Sinhalese, is narrower than the faces. * Rabana - The Rabana is a flat faced circular drum and comes in several sizes. The largest of which has to be placed on the floor in order to be played – which is usually done by several people (normally the womenfolk) who sit around the instrument and beat it with both hands. This is used in festivals such as the Sinhalese New Year and ceremonies such as weddings. The resounding beat of the Rabana symbolizes the joyous moods of the occasion. The small Rabana is a form of mobile drum beat – carried by the performer to produce accompanying drum rhythms for the pieces being performed. * Thalampata - The Thalampata are the metal percussion instruments, where two small
cymbal A cymbal is a common percussion instrument. Often used in pairs, cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys. The majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sou ...
s are joined by a string. * Horanawa - The Horanawa, or Kandyan pipe, is an oboe-like double reed instrument that is played during traditional ceremonies in Buddhist temples to accompany the percussive instruments and dance. The mouthpiece is traditionally made of a
talipot palm ''Corypha umbraculifera'', the talipot palm, is a species of palm native to eastern and southern India and Sri Lanka. It is also grown in Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Mauritius and the Andaman Islands. It is one of the five accepted species in t ...
leaf and the remaining sections of
jackwood ''Cryptocarya glaucescens'', commonly known as jackwood, silver sycamore, native laurel, brown beech, bolly laurel or brown laurel, is a species of flowering plant in the laurel family and is endemic to eastern Australia. Its leaves are lance-sh ...
and brass. * Hakgediya - The Hakgediya is conch-shell and another form of a natural instrument. The instrument's primary function is for the performer to play it (by blowing) to announce the opening of ceremonies of grandeur. * Wind Section - The wind section is dominant by a wind instrument, something akin to the clarinet. This instrument is not normally used for the dances mainly because the Sinhalese dance is not set to music as the western world knows it. Rather, the primary sense of rhythm, and patterns of man in motion, is the music that is beaten out by the drummer. * Flutes - The flutes made of metals such as silver and brass produce shrill music to accompany Kandyan Dances, while the plaintive strains of music of the reed flute may pierce the air in devil-dancing.


Endemic Instruments


Béra

According to the historical record available today, it is believed that several instruments originated within the tribal groups that once inhabited the island presently known as Sri Lanka. Among these, seven remain in use: * – Also referred to as the ''
Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
an drum'' or ''wedding drum''; it is a double-headed, barrel-shaped drum, that is played by hand. It is approximately in length, in diameter (at its widest point), with diameter drumheads. * Thammátama – A twin-drum (similar to the bongo) that is played with two sticks instead of by hand. * Yak Béra – Also referred to as the ''Low Country drum'' or ''Demon drum''; it is a double-headed, barrel-shaped drum, that is played by both hands (one in one side). * Udákkiya – A small, hour-glass shaped drum, that is played with one hand while the other hand modifies the tension of a cloth wrapped around its centre (thereby changing the pitch of the drum-head). * Hand Răbāna – A drum similar to the
tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, thoug ...
(except in that it does not possess metal jingles) * Daŭla or ''Dawla'' – A double-headed, barrel-shaped drum played by hand (on one side), and by a stick (on the opposite side). * Bench Răbāna – Similar to the ''hand rabana'', except larger (it is often played by three to eight individuals simultaneously). In addition to these drums, a new drum was recently created (in 2000) by Sri Lankan musician Kalasoori Piyasāra Shilpadhipathi, referred to as the Gaŭla – it is a barrel-shaped instrument containing one head from the ''Gáta Béra'', and one from the Daŭla. A set of rudiments (practice rhythms) were also created by him to accommodate the instrument's unique tone. Also in addition to these drums, the dhōlki is also used by many musicians – though this drum is believed to have descended from those brought to Sri Lanka from India – unlike the aforementioned instruments; which are believed to have existed in Sri Lanka prior to the arrival of the first Indian explorers (though this is difficult to verify due to the proximity of the two nations to one another – it is impossible to say, with any degree of certainty, that no cultural exchange occurred between the peoples of southern India and Sri Lanka prior to any particular date in history).


