The “Mr.Music” Story Desmond Kelly Star of eLanka The “Mr.Music” title came to be, as I am now the oldest-living Western-Style entertainer from “My Lovely Island Home”, as I call her. Humbly, & thanking God for HIS gifts to me, I have been “on-stage”, from the age of five, starting at the Convent of Our Lady Of Victories, in Moratuwa. There, I sang (and “acted”), for them from 1941-1944., joined St.Sebastian’s College, also in Moratuwa till ’47 when I was nine years old, had the chance to “learn” piano, but preferred to teach myself the “ukelele”, met Wally Bastiensz at the birthday party of one of my College mates, & Wally decided to teach this “sudhu-kolla”, as he called me, to sing “Baila” Wally was already a “Kossa”, much older than myself, but saw that this was what I wanted to do, just entertain people So, I played my uke ...
Read More →
“FACT & FICTION” by Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka’ An amazing phrase, combining “opposites” that often confound readers, at the same time make for very interesting reading (and watching on television, or, at the movies) As we go through life, there will be many such moments when we will be astonished by what we thought was fact, but, in reality was fiction & vice-versa, of course. ...
Read More →
Aug 14, 2017
Posted
Articles, DESMOND KELLY
Tagged "FACT & FICTION" by Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka’
Comments 0
JUST FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE by Desmond Kelly This time, a Canadian Country Band, for a change. “Prairie Oyster” from Toronto,Canada, with another beautiful “Country Love Song” recorded to show that even when things sometimes go “wrong” in life, a true “love-story” can always be sung, with lyrics that are so meaningful & a melody, so enchanting, true music-lovers will want to hear it over & over again. To all my readers on eLanka, this song is on “You-Tube”. If & when you get the chance, turn it on and enjoy it. Rest assured, I will only publicise songs that will “bring back memories” that are part & parcel of normal life. E’Lanka & I only wish to keep our special “Members” & many thousands of “on-line” readers happy. There is NO financial involvement, whatsoever. ~”JUST FOR OLD TIMES’SAKE”~ “Now, I’m not one for living in the past And thinkin’ ...
Read More →“A HERITAGE OF SONG” Vol.2 by Desmond Kelly The “title” itself is “as beautiful as it gets”. In addition to my introduction in the books themselves, with the coming of “Volume 2”, for the moment.! Congratulations should go to “Personalities” such as Ishan Bahar, Dallas Achilles, Derrick Junkeer & their families, for the “Organization” of the entire project, & The “title” itself is “as beautiful as it gets”. In addition to my introduction in the books themselves, with the coming of “Volume 2”, for the moment.! Congratulations should go to “Personalities” such as Ishan Bahar, Dallas Achilles, Derrick Junkeer & their families, for the “Organization” of the entire project, & “Personalities” such as Victor Melder, Michael Fernandez of “The Lanka Time, & most recently Neil Jayasekera of eLanka, for the valuable “publicity” that has been so kindly provided & last, but by no means, least, to the dozens of “Personalities” involved in ...
Read More →
Aug 14, 2017
Posted
Articles, DESMOND KELLY
Tagged "A HERITAGE OF SONG" Vol.2 by Desmond Kelly
Comments 0
“SO THEY SAY” by Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka’ “English”, a strange but beautiful language. Strange, because there are many “oddities”, many words, spelt the same, pronounced the same, yet meaning something entirely different. “Singulars” & “Plurals” that differ, sentences that take on a completely different meaning IF “Punctuation”is not correctly added, so many other oddities, in fact, it makes English an extremely difficult language to “master”. “English” is also a “beautiful” language. Here we go again. As I have written, so many times, over the past few years, in my own opinion, the “top” International language in the World today. Without “learning” to speak, read & write English (to a minimum, at least), migrants, such as our Sri Lankan ones are going to find it very difficult to live and work in Australia to their benefit. Let us forget about “Migrants” for a moment. Since the “Internet” made ...
Read More →
Aug 11, 2017
Posted
Articles, DESMOND KELLY
Tagged "SO THEY SAY" by Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka’
Comments 0
“SANCTIONS SQUARED” by Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka’ Never very good at arithmetic, I still understand that the term “squared” means an additional amount. How many times will sanctions have to be squared, in certain instances, before they are possibly “cubed” ?. Perhaps, after they have been cubed, the next step is, of course, “quadrupled”, then “quintuplicated” etc., etc because, although “Latin” is now supposed to be a “dead language”, this is still the best way to put it. Now, to get back to English, which was always one of my favourite “subjects” at school, and quoting well-known English phrases, which I love to do, phrases like “when in Rome, do as the Romans do”, which conveniently brings me back to “Sanctions Squared”in that, just one set of “sanctions” would generally make ANY Country in this Planet of ours, take notice and “toe the line”. So, why has little ...
