Music and its delights
source:Island
Amidst the many reports of gross corruption, discussions on loans from IMF, restructuring, inflation, and the rising rates of road accidents and homicides before sinking in a sea of troubles, I was delighted to be able to listen to the Rupavahinin musical programme of the great masters of Sinhala music like Neville, MS and CT Fernandos , TM Jayaratne, Chitra/Somapala, Milton Perera and others, at noon just before retiring to enjoy my siesta. The most recent to be aired was the music of a great composer and a competent pianist, Nimal Mendis(NM).
Nimal has been providing music for several local films after returning from the UK where he had been working. Some of his songs like 1,Ran tikiri sina, 2.Ganga addara, 3.Viovee sansare, 4.Aney sir mage…,have won popular acclaim. Although the program manager wanted to get the comments of listeners via SMS I was not able to do so due, perhaps, to senile disabilities. Hence this letter.
The melodies of the songs mentioned above are derived from Western songs though not the rhythms. But arrangements and adaptations have been so adroitly handled by NM as to bring delight and pleasure to the listener. No 1 is derived from Mendelssohn’s Wedding march, 2 from the American melody of Glory glory alleluia(also titled Batlle hymn of the Republic.),3 from the hymn ‘Thine is the glory..” ,4 from the same melody “Glory alleluia..” with some changes in tempo. Lest I be misunderstood I hasten to add that NM’s renditions are so elegant and enjoyable that they have become even party songs.
As an afterthought I have to add that the hymn, usually, sung at funerals “Sweet bye and bye” has been transformed, (not desecrated), into a baila melody by one of our musicians.
Dr Leo Fernand
Talahena, Negombo