Ravanahatha

The
Ravanahatha A ravanahatha (variant names: ''ravanhatta'', ''rawanhattha'', ''ravanastron'', ''ravana hasta veena'') is an ancient bowed, stringed instrument, used in India, Sri Lanka, and surrounding areas. It has been suggested as an ancestor of the violin. ...
is a crude violin made of coconut shell, bamboo and goat skin, with a natural fibre serving as the string. Goat and sheep gut and coconut wood are also used. It is believed to be the first stringed instrument to be played with a bow and is recognized as the world's first violin. The Ravanahatha or Ravana's hand is mentioned in the ancient Indian epic '
Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
'. The Ravanahatha sounds like the north Indian instruments Sarangi and Esraj.
Dinesh Subasinghe Dinesh (Devanagari: ') is a common Hindu male given name. The Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose i ...
has re-introduced this instrument to Sri Lankan media in 2007 and launched the first CD using the instrument, ''Rawana Nada''.


Western music

Western classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...
has been studied and performed in Sri Lanka since its introduction during the Portuguese colonial period of the 15th century. The upper middle-class and upper-class citizens of the country traditionally formed the pedagogues, students, and audience of the Western classical tradition in the country, although western music is also offered as a subject at secondary schools and at tertiary level. The Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka is one of the oldest western orchestras in South Asia. The foundation of the National Youth Orchestra has helped increase interest and participation more widely in society and among young people outside Colombo. Many Sri Lankans have continued to reach the upper echelons of classical performance, including world-renowned cellist
Rohan de Saram Deshamanya Frank Rohan de Saram (9 March 1939 – 29 September 2024) was a British and Sri Lankan cellist who focused on contemporary music both as a soloist and as the cellist of the Arditti Quartet from 1979 to 2005. He learned both Western m ...
, pianist Rohan de Silva, and many other composers, organists, and orchestral performers.


