KRISHANTHA ERANDAKA COMMENCED CAREER FROM RAJARATA SEVAYA AS A CHILD ARTISTE BLOSSOMED TO BE AN ACCLAIMED VOCALIST WHO HAD SUNG MANY HITS TO MELODIES WITH MEANIGFUL LYRICS – by Sunil Thenabadu
Through lyrics of a song a message could be conveyed. All songs sung by renowned vocalist Krishantha Erandaka who had begun as a child artiste initially from the ‘Rajarata Sevaya’ Auradhapura in year 1987 at the tender age of around eight years.A native of a remote village in Anuradhapura ,father had been a clerk attached to the Insurance Corporation in a transferable service had attended to cultivation too as a farmer.Mother had been a housewife, the duo was blessed with two daughters , the siblings had been much younger. According to a revelation made by Krishantha at a television dialog music he had inherited from the parental duo who were lovers of music listening to music channels of “Rajarata Sevaya” all day .Mother has had intentions to make Krishantha a vocalist at the age of around eight years in year 1977 after reading an advertisement calling for youth for auditioning at the ‘Rajarata Sevaya’ radio had made the application with a huge anticipation to have Krishantha to be trained as a vocalist. Among nearly three thousand applicants Krishantha was among the twenty-seven selected after voice auditioning. His mother had thereafter taken immense interest in son’s activities at the “Rajarata Sevaya” where training was predominately on weekends. It was mother who had accompanied Krishantha for lessons with meals prepared to be consumed during the day. His teachers at the ‘Rajarata Sevaya’ had influenced him having joined as a youngster , had become a child artistes at the tender age of eight years guided by giant music personalities like Swarnasri Bandara ,Sena Gunasekera, Gunadasa Kapuge, Bandula Wijeweera etc who had trained him.The association with them had been very vital for his future, to him the ‘Rajarata Sevaya” had been similar to a university which had helped him to grasp so many vibrant areas very beneficial for his future. At the ‘Rajarata Sevaya’ groups of six students were grouped and given the tasks of composing music for songs having given scripts aided by the stalwart teachers. Later, when Krishantha was travelling in third class to Colombo by train he had been surprised to see Gunadasa Kapuge too in the third class compartment, which showed that the latter is so simple and humble despite his standing in society.
When Krishantha came to the field there were only three radio channels and two television channels, sans any social media platforms compared to now there are about over 50 and 25 radio and television channels and many social media platforms. Even then enthusiastic listeners had identified artistes from the voices only.Krishantha too had been identified by his voice.
During Covid-19 Krishantha had fully used the accessible time taking all precautionary measures then deprived of musical concerts locally and internationally. Krishantha had made use of the leisure available in obtaining lyrics of songs from the reputed and novice lyricists had compiled 29 songs for himself and other novice vocalists. This was purely with the intention of lending a useful hand particularly for up and coming lyricists and novice singers. The music was rendered mostly by Darshana Wickrematunga and Nalaka Anjana Kumara who have made music compositions to a total of around one hundred songs about the half of about the two hundred songs sung by Krishantha to date including tele drama songs. Almost all songs had been hits, with a few of his songs, the audiences demand at concerts.
At a recent television dialog Krishantha reminisced how the lyrics of his popular song ’Vee Paduren’ , one among his initial set of songs were made by the award winning lyricist Mahinda Dissanayake from the Rajarata generation, who often after handing over lyrics is used to follow closely to Colombo until it is recorded in a studio or at the SLBC by finding a proper musician for the melody. When Krishantha had asked Mahinda Dissanayake the meaning of the lyrics he had said it was all about a love affair he has had while in the university which had not got achieved as the girl had not given a response but was absconding. When he returned to the village there had been a story of a relative sister who was involved with an ordinary village lad, When this was conveyed to an elder uncle he had said ‘Oota kauda genu denne , ohu wee padurata ena kukullu wage wee kanna”. The basis of his lyrics had been from that story. Music and melody of the song ‘Wee Paduren’ recorded in 1997 was by HM Jayawardena which remembered him of the time when at ‘Rajarata Sevaya’ how to a group of six children were taught to make a melody by Kusum Herath,Bandula Wijeweera, Gunadasa Kapuge and team. Hence Krishantha too had followed painstakingly how the music of ‘Wee Padura’ and other songs , subsequently were composed and recorded by the able duo Mahinda Dissanayake and HM Jayawardena. Krishantha had affirmed that he never sung it for him to become popular or the song t become popular but essentially to give the message through the meaning of the lyrics which he usually does. In all songs he expects the listeners to grasp the messages conveyed which many are not that interested. in the context of the Sinhalese literacy, formal writing having a marked style intended to create a particular emotional effect to all listeners.