Read More →
Aug 11, 2017
Posted
Articles, DESMOND KELLY
Tagged "SANCTIONS SQUARED" by Desmond Kelly ‘the Star of eLanka’
Comments 0
THE RHINESTONE COWBOY by Desmond Kelly Glenn Campbell, the Rhinestone Cowboy has just “passed-on” , but while he wore rhinestones on his “concert-gear”, the talents of this man were akin to real diamonds and, as they also say, “Diamonds are forever”.There is plenty to read “on-line” about Glenn & “above” is only a special tribute to this great entertainer, but what I feel certain, too many Lankans & Lankan/Australians are not aware of, is the fact that Glenn Campbell was also a “Superb Session-guitarist” featured in the background of many other “Country- Stars’ recordings, has featured in dozens of guitar sessions himself BUT, especially for my readers of eLanka & the Lanka Times, please do this yourself or get someone, ANYONE, to open up “You-Tube”& watch GLENN CAMPBELL ON “THE WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE” “LEAD-GUITAR MAGIC IN “OLD-STYLE” PLAYING OF AN INSTRUMENT THAT ” TALKS TO YOU”–SUPERB.!!! Glenn Campbell, we cannot ...
Read More →
Aug 11, 2017
Posted
Articles, DESMOND KELLY
Tagged THE RHINESTONE COWBOY by Desmond Kelly
Comments 0
JUST FOR OLD TIMES’ SAKE by Desmond Kelly This time, a Canadian Country Band, for a change. “Prairie Oyster” from Toronto,Canada, with another beautiful “Country Love Song” recorded to show that even when things sometimes go “wrong” in life, a true “love-story” can always be sung, with lyrics that are so meaningful & a melody, so enchanting, true music-lovers will want to hear it over & over again. To all my readers on eLanka, this song is on “You-Tube”. If & when you get the chance, turn it on and enjoy it. Rest assured, I will only publicise songs that will “bring back memories” that are part & parcel of normal life. E’Lanka & I only wish to keep our special “Members” & many thousands of “on-line” readers happy. There is NO financial involvement, whatsoever. ~”JUST FOR OLD TIMES’SAKE”~ “Now, I’m not one for living in the past And thinkin’ ...
Read More →“KELLY COVERS” TRIBUTES TO THE STARS by Desmond Kelly It has been a while in coming, but folks, & each & every reader of both eLanka & later on, the Lanka Times, please take the time to listen to my “Cover-Tributes” to some of the biggest “STARS” of Country Music, a few of them, thankfully still around, while some of them, including George Jones(the Possum), & Merle Haggard ( the Hag.) have now gone to the old “Opry in the sky” , where they would probably perform again, at the drop of a Stetson. I could say, I suppose, that, had I done these “covers” in Nashville Tennessee, I would possibly have done more justice to them, what, with the “Top” Country Bands, Back-up Singers, Superb “cryin’ ” Pedal Steel Guitars, & “technology” available only in the USA., PLUS about 300 Radio-Stations over there, dedicated to just “Country Music”, 24/7, to play ...
Read More →
Aug 10, 2017
Posted
Articles, DESMOND KELLY
Tagged "KELLY COVERS" TRIBUTES TO THE STARS by Desmond Kelly
Comments 0
SAME-SEX-SALL’Y by Desmond Kelly “Boy marry boy? , girl marry girl? (a question) that has Australia in a whirl! What is the BEST solution in sight? Undoubtedly, it is, “A PLEBISCITE”. A plebiscite of this “same-sex” sall’y, is it a “forte’ “, or a folly? Whatever it is, let the Country decide Plebiscite?, yes!, let me be your guide. D.K. It is an important decision. It involves “people”. As a matter of fact, “People-Power” decisions in Australia are swiftly becoming more important, as it now becomes imperative for “Governments” to make up their minds, legislate, do whatever they are supposed to do in order to “keep” Australia on the top rung, as the best Country in the World, to live in. IN AUSTRALIA, HOWEVER, “Parliment”, at the moment, is becoming something of a joke.With the shortage of good television comedy programmes, watching most Parlimentary-Sessions is now thoroughly recommended if one ...
Read More →