Recorded music

The earliest stars of Sri Lankan recorded music came from the
theater Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The performers may communi ...
at a time when the traditional open-air drama (referred to in Sinhala as , or ) remained the most popular form of entertainment. A 1903 album, entitled Nurthi, is the first recorded album to come out of Sri Lanka via
Radio Ceylon Radio Ceylon ( ''Lanka Guwan Viduli Sevaya'', , ''ilankai vanoli'') is a radio station based in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and the first radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis by the colonial Telegraph Departme ...
. The station, which had long held a monopoly over Sri Lanka's airwaves, had been established in 1925, and one of Sri Lanka's pioneering broadcasters,
Vernon Corea Vernon Corea (11 September 1927 – 23 September 2002) was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asia's oldest radio station, in 1956 and later the S ...
, almost immediately grasped the opportunity to introduce Sri Lankan Music on the English Services of Radio Ceylon. In the wake of western and Indian proliferation in music, composer and singer Ananda Samarakoon emerged from training at
Rabindranath Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...
's
school A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the Educational architecture, building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most co ...
at Shanthiketalan to develop a uniquely Sinhalese music tradition in 1939. His work such as "Punchi Suda", "Ennada Manike" and notably "Namo Namo Maata" (adapted as Sri Lanka's national anthem later) was a landmark of the Sinhalese song, which was known as Sarala Gee later. Another artist Devar Surya Sena with his Western education was pivotal in popularising folk songs of Sri Lanka to the English elite that bore higher status in the country at the time. ''
Kadawunu Poronduwa ''Kadawunu Poronduwa'' ( Sinhala: ''කඩවුනු පොරොන්දුව'', "The Broken Promise") was the first film to be made in the Sinhala language; it is generally considered to have heralded the coming of Sinhala Cinema. The fil ...
'' in 1947 brought about a film industry in Sri Lanka. In the late 1940s and 1950s Sinhalese film music became the most popular with audiences; it was drawn heavily upon melodies found in
Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
and
Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...
films – adapted to a Sri Lankan audience by substituting their original lyrics with Sinhala lyrics. Meanwhile, musicians like
W. D. Amaradeva Sri Lankabhimanya Wannakuwattawaduge Don Albert Perera (; ; 5 December 1927 – 3 November 2016), better known by his adopted name Amaradeva, was a prominent Sri Lankan Sinhalese vocalist, violinist and composer. Primarily using traditional in ...
,
Sunil Santha Sunil Santha was a Sri Lankan composer, singer and lyricist. Known as the "Father of the Modern Sinhala Music" He was pivotal in the development of Sinhala music and folk songs in the mid to late 1940s and early 1950s. He composed the beloved so ...
, W. B. Makuloluwa etc. began experimenting with developing a Sinhalese music style. Sunil Santha took a Western approach in his work inspired from Church music. He opposed of getting elements from Hindustani "Raaga" music to develop Sinhalese music. This was evident when he was later banned from Radio Ceylon after refusing to audition for Indian musician Ratanjankar, whom the corporation had brought from South India to oversee the direction of music on their stations.
Pandit A pandit (; ; also spelled pundit, pronounced ; abbreviated Pt. or Pdt.) is an individual with specialised knowledge or a teacher of any field of knowledge in Hinduism, particularly the Vedic scriptures, dharma, or Hindu philosophy; in colonial-e ...
Amaradeva, trained at Bhatkhande Vidyapith,
Lucknow Lucknow () is the List of state and union territory capitals in India, capital and the largest city of the List of state and union territory capitals in India, Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and it is the administrative headquarters of the epon ...
, India, took up the "Sarala Gee" tradition along with experimentation of raaga forms and folk music. This became popular in the country especially through sarala gee programs broadcast in Radio Ceylon. Musicians such as
Victor Ratnayake Rathnayake Arachchilage Victor ( Sinhala: වික්ටර් රත්නායක; born 18 February 1942), popularly known as Victor Rathnayake, is a Sri Lankan singer, composer, lyricist and a renowned musician. He was the first Sri Lankan a ...
,
Sanath Nandasiri Sangeeth Nipun Herath Mudiyanselage Sanath Nandasiri (15 February 1942–28 March 2023) was a Sri Lankan singer, musician, music director, composer and playback singer. He was the Chancellor (education), chancellor of the University of the Visu ...
, T. Shelton Perera,