Mahinda Dissanayake and HM Jayawardena duo had been of immense strength to Krishantha to come along on this long journey for which he remembers with deep gratitude. Krishantha believes HM Jayawardena had identified properly his singing ranges which had helped in composing melodies to him sans much of a hassle .Krishantha also highly praised Rohana Weerasinghe too for his music skills which no one could surpass. After about twenty five years since recording his famous popular songs it was decided during a telephone conversation with Vajira Jayawardena of the Charana TV his close associate to remake the old songs without doing any harm to the original music compositions particularly focussing on the new generation as they would prefer to hear the song with the remade music as the young folks focus on modern music which was successfully achieved with the backing of Nalaka Anjana Kumara, Sugath,Tissara, Sajith and other musicians. Initially Krishantha had been a bit reluctant as it was a cumbersome exercise but later, he was highly satisfied after it was completed had thanked Vajira for his amazing suggestion. Krishantha had confessed that he did not want to make the songs popular as they were already popular. In the Appachchi and Mandaram songs the lyrics were by Gayaman Dissanayake when Krishantha too was a student, son of Mahinda Dissanayake who is now a consultant Radiologist attached to the ministry of health. These two songs had been given to him when the duo had met in Anuradhapura town. As Gayaman could not show this to his father to find the pros and cons, the duo had gone by bus to Galnewa Guru Vidyalaya, Guru Niwasa to show Mahinda Chandrasekera a stalwart on lyrics during the interval to get views from him as they were not sure of a few words that were felt were a bit slanderous. He had advised not to do any alterations to the two songs as they looked perfect had hailed Gayaman for his talent as a schoolboy. The duo had travelled by train to Colombo sans knowing to whom to entrust the music of this song. It had suddenly come to mind the name of Samantha Perera.They had found his telephone number, taken a call from a public booth ,got his address had jumped into a train got down at Pannipitiya ,had meet Samantha at his dwelling. That time it had been about 2 to 3 weeks since Samanth’s father’s demise. Instead of talking about the song the trio had spoken in general about fathers’ when Samantha had shed tears whereas the duo had too, had become emotional. The lyrics of the song was kept for Samantha to create a music melody which was done immaculately a few days hence.
‘Rosa Malata kiyana wada ma giya bawa’ is another exclusive song of Krishantha that was remade sans harming the original music composition ,the lyrics were of Ravi Siriwardena ( many songs of his have already been sung) music composition was by young Dharshana Wickrematunge about an unusual love story where the male party had without any hesitation accepted the non-acceptance of a love by the girl’s parents. He has had neither no grudge with the female party nor with her parents about her decision. not tried to harm her and her parents as what many are heard in dong in such cases today. The lyricist had made an indication after his demise at his grave ”the love of mine to her was the same as he had to my parents”. This song is still popular asked by many to sing in concerts. It must have been unselfishness but not to unprecedented tall altitudes, the lyricist had explained.
In the Mandaram song lyrics a line was added by Gayaman Dissanayake giving a kiss to the cheeks , which the duo thought was indecent which the duo was very particular in asking Mahinda Chandrasekera during their visit to his Galnewa training school, but that line too was said to be okay to him. To get a music composition the duo had gone to see music maestro Rohana Weerasinghe who was described as resembling as a huge tree among music melodies through late Ananda Hewaranhindage who was well known to Rohana.
