UNSELFISH MUSICIAN INDRAJIT MIRIHANA DOMICILED IN MELBOURNE WITH EXCEPTIONAL MOTIVES WITH RARE QUALITIES NOT POSSESSED BY OTHERS – by Sunil Thenabadu
Indrajit Miirihana is a renowned musician well known to Sri Lankans in Australia and Sri Lanka who owns a band whom could write notations in music to unprecedented tall elevations .While domiciled in Melbourne has accomplished a lot to Sri Lankan artistes other than any other by sponsoring them and by felicitating, some who had never been complimented in native Sri Lanka, too like Chandradasa Fernando the famous lyricist who had composed around ninety percent of the songs of the Gypsies. Indrajit had sponsored many who had not got the opportunity to visit Australia like Rohana Siriwardena, Chandrakumar Kandanarachchi in his concert termed ‘Ege Sinahawa Thahanam” visiting for the first time to ’Down Under” Chandrakumar had sung so many popular songs like “Nelum Vile” .”Pem Benda Sith Benda”,”Sath Dinakin Obe Kata Handa” etc. In the NESUNA GEE” series of concerts not targeting profits. Indrajit had also entertained the audience with refreshments hitherto not done earlier by anyone.
The guests have had the opportunity to speak freely with the artiste making the concert unique .It is learnt that the video of this concert had been requested by SLRC to telecast. This was the second in his series of concerts after the Rohana Siriwardena musical extravaganza, it need to be emphasized that Rohana Siriwardena had been very popular in the 1970/80 decades with songs like “Obe Atha Gena’,” Dese Mal Vile”,”Deva Mandire”.Indrajit confessed at an interview that Rohana is a quiet , humble person when invited he had even asked “Have I got to come” rather reluctantly. Rohana in addition had also sung a song composed by Indrajit himself paying tribute to him. A similar program was organised for vocalist Dayaratne Perera who too had visited Melbourne for the first time. Indrajit was not keen on sponsoring those artistes who had frequently visited Melbourne which idea need to be highly acclaimed. The expenses for the air tickets, accommodation and meals plus payments made to vocalists all were borne by Indrajit of course he has had several colleagues in Melbourne who had helped him in many ways as it is practically impossible to burden all responsibilities.
In addition to his series of concerts “NeSunu Gee” Indrajit had been invited to perform music with his orchestra like “Adaraneeya Rohana” tribute to Dr Rohana Weerasinghe for his immense contribution to music organised with Chamika Sirimanne, Deepika Priyadarshini,Chandana Liyanarachchi as guest vocalists which is a intermingling and merging of three generations. Indrajit quipped at a television interview on the amount of so many music melodies he had done over the years is unparallel. At this show all songs composed by Dr Rohana Weerasinghe were sung by this trio. At an television dialog again Indrajit recollected that while Rohana Weerasinghe composed music for Legends Pandit Amaradewa and Visharada Nanda Malini songs ‘Aradhana” and “Sulang Kapulle” had also composed for novice Chamika Sirimanne song “Sansarai Sihinaya” song which proves Rohana Weerasinghe never categorises novice singers from veterans, a very good eminence of Rohana was revealed. The word ‘cannot’ is not in the vocabulary of Dr Rohana Weerasinghe as he is so used to oblige all willingly.
Indrajit in the owner and leader of his own band is often invited to conduct music in many varieties of musical shows is definitely a ‘sought after’ musician of repute. Son of Ravindra Randeniya, Rishi Randeniya who had been in Melbourne for over two decades had decided to organize the musical extravaganza named “Ahasin Eha” featuring Edward Jayakody,Charitha Priyadarshini Peiris ,the son of the duo Sandeepa and Uresha Ravihari, to which Rishi had opted Indrajit to back with his own orchestra. Sandeepa Jayakody who was a vocalist in this concert, it is learnt had been the guitarist in Indrajit’s orchestra. Ravindra Randeniya, Rishi’s father had compered the program which had enabled the audience to have a different experience as Ravindra the famous legendary actor who is competent in announcing too. The concert was held at the Hunting auditorium a very spacious hall which could accommodate many.
Indrajit Mirihana had been entrusted with the music for many concerts as an indispensable musician who is competent with his own orchestra familiar in jotting music notations and grasping them with consummate ease . Another show to which he provided music with his orchestra was to Sunil Edirisinghe’s one man music expedition ‘Sandakada Pahana” once more in concert on request of many fans as they had missed his earlier solo show.
It is pertinent to mention that Indrajit Mirihana had composed music with his competency in writing music notations correctly and efficiently to many songs as ‘Oba Eliyak We’ song of Deepika Priyadarshini , ‘Yanna Landune’ of Dumal Warnakulasuriya. Indrajit had composed music for many songs of Geethan Bandara eldest son of illustrious duo Dhammika and Mahinda Bandara who had been a close associate of Indrajit having lived in Melbourne for over two decades. For Geethan’s music video the song was recorded with Indrajit’s music composition “ Nuba Tharam” which was a hit too.
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The musical extravaganza ‘Mage Sanda Oba’ of Visharada Nada Malini and musician TM Jayaratne duo in year 2017 which coincided with the fifty years and forty years to the musical journeys of the duo, respectively the music was entrusted to Indrajit for him any task is accepted . This show was organised to felicitate the duo, the responsibility of the music was entrusted to Indrajit owing to the request the Visharada Nanda Malini herself after his talents which had been already identified was supported by ten instrumentalists with two had come from Sri Lanka. For this show the audience loved the sound arrangements and Indrajit’s music compositions.
In addition to been a composer of music he himself has recorded many songs and also sung many cover songs like ‘Sande Kaluwara’ sung for Sunil Sarath Perera felicitation. The lyricist Saman Kularatne was in the habit of forwarding his lyrics of songs to Indrajit to compose music for many songs .One that comes to mind is the song lyrics for the Aragalaya to support the then ongoing protests across native Sri Lanka for the proposed regime changes. When Indrajit received the lyrics from Saman Kularatne domiciled in Melbourne as he too was adamant to compose a song quickly as possible. He had sought assistance from musician Sangeeth Wijesuriya for a melody had composed the music melody abruptly, Indrajit had convinced Geethan Bandara eldest son of Mahinda Bandara Dhammika Walpola, the illustrious duo to sing in rock style as Indrajit wanted to make the song a hit. Geethan too very willingly opted to sing the song ,Geethan too had obliged in his favourite rock style as it is his style to sing high notes in rock music genre. Indrajit too had wanted to make it a hit knowing well the peoples plea for a system change was the obvious solution for Sri Lanka to prosper from the doldrums they are in.Geethan too had sung the song with identical enthusiasm as it wanted to be heard by Sri Lankans which was a boost to their cause ‘Aragalaya”.
The above is only some facts on Indrajit Mirihana had found from the net to compile this article which he richly deserves. Indrajit is a unique human being cum musician who identifies neglected artistes who need to be felicitated while living, a thought which rarely comes to mind of many other contemporaries. May you get sufficient strength to perform more such deeds.
Sunil Thenabadu in Brisbane
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email sthenabadu@hotmail.com
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