Gunadasa Kapuge Ellamulla Kapuge Gunadasa ( Sinhala: ගුණදාස කපුගේ; 7 August 1945–3 April 2003) popularly known as Gunadasa Kapuge, was a Sri Lankan singer, musician, music director and playback singer. He was well known among Sri Lankans ...
,
Rohana Weerasinghe 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. He was the youngest child to his parents Henry Weeras ...
, Stanley Peiris, Austin Munasinghe,
Sunil Edirisinghe Patikirige Sunil Jayapreethi Edirisinghe ( Sinhala:සුනිල් එදිරිසිංහ; born 19 December 1949) is a Sri Lankan classical musician. Edirisinghe won the presidential award for playback singing in 1983 for "Maya Miringuva P ...
,
Edward Jayakody Jayakody Arachchige Don Edward Timothy Jayakody (; born 6 April 1952), popularly known as Edward Jayakody, is a Sri Lankan musician, singer, composer, and occasional actor. He has directed the music for hundreds of Sinhala films and television ser ...
,
Amarasiri Peiris Senadheerage Amarasiri Peiris ( Sinhala:අමරසිරි පීරිස්: born 21 July 1946) is a Sri Lankan singer. One of the most honored singers of Sri Lanka, Peiris is a well known violinist and a vocalist. Personal life He was born ...
and
Rookantha Gunathilake Mario Glory Rookantha Goonatillake (born 5 September 1959: ) is a Sri Lankan singer, musician, and songwriter, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the country’s music industry. Known for his innovative contributions to S ...
brought the system forward the Shelton Premaratne and Lionel Algama are two musicians, who added new dimensions to Sinhalese music. W. B. Makulolouwa and C de S Kulatilake, believed Sinhalese music should follow the traditions of its folk music called "Jana Gee". Makuloluwa gathered a great many of Sinhalese folk poems traveling around the country and tried to develop a unique style. Late musicians like Lionel Ranwala, Rohana Beddage contributed in developing Makuloluwa's "Jana Gee" style.
Premasiri Khemadasa Deshamanya Kala Keerthi Dr. Premasiri Khemadasa ( Sinhala: ආචාර්ය ප්‍රේමසිරි කේමදාස ) (25 January 1937 – 24 October 2008) also known as "Khemadasa Master" was a Sri Lankan music composer. Explorin ...
also known as "Khemadasa Master" was one of the most influential composers in Sri Lankan music. Inspiring from Western Classical music, Hindustani music and also Sinhalese folk music he composed in his own style which has been popular since late 1960s. He was one of the most highly regarded film, stage and TV drama composers and his music is still used by the best directors in the country. Pivotal to the works of these musicians were songwriters like
Mahagama Sekara Mahagama Sekera (Mahagamage Sekera) ( Sinhala:මහගම සේකර / මහගමගේ සේකර ) (7 April 1929 – 14 January 1976) was a famed Sri Lankan poet, lyricist, playwright, novelist, artist, translator and filmmaker. He i ...
and
Chandraratne Manawasinghe Chandraratne Dios Sooriyarachchi Mohotti, (19 June 1913 – 4 September 1964 as ) popularly known as Chandraratne Manawasinghe, was a Sinhala scholar, poet, philosopher and writer. Considered one of the iconic poets in Sinhala poetry, Manawasi ...
who in their lyrics presented deeply poetic, and honestly expressed, ideas – many of which also promoted a sense of
nationalism Nationalism is an idea or movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, it presupposes the existence and tends to promote the interests of a particular nation, Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Theory, I ...
in a nation that had received independence less than a generation before in 1948. With the dawn of the 1960s and government restrictions on travel to India original compositions became in vogue in film music though a few popular films continued to tout stolen melodies under the hands of music arrangers like P. L. A. Somapala and Mohomed Sally. The mid-1960s, saw the introduction of ''pop'' groups such as Los Cabelleros led by Neville Fernando, La Ceylonians led by Noel Ranasinghe (widely known as "King of Sri Lankan Calypso"), The La Bambas, The Humming Birds and Los Muchachos; all of whom played calypso-style baila borrowing their style from Caribbean folk-singer
Harry Belafonte Harry Belafonte ( ; born Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.; March 1, 1927 – April 25, 2023) was an American singer, actor, and civil rights activist who popularized calypso music with international audiences in the 1950s and 1960s. Belafonte ...
. This mixture of
Caribbean The Caribbean ( , ; ; ; ) is a region in the middle of the Americas centered around the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, mostly overlapping with the West Indies. Bordered by North America to the north, Central America ...
calypso with native baila was dominated by two groups: The Moonstones, and The Golden Chimes led by musicians
Annesley Malewana Annesley Malewana () ( Sinhala: ඇනස්ලි මාලේවන) is a Sri Lankan musician. Often considered "The Prince of Sinhala Pop", Malewana is well known for being a master of contemporary Baila worked with popular musical bands The ...
