“THE MOON RISES” – By Des Kelly

Many years have now slipped past since one of Sri Lanka’s most beautiful Women and one of their most famous male Vocalists of the era, recorded a most beautiful love song entitled “Sandak-nage’, as my English title indicates.  

          Rukmani Devi, also known as the Nightingale of Ceylon, as beautiful as any Beauty Queen our little Island produced, plus a famous Actress, to boot, recorded this song with Neville Fernando, a Vocalist/Guitarist who not only enjoyed the company of Rukmani, but also thoroughly enjoyed singing with her. They recorded more songs together but both have now sadly passed on so here’s my sincere “Rest in Peace” wish for this fabulous duo.

          Later, in Australia (Melbourne), this writer decided to record a cover version of this beautiful love-ballad. 

Problem is, I did not have a Rukmani to record it with, but did this stop me ?, 

Of course not. I inquired around and discovered that there was another Sri Lankan lass, Sewandica Abeyratne, who was a very good Singer, I was told, so I decided to ask her husband’s permission to record this song with her. His name was Waruna, and strange as it may seem, we already knew each other. To make a long story short, I then asked Sewandica whether she knew the song. She told me that she knew it quite well. I then decided to accompany her to the recording studio for a rehearsal before recording, but was amazed when she told me that there was no need of a rehearsal, I could sing the song my way and she would  come in where necessary. 

We “rehearsed” the song en route to the Studio, and I then knew that I did not have a thing to worry about. 

Sewandica was a superb singer. She was most professional, and even though the Studio boss did think that he would make a substantial profit on both rehearsal & recording time, we disappointed him & recorded the song perfectly on it’s first “take”. Total recording time was about 20 minutes.

I then accompanied Sewandica back home and although this story is rather belated, I thank her sincerely, because without her expertise, there would have been no explanation on how or when 

“The Moon Rises”. Please enjoy the song folks, and thank you again, both Waruna, and Sewandica, for your parts in it.

          Desmond Kelly.
(Editor-in-Chief)  eLanka.