VETERAN EVERGREEN RENOWNED VOCALIST PRIYA SURIYASENA FELICITATED AT THE 29th SUMATHI AWARDS CEREMONY WITH THE U.W SUMATHIPALA MEMORIAL AWARD- ONE TIME LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD – By Sunil Thenabadu
Image Source : wikipedia
Priya Suriyasena was born on 27 October 1944.His name was popularly made to be known as Priya Suriyasena by Premakeerthi de Alwis as a popular artiste he considered should have a musical name. Priya first emerged as a talented local singer with the guidance of his father Jamis Appuhamy who was a poet a resident of an upcountry middle class family in Nattandiya in the Puttalam district. Priya was the only son among four siblings. He had acquired hereditary affiliations in art from his father who was involved in arts as a poet of repute,His mother was A.M. Podi Menike a typical housewife .Priya has had his primary education in Nattandiya Primary school and the Secondary education GCE O/L and A/L at the Madampe Central College .From school days Priya was renowned to be a good sportsman excelling in the sport Volleyball which was very popular in his home zone.
Priya with hereditary affiliations to music via his father had come to the music arena in the early-decade of the 1970’s along with artistes in the calibre of Neela Wickremasinghe, Malini Bulathsinhala, Mervin Perera all deceased and TM Jayaratne. Priya’s music genres are pop, soul, rhythm and blues, also Indian classical music. From his younger days Priya had been a huge enthusiast of Indian music stars Latha Mangeshkar, Mohamed Rafai,Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, and Asha Bhosle which he still adores In those days those talented had to compose their own lyrics and music compositions and present them to the SLBC to be auditioned. The initial songs that were accepted by the SLBC authorities were still everlasting hits viz,Etha Ran Viman, Mata Wasana,Adaraneeya Neranjana and Sudu Paravi Rena Se. by them Priya rose to fame overnight when these first four songs. Since then to date, he has preserved his fame for well over five decades and produced most popular songs in Sri Lanka a few that comes to mind are: Andura Andura Mage’, “Sanda Tharakawo Handawee’, “Sarasatha Nima”,”Hadawatha Illa”, “Heta Dawase”,”Malsara Hinawa;” Apasu Enawa’, “ Ratakin Eha”, etc
Priya had sat for external music exams conducted by the government musical college ‘Heywood’ from 1968 to 1971 and obtained a diploma in music. Priya has won several prizes as a student after participating in musical programs, such as island-wide UNESCO talent competition where he won the first prize. Priya also continued his career as a music teacher in Kelaniya Gurukula College commenced in year 1971 while he was also a stage singer. Then he moved to Kalubowila Vidyalaya and finally in Dehiwala Central College. After about 10 years of service in Dehiwala Central, Priya had bid good bye to his teaching career giving priority to his music career.
His first cassette tape was released under Vijaya Ramanayake’s Tharanga label, which was also the second cassette produced in Sri Lanka. His first song ‘Andura Andura Mage’ was recorded in 1968.Late Lal Thenabadu, the late Sarath Dassanayake,late Stanley Pieris , Sarath de Alwis, late Clarence Wijewardena,late Ranjith Perera and many other veteran music directors had composed music for his songs. Priya is also a talented composer and directed music for his own songs such as ‘Adaraneeya Neranjana’, ‘Heta Dawase’, ‘Mata Wasana’, ‘Sanda Ma Gawai’, ‘Mage Samarum Pothe’, ‘Ekama Vidiye’, and ‘Gelawata Benda Wu Muthu Pote” etc. Most of these songs were created by Priya with lyrics of his close associate Premakeerthi De Alwis who were close friends in the 1970’s ,these songs became instant hits popular to date. He has also composed songs to other artists such as H. R. Jothipala, Milton Mallawarachchi, Mervin Perera, Anton Senanayake and famous Christian Baila music hit dedicated to St Anthony sung by late Anton Jones. Priya has many famous duets with Victor Rathnayake, Latha Walpola, Chandralekha Perera, Malkanthi Nandasiri etc.
Priya was a qualified music teacher his first appointment was at Gurukola Vidyalaya Kelaniya as a music teacher in the mid 1970’s.In 1978 he married Thamara Kumari Weerasinghe who was also a music teacher. The duo has one son and three daughters. His son the third among the siblings .Luckshitha studied at Ananda College and learned music from Lionel Ranwela. Luckshitha pursued a PhD at Stanford University, USA is a scientist by profession possess a doctorate as a Nano Engineer attached to attached to Western Digital Institute in USA. He is also a talented singer had performed on live TV programs on many occasions to continue his father’s legacy. Eldest daughter Minoshi is a Doctor who had qualified in Russian having obtained a scholarship. The second daughter, Iroshi, is also active in the Sri Lankan music industry and works as a Senior Manager in a private bank. She is the one who is most interested in singing had proven her ability in several television programs .
