Recently, Visharad Wasantha Madurangani successfully
staged her folk music concert at Viharamahadevi Open Theater celebrating 25
years in the field of music
“Now I can die in peace. I have the feeling that I have done
something for my country. That’s the most important achievement of Sanda Saawi Maa - Folk Song Concert,” Visharad Wasantha
Madurangani said. She is a student of late Maestro Lionel Ranwala and mostly
familiar with the Sinhala song audience through Ranwala group’s folk songs and
her solo ‘Sanda Saawi Maa.’
Last week, she successfully staged her folk music concert at
Viharamahadevi Open Theater celebrating 25 years in the field of music. Almost thousand folk songs were sung
on stage for 24 hours continuously by Madurangani and her team. The concert was
a free and open event for all. “The initial plan was to sing 1000 folk songs,
but we ran out of time,” she said. “During these 25 years, I have always tried
to do the best I can for Sinhala folk music. This is why I still couldn’t do a
CD. This is why I planned to invite all music lovers free of charge for the
concert,” she said. “Doing the concert for free was not an easy task, but I saw
this as an opportunity to bring folk songs into the limelight again.”
Magurangani is from Athurugiriya. “I entered the field in
1990. I met my master, Lionel Ranwala back in 1980s. I was only 15 years old
when I joined his Lama Jana Gee program at Rupavahini. I
met him at the preliminary dance examination and he invited me to join the
program. I think he identified my talent,” Madurangani said. She said that she
should be grateful to all her teachers for what she is today including Lionel
Ranwala. “My first music teacher was the music teacher at Bibilegama Maha
Vidyalaya. I learnt Hindustani music under maestro B Victor Perera and then
mastered playing the violin under Ajith Jayaweera sir,” she recalled.
Madurangani said that she is also thankful to Lionel Ranwala
for introducing her to media, due to which she first got the opportunity to
sing for a Television program under his guidance. “I gradually developed a taste
for folk music and songs and along with it my interest grew. By 1990 I was a
permanent member of the Jana
Gee team,” she reminisced.
She spoke further about her master, Lionel Ranwala who passed
away twelve years ago due to an accident. “He was successful in introducing
Sinhala folk tunes and melodies to popular Sri Lankan music without damaging
the original tune, exemplified by his songs. I don’t know why the media only
remembers him and his songs during the Aluth Avurudu season,” she expressed her
grief. She believes that Ranwala was a better teacher than an artiste.
“He was a great artiste; he was an exceptional teacher. I
have never seen any other teacher more capable of understanding his or her students. When I was a student I used
to wonder how he did it, but now I sometimes try to guess how he did it when I
face difficulties with my students,” she said. Madurangani teaches music at her
art institute Thimanjala in Athurugiriya. “He always taught us how to face
different situations as he taught us music. He shaped our personalities.”
Madurangani was Ranwala’s student for twelve years. She also
spoke about Thaalama Foundation and the folk singers group. “Earlier we didn’t
have a team as such. Whenever we get an invitation to sing, he would send us a
postcard with information about rehearsals,” she recalled how keen he was that
students took part in rehearsals on time and RSVPed to the postcards he sent. “We
didn’t have phones to communicate. It was postcards and letters. He made sure
he sent us information early enough.”
She also called to mind how people were reluctant to give
real value to folk singers when they wore cloth and jacket for their performances.
“People were unwilling to except cloth and jacket with high regard. People in
the city seemed to condemn this, maybe they thought folk music and songs were
only for the village folk,” she said. “Then Sahan Ranwala, Ranwala mater’s son
joined the team and made a few changes in the appearance of the singers,” she
said that Sahan Ranwala indentified how to tackle media in approaching the
audiences with folk music. “That’s how Lionel Ranwala Folk Music Group was
established.”
She further expressed her grief at contemporary media that
they still don’t give high regard to Sri Lankan folk music. “I am
not sure whether it is the misfortune of the country or folk music and songs.
Folk music is limited to the Auvurudu season. Maybe they are unaware of the
varieties of music and the depth of the subject,” she opined. Although
with the introduction of television, cassette player
and radio folk songs were played frequently and demand was created. However with
the commercialization of the media field these become unpopular. “I believe
media should be held responsible for the folk song loosing popularity,” she rebuked.
Madurangani pointed out that people are being limited by days
like Mothers’ Day or Fathers’ Day. “Media asks us to love our parents only one
day a year. Likewise they’ve limited folk music to the New Year season,” she
said.
She identified four steps to promote folk music. Firstly,
experimental research should be undertaken. Secondly, research findings should
be turned into creations and then those should be checked for quality and standards by specialists. The final creation,
melody or song should be promoted via media; mainly, radio or television.
“Although the first two steps are well under way, media doesn’t seem to do
their part,” she reiterated. “We do our best to preserve this genre. But I’m
afraid folk music will go extinct.”
She said that not everyone has a taste for folk
music or songs in society. “I remember Ranwala master quoting Ven.
Anagarika Dharmapala that one day when Sudda leaves he will leave a whole horde
of Kalu-Suddas in the country. Maybe this is what has happened. There are ‘Sinhala’
people who can’t seek entertainment in our folk songs or literature,”
she emphasized. She also said that it’s those Kalu-Suddas who demote the
standards of aesthetic amusement. “The problem here is that people who desire
high quality
aesthetic amusement are the quiet lot. They don’t voice their demand. People
who desire low quality amusement are always ready to rebel for what they
desire,” she opined.
She emphasized how musicians in India are keen on
developing their folk melodies. “They always admire local forms of art.
Experiments are done with modern technology, where they try to get the maximum
benefits,” she said. “We may not have as many folk melodies as India, but our
melodies are varied enough that we could use them if we develop them further,”
she reiterated. “It’s a shame that we always try to nurture and promote all things
foreign.”
She also mentioned that the school curriculum
should also include more folk music and songs for children to study so that
they will develop an interest in the field. “If not for the book Hela Gee Maga by Dr. Makuloluwa published in 1959 the Education
Department won’t have any reference material for folk music. To date, the only
songs included in the syllabus are of the melodies in this book,” she
reiterated. She also said that her next goal is to compile a book of songs and music
chords consisting of the songs they sang at the Sanda Saawi Maa
concert.
Her most popular song, Sanda Saawi Maa
was written by veteran lyricist Sisira Dissanayaka and music was composed
by Ranwala sir using Vessanthara
Viritha. “Sisira Dissanayaka came to one of our rehearsals with the
song and wanted to see how it was. Ranwala sir showed how to sing it and asked
me to sing. I don’t know how, one try and I was able to memorize the song and sing.
Although it was not written for me they decided that I should sing the song,”
Madurangani spoke about the song loved by many. She compared the Vessanthara Viritha
and the song, exemplifying how strong Sinhala folk melodies are in addressing
emotions. “If a Sinhala person can’t feel these melodies, a folk song or a
traditional drum beat, I don’t know what to say except ask them to get their blood
checked,” she said mockingly.
Pic by Chandana
Wijesinghe
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