MANJULA DILRUKSHI MUSIC TEACHER CUM ACCOMPLISHED VOCALIST IN SUMMIT OF CELEBRITY FOR TWO DECADES – By Sunil Thenabadu

MANJULA DILRUKSHI MUSIC TEACHER CUM ACCOMPLISHED VOCALIST IN SUMMIT OF CELEBRITY FOR TWO DECADES – By Sunil Thenabadu

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The influence of genetics on musical MANJULA talent  has been proved with many illustrations. Many singers have emerged via hereditary affiliations ,while others through innate talent some professionally  via  voice training and practice .There are individuals who seem to effortlessly hit every note  while they sing while others struggle to carry a tune. The answer lies in our genetics proved by researches who have long studied the link between genetic ability and musical ability. Manjula Dilrukshi belongs to this category having inherited vocals ability via genetic affiliations from her father.

Manjula is a native of village Ogodapola  in the Rideegama divisional area in Kurunegala Father an officer in Udupola estate Mother a teacher. She has a solitary younger sibling Milinda Sandaruwan who had followed her on stages now also an accomplished acclaimed artiste.  Manjula had attended Radgalla Junior school in her village  located  in  a very pleasing and gorgeous environment. Manjula recollects from her very younger day she has had huge liking to music had been uttering short lines of songs which her mother too had reminisced lately. Manjula totally deems she may have inherited music from her father who could play the Dolki which had been his habit playing in the evenings and also listens to ‘Kavi Bana’. via  a cassette in an uninterrupted sequence  When in her second standard having by hearted and memorised  these ‘Kavi Bana’ at a school concert of a literature society she had alighted to the stage forcibly had started to sing continuously ‘Kavi Bana’ until teachers had forced her to stop.

In school up to the higher grades Manjula had studied music in the required aesthetic subject  for all her classes. After having obtained excellent results with four ‘A’s she had been inevitably selected to the Sri Jayewardenepura University in year 2001.This had been the first instance Manjula had left home to be boarded. Her father had brought her to a boarding house,Manjula recollects when he left both she and father  had cried  loudly embracing each other.

In the initial year in the university Manjula with her singing instincts had sung a song for the musical concert ‘Nala Muthu Suwanda” at which she was adjudicated as the best ‘solo’ singer for which she had received the ‘Nanda Malini award’ handed over by the legendary Nanda Malini herself .While  handing over the award  she had whispered to her about her ‘unique voice’ wishing Manjula a good future in the aesthetical field, The song she sang that day was appropriately all about ‘Father’ with music composition and lyrics made by the organisers of that concert. For this musical concert many other popular artistes too had participated as guests which was planned and organized by Professor Sunil Ariyaratne..After her triumph in a few years Manjula had got the opportunity to record three songs v.i.z., ‘Sande Sisila’, ‘Sithaka Pirunu Handa’ and ‘Sitha Langata Wela’ which were released to the media thereby becoming a potential singer to be reckoned with. This really was the beginning of her illustrious singing career. The song “Sande Sisila’  she believes was the song that had made her to be a promising  up and coming vocalist.

’Ransilu” the creators of cassettes had produced her first cassette ‘Sande Sisila” during the era 2004 to 2005 which had contained several songs from which Manjula Dilrukshi name was established  as a household name in the musical field The other songs were ‘Legathu kama’, ‘Neela Nayana’.and ‘Sande Sisila’ had contained in that cassette had made her name famous as these songs had captured the hearts of many  fans. Many lyric writers and musicians had contributed to this cassette. Those who had contributed Manjula reminisced were Rohana Weerasinghe, Venerable Kavikeerthi Thera and  Sandaviman who had contributed many lyrics as he had already supplied them to ‘Ransilu’ institution. The owner of ‘Ransilu’ Ranjith Premalal had shown them to Manjula who had selected song lyrics having mostly village themes. Manjula in another television dialog added that Venerable ,Kavikeerthi Thera was a native of Badulla had supplied lyrics to many popular songs of many artistes like Chamara Weerasinghe and Damith Asanka whom Manjula had met only once unfortunately had succumbed to death following a tragic motor accident. There had been allegations made on Thera’s lyrics compositions for which he had retaliated saying his lyrics are consistent with the traditional happenings in society which were elaborated by words.

In around year 2007 her second CD ‘Sanda Ahinsakai’ was created. Also produced by Ranjith Premalal of ‘Ransilu’ . Manjula believes she is the last vocalist who came to fame via CD’s era concept. After which the ‘pen drive’ other latest technologies era begun thereafter only single songs were recorded by artistes Manjula recollects that she had before she got acquainted with ‘Ran Salu’ she had produced a cassette by’ Sahara Entertainments’ termed ‘Pilithuru Gee” to songs of popular artistes which was a passion in that era. But those songs she had not preserved in her repertoire of songs as the lyrics were not that impressive not much conducive to our culture . These  lyrics in the songs of those CD’s  Manjula had forgotten as they did not consist of appropriate lyrics. While Manjula was in the university the duo had purchased a plot of land in Rukmalgama, Kottawa where a dwelling was constructed ,The residence of the family is now permanent.

During a television dialog  Manjula elaborated how her husband Chaminda Perera a native of Polonnaruwa was met. He had been a fan of hers, had found home land number from a newspaper article  which he had found from a dustbin in his office, a colleague in his office had rapped his lunch parcel with that contained the paper article  had  where she had categorically  requested to send her lyrics of songs with her contact home number indicated. The husband to be  Chaminda had called when her mother had answered. She had told that she will only be back of Friday from the university. He had been waiting until Friday to call that  evening saying ‘Miss I have written some songs which I like to donate to you .He had posted the lyrics of five songs to Manjula.It was revealed that though Chaminda had penned some verses earlier had never written lyrics for songs. He had purposely composed lyrics to find an excuse to talk to Manjula had for the first time had written lyrics for songs. Hence Chaminda did had a valid excuse to call her often to discuss about his lyrics She had found the lyrics to be impressive, his style was appreciative to her liking.  Later however  two songs ‘ Oba Denetha Mage’ and ‘Yali Noyena” she had deployed for songs in her cassettes. On this subject Chaminda was used to call her often to discuss about the song lyrics sent. Manjula had added also in a television confrontation that she used to get many calls  for which she never answered but she was willingly answered to calls of Chaminda. One day he had asked whether to come to her campus to give more lyrics of songs for which Manjula had reluctantly  consented perhaps as she wanted to see him personally.