Priya has won several prizes as a student after participating in musical programs, in which he had won the first prize several times. Priya. Suriyasena had commenced his career as a music teacher in Kelaniya Gurukula College in year1971 while he was also a stage singer. Then he moved to Kalubowila Vidyalaya and finally in Dehiwala Central College. After about 10 years of service in Dehiwala Central College Priya left his teaching vocation giving priority to his music career as it was flourishing after he found not viable to cope with teaching too after he had infused music knowledge to about ten thousand students.
Priya recorded some of his original songs in SLBC in 1972 having passed as an “A-Grade” radio singer. At this stage he shortened his name from Priyadarshie to Priya His first cassette tape was released under Vijaya Ramanayake’s ‘Tharanga’ label, which was also only the second cassette produced in Sri Lanka. His first song ‘Andura Andura Mage’ was recorded in year1968. Late Lal Thenabadu, late Sarath Dassanayake and late Stanley Pieiris Sarath de Alwis, late Clerence Wijewardena,late Ranjith Perera and many other veteran music directors had composed music for his songs. Priya had reminisced about the immense musical aptitude of late Ranjith Perera who deviated from the usual norms using a Japanese Mandolin to create theatre mode musical compositions. He was instrumental in composing a different style of music for his song ‘ “Mee Kekunu Kele Ganga Eha Kone” song. Priya is also a very talented composer and directed music for his own songs such as ‘Adaraneeya Neranjana’, ‘Heta Dawase’, ‘Mata Wasana’, ‘Sanda Ma Gawai’,’Mage Samarum Pothe’, ‘Ekama Vidiye’, ,’Gelawata Banda Wu’ etc. also for many other artistes. Most of these songs were created by Priya himself to the lyrics of Premakeerthi De Alwis who were close friends in the 1970’s which became instant hits, popular even to date. He has also composed songs to other artists such as HR Jothipala, Milton Mallawarachchi,Mervin Perera Anton Senanayake and famous Christian Baila music hit dedicated to St Anthony sung by Anton Jones. Priya has sung many famed duets with Victor Rathnayake, Latha Walpola, Chandralekha Perera, Malkanthi Nandasiri ,Niranjala Sarojini.After the release of his first four songs in SLBC Priya reached the peak of celebrity and became the heart throb of youngsters in the 1970s.The release of ‘Sudu Parevi Rena Se’ brought Priya up to one of the top tier of singers in the 1970s bringing a controversy at that time where the Sri Lankan government prohibited broadcasting a song through radio channels for a period of time. His popularity was raised to unprecedented tall heights with the receipt of Sarasaviya Award for ‘Kendan Yannam’, a song from Sena Samarasinghe’s 1984 film ‘Aethin Aethata’ sung along with Milton Mallawarachchi and Gratien Ananda.He was also a sought after play back singer possessing a screen voice was elected for many films including ‘Mal Kekulu’ in the early 1980s, song ‘Bindu Bindu Kandulu Sala’, a duet with Shayami Fonseka , music directed by Sarath Dassanayake and produced by Sena Samarasinghe. Further, he sang in many other films like ‘Selinage Walawwa’, ‘Mudukkuwe Juliet’, ‘Hariyanakota Ohama Thamai’, and ‘Pina Paduna Da’. In the film Ethin Ethata, he sang the duet “Kandan Yannan Ranmal Mala Dala” with Milton Mallawarachchi to the music direction of Sarath Dassanayake which won a Sarasaviya Award in the 1980s. In the film Suhada Sohoyuro Priya had portrayed a minor role too. However, later Priya gave up singing as a play back singer focusing only on stage indoor and more predominantly on outdoor musical concerts. In year 2006 he sang a duet Gimhanaye with Samitha Mudunkotuwa for the film Kalu Sudu Mal as the male playback for Kamal Addaraarachchi. Priya had sung only a very few duets with female artistes , one that comes to mind which is popular is the duet he sang with Niranjala Sarojini titled ‘Gela Wata Bendawu Muthu Pote;’
At the beginning of 1990s Suriyasena was propped towards cassette production business where he started naming it “Luckshitha Trade Centre” ( the name of his only son)and released cassettes of himself, MS Fernando, Punsiri Silva, HR Jothipala,Champa Kalhari In the year 1996 Priya brought a new music culture to the country with the album ‘Sunflowers with Priya” which grossed a huge revenue of millions to become the most sought after singer in Sri Lanka in the late 1990’s.This trend had continued in the following years and decade too.His songs were sung by many amateurs, including the ultimate winner of the inaugural first reality competition. the ‘Sirasa Super Star’ , Ajit Bandara which also led to some controversy which however was amicably resolved subsequently.
