Christeena and Thisara Bandara ensuing trail of Legendary Latha and Dharmadasa Walpola – By Sunil Thenabadu
It was in year 2017 Christeena had tied the nuptial knot with Thisara Bandara the second son of famous musician, conductor of music cum Guitarist Mahinda Bandara and vocalist Dhammika Walpola daughter of legendary Latha and Dharmadasa Walpola. Christeena was born in Lebanon ,father a volantary medical officer of Tanzanian origin. Unfortunately, when Christeena Ana Mudawadi born in year 1993 was just four years old her father had died in a bomb explosion during the middle east war. Her mother Margret Grace, had met her father Winstone Lawrence Mudawadi when she went to Lebanon to take care of her sister’s newly born baby. A strong love affair had developed ending in a hasty marriage .After the tragic death of her father , mother had decided to leave Lebanon snappishly to settle down in Wennappuwa her native village to commence a new life, as according the Tanzanian law, after her father’s death she legally belongs to her father’s family. As Christeena was very young she only could remember her father only vaguely other than from photos.
There had been an issue to teach Sinhalese to Christeena initially but with difficulty she had been taught the Sinhalese vernacular by her mother. Christeena’s mother had told that she could pick up anything tersely. She is presently fluent in English and Turkish as she watches daily Turkish dramas. Mother had got married again to one Ravi to restart her life. She has two younger brothers Ravindra and Abhiman undergraduates who are younger to her by thirteen and ten years. Both brothers respect Christeena to tall boosts owed to the huge age gaps.
Thisara is the second brother among three siblings all were sent to Melbourne to study music. But after qualifying Thisara had returned home as he had felt dreadfully home sick, had commenced to learn oriental music leaving his knowledge learnt in western music. Presently he has mastered the violin is busy in the music field making melodies has his own music studio. The love affair between Christeena and Thisara was described as a digital love had met each other initially on May 9th year 2016 had met subsequently at music rehearsals and concerts. Christeena was much-admired as a promising vocalist in school and in churches in Ja Ela area. They have been friends on Facebook having chatted uninterruptedly for some time. Once Thisara had uploaded a photo as ‘My Violin and Me’ seen it ,Christeena had called him to find out ‘ Oya Dukenda”, .This conversation which had begun at around 6 pm had dragged on to around 1 am… After a request made on Facebook the duo had decided to meet for a chat after Thisara had been impressed on Christeena’s photos posted on the FB. Thisara according to Christeena had logged into her photos on her FB daily with interest.. At the initial meeting Thisara had conveyed his willingness to marry Christeena soon.But she had replied saying ‘will wait and see’ .Thisara has had proposals from the home folks, mostly from close relatives but after the photos of Christeena were shown to his parents and grandmother there had been encouraging responses by all.Grandmother Latha Walpola too had been impressed but had said she cannot be a Sri Lankan Then Thisara had requested her to inform her home folks. Thisara’s family had wanted the marriage to take place instantaneously. Thisara’s family even today does not like to be called daughter in law , who insists she be titled always as ‘Duwa’. The nuptial knot had been tied soon, to be precise on 19th January 2017. About not having children her in laws say to the duo do not apprehensive when the time comes it will transpire , for the present be happy.
Thisara’s family had not known the singing skills of Christeena who has established her singing via voice training and chorus singing .At school in her classroom when she was singing the ‘Hindi’
song ‘Thumpasa Aye’ standing on a desk when the Tamil teacher Miss ‘Miran’ had arrived who had been impressed had asked her to come to the staff room .She had no fear as she had not done an immoral thing Christeena was requested to attend to the school ‘Geethika’ group practices which she had given as usual a short reply as ‘Mata Be’ as the elder sisters give blows on her head. The teacher had told her that she will be posted in the front to lead the group. for which she had agreed. Christeena owes a huge gratitude to her Tamil Teacher Miss Miran for her opening she had given. Her mother had known Christeena could sing had told her to sing when she was cooking.. Christeena has had hereditary affiliations to singing via her mother’s innate aptitude She had attended two schools initially St Martin de Porress convent in Wennappuwa, later was boarded at Hillwood College Kandy for her advanced level. Christeena recollects after leaving school she had got engaged with many professions like Marketing, HR, Cabin crew but for none she had not been satisfied with until she met Thisara . Now she from home coaches others as a fitness trainer while maintaining her own physique too. She also is a social media evaluator, content creator, also in ‘Nonine Ceylon’ weight loss company where she works as the brand Ambassador. With all these engrossments Christeena balances with home chaos too.
The names of some of her own songs are ‘Sakura Malak’,’Salitha Hengum’ etc.The one she loves most is ‘Nuhuru Nupurudu’ a song not released yet, the lyrics of which Christeena loves very much. One song by composing lyrics and music Thisara had sung during his tenure in Melbourne titled ‘Eka Husmaka’.This song had been heard by Christeena many times sans the knowledge of Thisara. The lyrics had been made perhaps to address a fiancé’ of his then in native Sri Lanka. For the love for this song lyrics and melody Christeena had contacted a competent lyricist Rashmika Bandara to make these lyrics to suit a female . This song ‘Eka Husmeka’ she sang during her program ‘Ma Nowene Mama’ at TV Derana. Over the years Christeena along with Thisara have been invited to many television programs like ‘Chat N Music’, ‘Nomiyena Minissu’,’Ma Novena Mama’, Overseas concerts in Sydney and Melbourne , You tube channels where the duo is demanded to sing exclusively the popular songs of the grandparents Latha and Dharmadasa Walpola.The legendary duo has five grandsons and a solitary granddaughter who is a Lawyer by profession though she could sing rarely appears on stage or on television. A few other songs which Christeena had sung at many programs other than Latha Walpola’s songs were “Mal Pita Mal’, ‘Hinehenna Romeo Mamai’,’Kalamediriye’, ‘Mathakaya Esuren”,’Rangira Maa”,’ many Hindi songs were sung to delight audiences like ‘Piya Bole’, ‘Thumpase Aye’ etc. Christeena had sung the first song at the concert felicitating maestro musician Patrick Denepitiya to the music compositions of Mahesh Denepitiya. She had been in tears when she started singing owing to tension. But all artistes had said we all still very nervous when we sing with all our experiences. Hence this occurrence is natural to all even had remarked by all stalwarts including Chandralekha Perera.
Both Christeena and Thisara do not wish to be called vocalists. Thisara wants him to be called a musician as he is specialised in the ‘Violin’, mainly making musical tracks. Christeena is busy with other business involvements hence unable to focus full time to music. Thisara says he is nevertheless obligatory to duet with Christeena as many request for the old songs of the grandparents. As there are a well over one thousand five hundred the parents of Thisara asserts to reproduce all old hits of Latha-Dharmadasa with new music. This exercise has already been implemented which is a very fitting perception.
The music concert scheduled for the 7th November 2025 at the Musaeus College auditorium titled “Pem Rajjeya ‘was a resounding success as the first such musical concert in Sri Lanka by the duo Thisara and Christeena who sang exclusively the songs of the legendary duo Latha and Dharmadasa Walpola to coincide with the 91st birthday of legendary Latha Walpola and the 29th anniversary of ITN Lakhanda.
Sunil Thenabadu in Brisbane
email sthenabadu@hotmail.com
