La Bambas has hit half a century – Semi-centennial soundtrack

March 4 was a jubilant day for the lovers in the music world. The La Bambas has hit half a century. The music band organized a historic evening at the Sooriya Village. Collection of Latin American Songs, Calypso and Original Hits by Labambas was launched at the event to coincide with the half century. The CD included Cielito Lindo, Las Mananitas, El Rancho Grande, Melody D’Amor, Sloop John B and a few more tourist promotion songs fused with evergreen Sinhala songs.

The first four CDs were handed over as a mark of respect to Yula, the wife of late Brian Fernando, the Leader of the Troop, Major General Harin Perera and Merril Fernando. The CD presentation was sponsored and produced by the Sooriya Village Studios owned by Udeni and Yohan Wickremasuriya. The Special Guest of Honour was Sama Cooray, Cultural Officer of the Divisional Secretariat of Moratuwa.

The Troop comprised Erinton, Priya, Lasla, Robinson and Malsiri.

They had been singing famous Japanese, Korean, Scottish, Irish, and Latin American Songs in various five-star hotels for the last five decades.

Priya Peiris, in his speech, stated that he cannot forget Vijaya Corea, the backbone who made their songs throng the air by the then Radio Ceylon almost daily in Sinhala/English streams. Plus, he did not forget to reveal that in the dark days of the insurgency, their famous three songs Cock a Doodle Doo, Nuwara Menikela and Kale Ukule Thiyala were banned, lest the songs expose the time and the places causing disturbance among the general public!

Towards the late evening twilight of the day, the final events brightened up with the singing of a song by the twin sons of Erinto, Eranjan and Viranjan and the present surviving troop of La Bambas.