“INSECTS IN MUSIC” – By Des Kelly

There are billions or trillions of insects around, so what is so special about “Beetles”?. Why did Buddy Holly wish to name his “group” the above, then, for some strange reason, decided to call them “The Crickets”?, when he could not even hold a bat straight, let alone use it, he could not bowl a “doosra”, bowl underarm, or even use sandpaper, BUT, my friends, he noticed a few insects who were making a lot of noise in his garden, yes, folks, they were indeed, Crickets.!!

Following all this important information, four British lads who had admired Buddy Holly from afar, suddenly decided to form a group, and decided to call themselves the “Beetles” in tribute to Buddy’s “Crickets”, but because they couldn’t spell, added an “a”where there should have been another “e”, ending up in the word “Beatles”, a word, unfortunately, not even referring to the first cousins of the “Insects in Music” I write about. Beetles, or Beatles, who cares ?, John, Paul, George & Ringo went on to make millions of dollars during their era. Very lucky, as even THEY should admit, that there were dozens of similar “groups” in Liverpool, just as good, or even better than they were, but sadly lacked a good “Manager”. Brian Samuel Epstein, almost by accident, saw this group performing at the Cavern Club, in Liverpool, in November, 1961, liked what they did, and the rest is history, as they say.

Now, that we have inspected the insects of both America and England, let us go down to this tiny little Island called Sri Lanka. There are plenty of insects over here, too, most of them sit around in Parliament (as they do, all over the World, Australia included), anyway, there is this band simply called “WAYO”(yes, folks, “Termites”, in Sinhala), by FAR, the BEST local band over there, at the moment, trust me, I know what I’m talking about. Obviously, they had heard about the Beatles, and probably, also about the Crickets, as well, thought, “what the hell, we’ll call ourselves the “Termites”, changing their minds because of the “Sinhala-only policy”
to call themselves “Wayo”, instead.

On a personal note, to end this fascinating article (if I say so, myself), my favourite Composer/Musician, as a Sri Lankan, myself, has always been Clarence Wijewardena.

Since Clarence departed this World, I have always admired Keerthi Pasquel, also a fine musician, guitarist/vocalist, who sings his songs with true feeling, and, to top it off, is a very nice guy, all around. NOW, there is another Composer/Singer-guitarist who has caught my attention.

He also boasts a very pretty young daughter named Sareena Venus, who also plays guitar and sings to accompany her famous father, but I can never seem to remember his Surname, so have devised my own method of “remembering names”, so, I now think of ” a load of butter”,

yes, thats it!!. BATAGODA, Senaka, see ?, I told you, didn’t I?.

Senaka Batagoda has written a beautiful song entitled

“Sannasennam Ma”(I shall have relief), which “Wayo” has “covered”, in what I consider to be the BEST version of the song. While I “feature” this version, because I do think that it is simply superb, I shall also feature “father & daughter” in another of Senaka’s Original Compositions, and, if any of you folk out there cannot understand the Sinhala lyrics, do not worry. Just enjoy the music, the “presentation” of the song by Wayo, the natural, uncomplicated beauty of a young Sinhalese maiden, all involved with “Insects In Music”.