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Sunil Perera will live in the people’s hearts forever with lasting music memories -Another Sunil Perera will never be born for centuries – by Sunil Thenabadu Legendary Sunil Perera expired on September 6th 2021 at the age of sixty eight years was born as Uswatta Liyanage Ivor Sylvester on September 14th 1952, in Narahenpita to a family of ten siblings. Sunil Perera was educated initially at St.Sebastian’s College Moratuwa and then at St Peter’s College Bambalapitiya.He married his fiancé’ Geetha Kulatunga born on 18th March 1967 when she was only sixteen years old with the consent of both parents.The duo are blessed with four children two sons and two daughters v.i.z.Sajith ,Gayan,Rehana and Manisha.Gayan is a musician initially with the band Daddy.Sunil’s nephew Lanthra Perera is the founder of the band ‘Doctor”.  Sunil has had music on his blood his ambition was to become a musician which his father had discouraged to give priority ...

Apr 3, 2023 Posted by In Articles, Sunil Thenabadu Tagged , , ,
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Sentiments & Tributes To The Music Legend Desmond de Silva – by Hussain Jayah Hussain Jayah – The Former Sri Lankan Airlines Country Manager Desmond De Silva the handsome Prince of Baila ! Desmond De Silva was first introduced to me by Mr Shanthikumar current CEO of the Ramada Colombo and who is also the President of the City Hotels Association, in the latter months of 1993. I was then heading the Promotions Department of SriLankan Airlines ( then Air Lanka). I still recollect the day he walked into my office and the conversation that took place therein. It was he who put all of us at ease and before long, we were chatting as if we had known each for many  years. Eventually we saw him  as our“ Ambassador “ and he performed at many “Air Lanka “ events overseas. The events that he perform was of high quality ...

Jan 12, 2022 Posted by In Articles Tagged , , , ,
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A Tribute to Sunil Perera – by Yellow Beatz In loving memory of the legendary entertainer – Sunil Perera Music and entertainment industry of Sri Lanka won’t be the same without you and this song is the least what we could do as new and upcoming artists. Please accept this tribute Sir Sunil Perera You will be missed ! All credits to the original artist of the above songs Artist : Sunil Pereira Music and rights : Gypsies  ...

Sep 20, 2021 Posted by In Articles, Sinhala songs, Sinhala Videos Tagged , ,
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BAILA KING & I: 1987-1993     CONFESSIONS OF A GLOBAL GYPSY By Dr. Chandana (Chandi) Jayawardena DPhil President – Chandi J. Associates Inc. Consulting, Canada Founder & Administrator – Global Hospitality Forum chandij@sympatico.ca Source:-island.lk Today, instead of chronologically narrating another episode of the story of my career, I will write about a music legend. Uswatta Liyanage Ivor Sylvester Sunil Perera left us this month, saddening generations of Sri Lanka music lovers around the world, including me. Many tributes have been written about him during the last few days. Therefore, in this tribute, I will focus on my entertainment collaborations with Sunil during six short years three decades ago. It was a period when I was closely involved with the western music scene in Sri Lanka. First Meeting in 1972 In early 1972, when I was a trainee waiter at the Mount Lavinia Hyatt Hotel, I was asked by the ...

Sep 20, 2021 Posted by In Articles Tagged , , , , ,
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“Vale’, Gypsy King” – By Des Kelly    I met him for the first time, when in 1973 I visited Ceylon for the first and last time, after migrating to Australia. Sunil Perera was 21 years old, and his Dad Anton who was responsible for the organization of the Original Gypsies, including Sunil and younger brother Nalin, met me and invited me to his home in Ratmalana to audition this young Gypsies band whose main jobs at the time, were to play music.  Anton Perera was indeed a remarkable father-figure. He provided Sunil, Nalin and the rest of the boys in the band, not only a spacious area in his luxurious home simply to practice their music, but also paid them each a salary to play music and become hopefully a band of renown. They had been at it, for a few months, and he now wanted me to tell ...

Sep 6, 2021 Posted by In Articles, DESMOND KELLY Tagged , ,
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Sunil Perera: Sri Lanka’s larger than life music legend dies at 68 By Ranga Sirilal and Ayeshea Perera Source:-www.bbc.com His songs have pulled people on to dance floors at weddings and parties for decades. Sunil Perera, one of the stalwarts of Sri Lanka’s baila genre – a memento of Portuguese colonisation – died on Monday aged 68, his family said. He is believed to have died of Covid-related complications. Along with his band The Gypsies, Sunil wrote and performed songs with catchy tunes and clever lyrics, often about Sri Lankan life and politics. His song Uncle Johnson from 1987 related a hilarious tale of a ruined wedding anniversary party, while Signore focused on the laments of a defeated politician berating his ungrateful voters. Saima Cut Vela gave advice to a hysterical young woman convinced her husband was fatally ill when in fact he was just drunk. “It was his presence ...

Sep 6, 2021 Posted by In Articles Tagged , , , , ,
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THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC –  By – Algi Wijewickrema When you have an email address like “noproblemperera” I’m sure you readers would expect an out of the ordinary person. Out of the ordinary is an understatement really for arguably Sri Lanka’s most versatile and entertaining musician. He is the leader of a band that is not only popular among Sri Lankans living here but also popular with Sri Lankans abroad. He is none other than the leader of the “Gypsies”, Sunil Perera. When I visited Sunil at his studio in Ratmalana where their family business has existed for decades, he was ready to accommodate us but the interview was inevitably disturbed by many telephone calls that kept coming which to me proves how busy this man can still be and how the popularity of Gypsies has not diminished. Beginning with his school days at St. Peter’s College, Bambalapitiya, Sunil ...

Sep 6, 2021 Posted by In Articles, Obituaries Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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