Priya is one artiste who had traversed most extensively around the globe for musical concerts to entertain a significant number of his fans domiciled in many Western, European countries at regular intervals. In 1978 he made in maiden tour to Singapore with Nanda Malini Sanath Nandasiri, Malkanthi Nandasiri, Subsequently in the following years he had travelled to well over forty countries. including to United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, Middle East, Japan, and Australia. In year 2012, he released the album ‘”Malsara Hinawa” which included several old hits. In year 2017 he again made a visit to Australia on invitation.
Priya Suriyasena had been role model father to his four children,He never encouraged them to sing or emulate him.He was from the younger days had advised them to study hard assisting them in whatever he could in their studies with his wife too who assisted when he was on foreign tours.He never disturbed them even when he wanted to compose melodies. He even had painted a rear wall in their dwelling with black paint to use like a black board. He wanted all four children to study in order to become professionals in other fields, not to depend on an income from singing.The second daughter Iroshi had won a scholarship to Australia for five years and is presently a senior Manager in a private bank, who is incidentally the only female in the family who follows and interested in singing and music having innate talent also with hereditary affiliations to father, She is the only child who likes to sing,she had recorded a duet with Priya too after completing her ordinary levels. Iroshi is talented too had participated on her own and with Priya at many television channels in the past. Iroshi too could sing well father’s songs and also Hindi songs impeccably. She had recorded a duet with father after she had completed her ‘O’ Levels which was a rare occasion when Priya had consented. Owing to her responsibilities as a senior manager she has quipped that to her though she likes to sing time is the barrier. Iroshi had made a cover song to father’s ‘Etha Viman Dorin” which had captivated by many audiences. The third child Luckshita is also inherited father’s singing skills had sung with him at the TV Derana popular inaugural program Leya Saha Laya produced by Chinthaka Gamalath where the duo had to sing seven songs as duets which he sang to precision. In addition Luckshitha had sung in many television channels his father’s songs having the identical voice. As the parental duo is ageing, he has decided to return to Sri Lanka soon. The fourth child is also a girl who is much younger to the elder three siblings had completed a human resource management degree from a private university is attached to a human resources company as a HR executive. It is reported that the siblings are closely well knit with each other and with the parental sharing all events.
Priya had conveyed to the siblings that they should study do higher studies find employment and then, they could focus on singing to follow his footsteps. The second daughter Iroshi is the sibling who accompanies Priya to several television dialogues had added that he was very devoted father having done everything for them,used to take the siblings on trips to all parts of the country and provided with all their needs. He was even used to cook meals for them but making it a point not to disturb them while they were studying.Priya made it a point not to disturb them even when he was composing songs with his harmonium.
Presently Priya Suriyasena is partly paralysed and he moves about in a wheel chair. At the 29th Sumathi Awards 2024 held recently the organisers had unanimously arbitrated him to receive the prestigious yearly award the ‘UW Sumathipala Memorial Award’ , the once in a lifetime award for his contributions made to the music arena.It was an emotional moment not only to him but to all artistes present. Priya was assisted to the stage on a wheel chair by his daughter Iroshi to received the award from Thilanga Sumathipala.He was applauded by all artistes who were present. The audience in cohesion sang one of his popular songs ‘Ratakin Eha Igili Thaniwenna Bahe ‘ very appropriately which was followed by popular artistes Rookantha Gunatilleke, Chandralekha Perera,Bathiya and Santhush, Sanka Dineth who sang his songs, while Edward Jayakody his colleague related his eulogy from the year1970. Priya with difficulty spoke a few words of appreciation. His daughter Iroshi made a courageous speech thanking the organisers for the decision to award this one time life award . It was indeed a fitting tribute to Priya Suriyasena for his immense contribution to the field of music for the past five decades .All his fans and well wishes would wish him a speedy recovery .
Sunil Thenabadu
e mail sthenabadu@hotmaiol.com
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