A Migrants Story – Part 5 The Magic of the Sixties in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) – BY RON PIERIS
If you were a teenager or in your early 20s in Ceylon during the Sixties you were very, very fortunate indeed.
This was the era of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and the British Boy Bands. And catchy words like ‘Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do’!
During this period of swinging music, came a young fashionista called Thaku Chugani, an old Peterite and classmate who introduced us to the fashions of Carnaby Street. From his store called Laxhmis, suddenly the men are dressed in daks with shirts of psychedelic colours. Shirts with long cuffs and high collars. Women in mini-skirts emulating Twiggy!
Men in bell bottoms and Beatle boots custom made by Bambalapitiya Boot Works.
We were on a Magical Mystery Ride!! This was then followed Jac shirts which were all the rage and the young men proudly wore these garments to parties and dances. We were entranced by the tsunami of local bands emulating their British counterparts with Fender guitars and Pearl or Ludwig drum sets being all the rage. There was a regular battle of the bands held on the terrace of Mt Lavinia Hotel and was well attended by the young folk of Colombo. Thaku was the man of the moment loved by all, especially members of the fashionable bands of that era. It was the era to be in Ceylon and enjoy the flower power days of yore!! And now 60 years later, comes a musician from Ceylon named Rob Foenander and living in Melbourne bringing back the styles and music of the 60″s!!