and
Clarence Wijewardena Vithana Kuruppu Arachchilage Clarence Arthur Somasinghe Wijewardena Justice of the peace#Sri Lanka, JP (, ; 3 August 1943 – 13 December 1996), known professionally as Clarence Wijewardena, was a Sri Lankan singer, composer and musician. Consi ...
. Sri Lankan pop/film music managed to hold a large portion of Sri Lanka's market during the late 1960s and early 1970s, but by 1980, Indian film music had again displaced local musicians as the highest-selling sector of the Sri Lankan music industry. In the 1980s the
disco-pop Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describes ...
musician
Rookantha Gunathilake Mario Glory Rookantha Goonatillake (born 5 September 1959: ) is a Sri Lankan singer, musician, and songwriter, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the country’s music industry. Known for his innovative contributions to S ...
emerged to become one of the most popular artists of the time. Many young musicians followed Rookantha and his style in 1980s and 1990s. After 2000, young musicians like
Kasun Kalhara Kasun Kalhara Jayawardhana ( Sinhala: කසුන් කල්හාර ජයවර්ධන) (born 3 November 1981), known professionally as Kasun Kalhara, is a Sri Lankan singer, musician, vocal coach and record producer. During his musical ...
,
Bathiya and Santhush Bathiya & Santhush (), also known as BnS, are a Sri Lankan pop duo consisting of Bathiya Jayakody (born on December 22, 1976) and Santhush Weeraman (born on September 5, 1977), who met while at the "Mary Anne David School of Vocal Music and" i ...
and Shihan Mihiranga continued the pop song stream introducing new features into it. After 2008 Darshana Ruwan Disanayaka,
Nadeeka Guruge Nadeeka Guruge (; born 27 September 1976) is a Sri Lankan composer, musician, and music educator. He is best known for his work in film and theatre music. Guruge has received multiple awards for his contributions to music direction and backgro ...
,
Dinesh Subasinghe Dinesh (Devanagari: ') is a common Hindu male given name. The Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose i ...
has done some inspiring works & become the most influential composers in Sri Lankan cinema after achieving many awards in film festivals. MIDI/Computer based music performances and recording were introduced to Sri Lanka in the 1980s by Keyboardist/composer Diliup Gabadamudalige. He was the first to use a complete MIDI based performing keyboard setup and also use MIDI/Sequencers and Music software/Computer based music recording and performances in Sri Lanka. Diliups contribution has been recognized by the Government of Sri Lanka and he has been awarded the Kalashuri title and was also awarded the first Lyle Godrich Memorial Award for Contribution to the western Music Industry in Sri Lanka in 2011. The Gypsies has remained a popular band for over four decades and the
Sunflowers ''Helianthus'' () is a genus comprising around 70 species of annual and perennial flowering plants in the daisy family Asteraceae commonly known as sunflowers. Except for three South American species, the species of ''Helianthus'' are native to ...
is the most widely recorded group for nearly three decades. Since 1998, many pop/R&B groups have emerged in Sri Lanka – the most prominent of which is known as
Bathiya and Santhush Bathiya & Santhush (), also known as BnS, are a Sri Lankan pop duo consisting of Bathiya Jayakody (born on December 22, 1976) and Santhush Weeraman (born on September 5, 1977), who met while at the "Mary Anne David School of Vocal Music and" i ...
—who draw inspiration from the Euro pop groups that visited the island. Among their accomplishments; they are the first Sri Lankan group to be signed to an international record label (Sony BMG), and were an integral component in the label's entrance into the nation's music industry in 2002/2003. They have received international awards for their compositions, and have performed in several countries – including on BBC radio in the UK.
Dinesh Subasinghe Dinesh (Devanagari: ') is a common Hindu male given name. The Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose i ...
's film score for '' Ho Gana Pokuna'' became a popular & a memorable score in Sri Lankan cinema in 2016, he has won awards in all the cinema festivals held in Sri Lanka in 2016 The cross-genre works of contemporary composer-pianist Tanya Ekanayaka involving compositions for solo piano with references to folk and traditional melodies from around the world as well as all 18 Sri Lankan vannams and many Sri Lankan traditional melodies have been released worldwide by Naxos Records since 2015. Her compositions have been broadcast on international media across the world, have often been the first by any Sri Lankan composer to be performed at international venues and she is the first and to date only Sri Lankan composer to have entire albums of original music released worldwide by an international record label.


