Behind all the songs and music that we hear, there are some untold stories. Stories of those musicians who dedicated their lives to music. Stories of each of their career paths are identified by only them, just like their palm prints. In a competitive and saturated industry like music, one needs a lot of luck to thrive. Uresha Ravihari  is one who had thrived in this industry for over three decades having commenced music while still a school girl at Samudra Devi Balika Vidyalaya at around six years old .Many commence music as a passion but to transform passion into a career is a path of a struggle. Uresha has had immense innate talent not linked to any hereditary affiliations. Like Uresha complete dedication and hard work is the only way to stardom simultaneously to be successful.She is known to have vocal training even now daily to be in trim condition. The foremost characteristics needed to be successful are confidence, practice, modesty, enunciation, breathing, pitching perseverance, not giving up, all such properties are possessed  by Uresha who is presently the most sought after vocalist in Sri Lanka after the regimes conquered by vocalists like Latha Walpola, Sujatha Attanayake,Anjeline Gunatilleke and others It is very difficult to imagine another novice vocalist would emerge to take her place for decades..  

  Uresha Ravihari Wickremasinghe,born 26 June 1982;in Nugegoda daughter of Dharmasri and Chandra Wickremasinghe.Dharmasiri her father is the renowned radio and television host at the SLBC and SLRC and a presenter in indoor and outdoor musical concerts. She is well  known as Uresha, is a Sri Lankan songstress  is considered as one of the leading female playback singers in Sri Lankan Sinhala cinema having sung in 117 Sinhala films about twenty odd films are yet to be released. She has a screen voice which she attributes to her innate talent without any hereditary affiliations. Owing to the Covid-19 epidemic some films for which she had sung playback are forced to remail in the waiting list. Uresha has won more awards that any other male or female singer in the   annals of our music industry She had won Presidential, Sarasaviya,, Raigam, State, OCIC,Sumathi,Signis,Hiru golden,Derana film awards etc,. Uresha had won these awards at local film and television festivals held annually. She had won Sarasaviya Awards for best vocalist in three consecutive years which feat no one had yet achieved. She also a sought after vocalist for teledrama theme songs and for indoor and outdoor concerts, Uresha is a also competent musician able to play a few musical instruments like the piano as well as a dancer, which too have been her passions.    

Uresha has one younger Nadod,she is married to a medical officer Ruchira Nadeera in year 2012 at the Galle Face hotel who is now a consultant presently working in outstations,The duo is blessed with a son Sasen Pravivek. Uresha was educated up to seventh standard at the Samudradevi Balika Vidyalaya ,Nugegoda later up to Advanced level at St.Paul’s Girls school  Milagiriya.  

Uresha’s singing career had commenced at a very early age on hearing the music classes conducted by Dr Sujatha Attanayaka at a neighbouring dwelling. Uresha had been thought her basics in music and singing by veteran Dr Sujatha Attanayake who is her favourite vocalist.too. .She had been lately thought music by late Austin Munasinghe and late Dr Lionel Algama.At the age of eight years Dr Sujatha Attanayake had  afforded her the opportunity to sing in her maiden song as a play back singer in a film “Shakthiya Obai Amme” in which she had to sing only four lines in a duet sung by Dr Sujatha Attanayake and Tony Hassen,Uresha remembers this opportunity very well as at her young age she was still short she had to get on to a small stool to reach the mike.Uresha’s father had assisted her to release her first album “Surathal Nangiye”  at the age of only nine years.Her father had done all the spade work.Then the second CD/cassette with both Sinhala and Hindi was released when she was only thirteen years old  .

She continued perform many occasions with both Sinhala and Hindi songs and released Hindi- Sinhala mix CD/cassette at the age of 13 as her second album. She got the opportunity to sing Hindi songs in a musical program telecast on ITN on every Tuesday. Her third album, Kasun Tharaka was released when she was sixteen years old  

At the age of thirteen yearsRavihari made her debut acting in the film Malsara Doni produced by her father. In the film, her song “Unna Eka Gangavaka” became highly popularized.Uresha had confessed that from this song people came to know her However she selected music industry as her pathway and completed ‘Prathama’ and the Diploma in Hindustani music under Sujatha Attanayaka and late Austin Munasinghe. She also completed ‘Bharatha Natyam’ under Preethi Ganegoda and Vasuki Shanmugampilla. Uresha’s singing genres are pop, soul, Indian classical and rhythm & blues.  

In 1996, Ravihari won the award for the best-selling CD/cassette at Rasa Awards Festival for her album SithinMan Aaderai. Then in 1998 she won the award for the best singer at Sumathi Awards for the song in the television serial ‘Sasala Ruwa’. In 2005, she won the best singer ‘s award at Raigam Tele’es for the song in serial Idorayaka Mal Pipila.   

Apart from music and dancing, Ravihari completed a diploma in beauty culture under Suwineetha Kotalawala.^] In 2006, she won the best singer’s  award at both Signis and OCIC awards festival followed by Presidential award for the film ‘Anjalika’.It was thereafter for Uresha a cake walk at many film and teledrama award ceremonies.Lately in year 2018 she won the award for the best vocalist at Hiru Golden Film festival for her song in film “Sarigama”.   

Some of the popular songs sung by Uresha are Jala Dharawe.,Samanal Hanguman,Sithuwila Pura,Suso Sudu Dethole Maduu,Anna Sudo (re make),Andana Ahasata Weda,Me Sihinaya,Sihina Nidiyana,Pata Thiyala,Piyanani etc.  

 During a recent television program Uresha  confessed about the love and attachment to her parents and son.She was of high commendation to father renowned radio ,television host and concert presenter Dharmasri Wickremasinghe specially as it was he had been behind the enormous success. Though she had confessed that she is very strong able to resist any situation but when it comes to father and mother she tends to shed tears.She emphasized how much she is indebted to him.He had endeavoured to follow his footsteps as an announcer though she disliked. He had even arranged an audition for her at her SLBC. Though she had passed the audition she was reluctant to make a career in that field which father had dominated. She had been a relief announcer at the SLBC on a few occasion which she had given up citing the time issue because of her examinations..  

At the same television program Uresha confessed that Nisanga Mayadunne elder daughter of Shantha Mayadunne( both deceased after a bomb blast) the renowned chef and television personality, is a famous lyricist had requested her to sing her song “Piyanani” to her lyrics to give a birthday present to her beloved father.Both her close friend Nisanga are very attached to both parents,Uresha had already sung songs comprising Nisanga’s lyrics.Uresha.On the day of the recording  had become very emotional unable to sing.It was said that Nisanga had come to her several times when she stopped singing owing to her emotional behaviour to console her.This proves how Uresha loves his father too which she is unable to put into words.While relating this episode Uresha broke down during the dialogue with the presenter. After the song was sung the duo had questioned each other how they would live after their demise.Uresha in this sense is an emotional person who feels for the destitute too which is a good quality to be appreciated.  

Among the many songs recorded under labels of Music.lk,Nilwala,M Entertainments many are audios  apart from film songs of Uresha.  

In the context of the above Uresha Ravihari is perhaps a vocalist in par with the legends of yesteryear. The passage of her dominance will no doubt will continue in the same vein even though the film industry has slumped as she is in demand for concerts ,teledramas and her singing genres like pop,soul, Indian classical, rhythm and blues.All her fans would no doubt wish her to continue in the same disposition.  

Sunil Thenabadu 

E mail sthenabadu @hotmail.com 

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