Listen to excerpt of 'Lullaby of Birdland'.

Nesan Thiagarajan & Ravibandu Vidyapathi at Punchi Theatre concert

Harsha Makalande started studying Western Classical music  (the Piano as his instrument) at the age of six under Mrs. Chitrani Balasuriya. Even at this young age he was attracted to Pop Music, Jazz Standards, Sri Lankan Folk, Pop, Baila,  and Indian music. The exposure to Indian music came mainly through the influence of Sam Makalandage Silva (a grand uncle)  who was a friend of Rabindranath Tagore. The influence  of Sinhala Poetry, which was brought about by his mother’s father, VD de Lanerolle (a Sinhala poet of extraordinary stature), created a lasting impression in him  to look for a ‘SriLankanSound’.                                                              VD de Lanerolle had been, by profession a qualified English teacher, and a former editor of Lankadeepaya (a Sinhala News paper). Most mornings, on the days when Makalande lived at his grand father’s house at Kaduwela, he heard Victor Duke de Lanerolle reciting poetry at three in the morning! He had the practice of reciting while he created and wrote hundreds of Sinhala poems and stories for children and adults. The Samudraghosha (the sound of the sea) Viritha (style) in which he sang was the base used in Makalande’s film music compositions. Sometimes he would listen to the Pirith Ose .This consists of three notes roughly separated by a tone,   and a semi-tone. His second teacher, Mrs. Ann Makalande Perera, who was one of his father’s younger sisters, played Western Classical music, as well as Show tunes, Jazz  Standards in the style of Charley Kuntz, etc. When she was about eighteen Ann won the gold medal that was offered by a leading British Institute for western music. She always said “ ...I like people to realize that I am playing my own style, and not imitating someone else!” As a teenager Harsha studied under Mrs. Melita Udoogama and Swarna Nanayakkara. At the end of his teens he took some very important lessons in paino playing from Dr. Earl de Fonseka , (who later conducted Makalande’s 1st piano concerto called Swarasanga Vannama. Dr.Fonseka was the conductor of the SLSO, based in Colombo. Not only was Dr. Fonseka an excellent conductor, he was also an excellent classical Pianist. It must be mentioned that some notable musicians(accomplished players in their own right) were part of the symphony orchestra that performed the premier of Svarasanga Vannama. Namely: Ajit Abeysekera - Clarinet, Sarath Fernando - Oboe, Manilal Weerakone - French Horn, Lalanath de Silva - Flute, and Ramya de Livera - Piano. ........Go to PROFILE to read full article...

It is with sadness that I note the passing away (18th of Feb. 2006) of the great Sri lankan artist SOMABANDU VIDYAPATHI (b.22nd of March 1923). He was also a pioneer in the area of  modern dance theatre (especially the aspects of costume design and make-up). Vidyapathi established a land mark in the history of mural painting in Sri lanka. A living example is his master piece seen at Bellanvila Temple near Colombo.He is the father of RAVIBANDU VIDYAPATHI, the world renowned percussionist.