Sinhala music archives

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) (, ''Shrī Lankā Guvan Viduli Sansthāva'', , ''Ilangkai Oliparappuk Kūṭṭuttāpaṉam'') came into existence on 5 January 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation. Dudley Senanayak ...
(Former
Radio Ceylon Radio Ceylon ( ''Lanka Guwan Viduli Sevaya'', , ''ilankai vanoli'') is a radio station based in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and the first radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis by the colonial Telegraph Departme ...
) is considered as the largest Sinhala Music archive. Some other private archives, such as Lanka Music Archive, are there that promote Sinhala country music commercially or non-commercially.


Rock and heavy metal music

Rock Music in Sri Lanka dates back to the early 1970s. Kumar Navaratnam and Gabo Peiris staged the first Rock Festivals at the Havelock Park in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Kumara Navaratnam introduced rock and hard rock music to Sri Lankan audiences and was important in the evolving rock music scene then along with others like Prins Jayaratnam and the Unwanted Generation, Prasanna Abeysekara's Coffin Nail, Neville of Acid, Gobbledegook and Sweetie Pie, which was led by pianist Nimal Goonawardane, Mary was the only Rock band to play all original music at that time and was led by Ravi Balasooriya of "Bugs" fame. Other members being Aruna Siriwardane, Benjy Ranabahu, Dilup Gabadamudalige and Dwight Van Gramberg. Ramesh Weeratunga, who was a composer/solo performer of this period, went on to become a professional musician/songwriter in Germany, releasing several solo albums.


History

Most Sri Lankan music enthusiasts relied on radio programs such as "Progressive 30" presented by Noeline Mendis to follow the state of music during the 1970s, or listened to vinyl records at the British Council and the American Center. A minority of senior college students had access to vinyl LPs and music trade papers. "Rock Company", a club which brought together Rock enthusiasts in Sri Lanka and provided exposure to upcoming talent had its origins during this period. College students acquired guitars, drum kits, keyboards, hired rudimentary sound systems and began to attempt to recreate artists they admired. The first Rock events in Sri Lanka centered on bands such as "The Unwanted Generation", "Graveyard" and "Coffin Nail, " which introduced Colombo's youth culture to the underground music of the UK and the US. These featured such musicians as Prins Jayaratnam, Chris Dhasan, Nimal Gunawardena, Ramesh Weeratunga, Imtiaz Hameed and Kumar Navaratnam who were inspired by "Wall Band and Gun Chorus". "Cancer," led by Prasanna Abeysekera and his brother Ranil, was the first Sri Lankan band to compose and play original music in the genre. The band was accompanied by musicians that included Brian Knower, Leo Pasquale, Sumedha Kulatunga and enthusiasts. Its exposure was limited by the lack of recording facilities and means to market itself. "Cancer" and similar bands played at "Koko's" at Thimbirigasyaya. Bands such as "Rattlesnake" and "Venom" followed, playing covers of hard rock in similar settings. "Rock Company", and rock music in Sri Lanka declined as pioneering musicians emigrated, or were drawn away by family and economic demands during the late 1980s. Bands such as Rattlesnake, Venom, Cancer and Brass Face continued to perform. In 2003 Rock Company was later begun again by Ajith Perera and aided newer bands such as "Independence Square" and "Kreb's Cycle.", organizing concerts and providing funding. It publishes a journal and maintains a practice studio.


Contemporary rock and metal

Sri Lanka now has a significant underground metal and hard rock community, which is growing in popularity among upper-middle-class teenagers and young adults. Some internationally known Sri Lankan metal bands include
Stigmata Stigmata (, plural of , 'mark, spot, brand'), in Roman Catholicism, Catholicism, are bodily wounds, scars and pain which appear in locations corresponding to the Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion Five Holy Wounds, wounds of Jesus in Christian ...
, Paranoid Earthling, Plecto Aliquem Capite. Many other bands too have emerged ever since the 1990s making the heavy metal underground much bigger. While Colombo is where hard rock bands like Stigmata originated,
Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...
gave rise to the pioneer
grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is an alternative rock Music genre, genre and subculture that emerged during the in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington, particularly in Seattle and Music of Olympia, Washington, O ...
outfit Paranoid Earthling, which was the first rock band to emerge from the Hill Capital. Kandy is also known for
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with tr ...
bands like "Forlorn Hope" "Pariah Demise" "Necro Horde" "Goatmunition" and some doom metal bands as well. In September 2019, Sri Lanka's first Metal album by a female – ''Fountain of Memory'' was released by Shehara Jayatilaka Napoleon.


References


External links


Sri Lankan music

Old Sinhala songs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Music Of Sri Lanka