Another song ‘Ahasetha Nethi’ the melody had been made by Rohana Weerasinghe which may have gone to many hands, but when Krishantha got to his hands he had got lyrics written appropriately by Ananda Hewaranhindage. The meanings relate to what really happens in our native country for old and present generations not to do wrong as when it was sung 25 years back it was less appropriate then than in today’s context. The ’Pachakalyaniye’ song is a signature song of Krishantha which he said while doing vocal warm ups, talent and practices one needs luck too to navigate successfully, the lyrics were of Bandara K Wijethunga a high up at the SLRC who was met several times though had reminded many times.He had after a huge delay had given a rough sketch with the word “Panchakalyaniye” which was not complete. Krishantha had gone with the rough sketch to HM Jayawardena who had somehow added some words to complete the song and the melody, on the request of Krishantha HM Jayawardena had made it to a lower beat.This song “Panchakalyaniye” too became a hit one of Krishantha’s early creations.
The song “ Awasin Husma Gilihena’ was a rather new song in the decade of 2000 ,the lyrics were by a novice Rasika K Dumina and music composition with melody by Darshana Wickrematunga.The idea had come initially to Krishantha himself reminiscing a personal incident , another at the Apeksha hospital. One day Krishantha had accompanied his parents to the Apeksha hospital for a reference to his mother’s ailment. In front of the queue had been a young couple the young wife’s hair all had fallen perhaps after bouts of Chemotherapy. Krishantha and father had heard a small message the husband had told his wife, ’better if both could go together’. Both Krishantha and his father were dumbfounded with tears in their eyes.Another incident similar to this which had flabbergasted Krishantha was when his wife Inoka had undergone a serious operation in hospital ,when returning home after seen her driving back had thought to himself that in the event she succumbed to death after her serious operation how he could manage his future life looking after his two daughters. These are the clues that led to pen the lyrics to this song done admirably by the novice lyric writer.
Other than the above songs all other lyrics of his many songs have had proper meanings which Krishantha always stresses the young generation to learn which all have meaningful lyrics. The title of other songs which Krishantha had sung previously other than those mentioned above were ‘Liyu kavi pada dahasak athare’,’Me nihanda bawa bidinna”,Ahaseth netha’, “Sansara dukin”, “Malata mudu guna’ “ Nilupule”, “Kandulak nanga”, “Rathu neluma”, “Dahsen raja da”,”Senasenna”, “Mage pelata udin”, “Piyapathak wage”,”Kiri idda gahata’, “Nube mathaka”,”kisa gothami”,” Kekulu nabara”,” Enna kiyala” etc Many of Krishantha’s songs were released in albums as popular songs ,Gee dahasak etc.
Krishantha when a novice and even before had followed Sunil Edirisinghe,Gunadasa Kapuge, Amarasiri Peiris, Karunaratne Divulgane and TM Jayaratne the latter in particular. Also lyricists like Rathnasri Wijesinghe, Kumaradasa Saputhantri, Kularatne Ariyawansa, Kelum Srimal ,Sunil R Gamage Ravi Siriwardena etc .When he became an accomplished vocalist had met all of them to them, he is very grateful in permitting him to climb the ladder to stardom. Krishantha had come to Colombo from his village in Anuradhapura around sixteen years ago had settled down in a dwelling with his wife Inoka and daughters who are now aged eighteen and sixteen who attend Sirimavo Bandaranaike College in Colombo. He had added at television dialogues that many in the musical field had been very helpful in his successful music voyage which he hopes to further blossom with his inborn talent with hereditary affiliations from his parents who is full time into music. His musical genres are soul , classical, folk style etc. Krishantha had confessed that he prefers to sing in indoor concerts more than in outdoor concerts. Owing to the Covid-19 related issues he has been deprived of accepting to sing in international concerts, but he had previously toured a lot of countries world wide has been invited to Melbourne in a few months for some concerts too.
All his followers and fans would wish him good health and strength to compile new creations like his previous efforts to enthral all vivid audiences.
Sunil Thenabadu in Brisbane
e mail sthenabadu@hotmail.com
WhatsApp 0061444533242
