• Latin dance floor for Jayasiri
• Old order changeth yielding place to new
• Only memories are left of the movement
• C&C Duo back after a foreign stint 

Latin dance floor for Jayasiri

By Sanath Weerasuriya

After releasing their hitsong 'Mod Goviya' in Sri Lanka, recently, Jayasri has become more popular among local music lovers. 

Videos of 'Mod Goviya' audio cassette were done by popular film director and a close friend of 'Jayasri', Boodie. 'Mod Goviya' is now on air in Radio Sri Lanka. 

'Jayasri' sings two songs - 'Thaniwemu Api' and "Adara Lowa' in Boodie's latest film 'Mille Soya.' 

According to Rohitha J. of 'Jayasri' 'Mod Goviya' is a popular hit on air in several multi-cultural world music channels in Europe and in the United States. 

'We were engaged in Latin Dancefloor music since early '99. It was good experience to sing some songs in Spanish. We released a single called 'Colligiala' in Spanish with Indian ragga and English", he said in a special letter to the TV Times last week. 

Also they have out a new summer single 'Gimme Gimme Sunshine' with popular lady Nina as Bonita. Both the singles were presented for "International Music Masses' in Miami, Frankfurt, Rio and Music Charts in several European languages. 

The song La Colligiala' is on air play in Sri Lanka now relayed from a European radio. 

Rohan and Rohitha say it was a 'Wonderful Surprise' to have on a Lankan radio, which is not released in Sri Lanka. 

The album and videos from 'Banditos and Bonitos' are scheduled to be released this summer to the international market on Planet Entertainment and BMG Europe. The videos will be shot in the Spanish island Gram Canaria. 

"Our Second 'Jayasri' album is getting into shape. We are busy writing songs and spending our time in studios. We hope to release this by December this year" Rohitha said. 'Our last album was an experiment and the new one would be based on that result but on a broad perspective to the world audience,' he added. 

They hope to have 'Jayasri' concert in early next year in Colombo. 

Their reggae band 'Rootsman' started this summer with a vibration by performing at 'Weinsteig Reggae Festival' a couple of weeks ago. The concerts to continue around Austria during this summer. 

'Jayasri' can be contacted on web with Jayasrimusic@hotmail .com or www.future-art. net/Jayasri.

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Old order changeth yielding place to new

By Susitha R. Fernando

Internationally acclaimed Dr.Peries is very particular about his selection of location as he did with "Mahakappina Walawwa" for "Gamperaliya" and "Rajapaksa Walawwa" for "Nidhanaya". He is trying to get the most appropriate scenario for his new venture. 

"This film is somewhat similar to my earlier film 'Gamperaliya' said the veteran film maker.

The story is about the collapse of a once rich family with a widow 'Sujatha Rajasuriya' played by Malani Fonseka and its members with the younger brother role played by Sanath Gunatilake who could not adapt themselves to the rapid changes that took place in the political, economic and social sphere during the 1970s.

"The 1970s period in Sri Lanka saw rapid changes taking place in its history where a new social order took over from traditional class. 

They climbed the social ladder with the money acquired from various business enterprises", he said speaking on his latest film that is coming up after his last venture "Awaragira" ten years ago.

Playing a leading role of a widow in the land owning family Malani Fonseka portrays the struggles to keep her Walawwa and property, despite the financial burdens imposed on the family.

Social patterns undergo great change during this period

The new class is given life in the picture by Ravindra Randeniya who once was a servant for the 'Walawwa'.

"Not only in 70s but if you look at the rich people in the country today we see that the traditional rich has hardly any role to play with the changing economic system" said the most experienced filmmaker in the country on the validity of the theme.

"Wewakanda Walawwa" is the first script written by creative script writer Somaweera Senanayake for a film of Dr. Peries. 

Mr. Senanayake earlier wrote the script for the famous teledrama, "Giraya" from the novel of Punyakante Wijenaike.

Cherry Orchard" inspired Dr. Peries to give the idea to the script writer Anton Chekov.

Finishing the initial stages of the film, shooting is scheduled for middle of next month.

Playing the principal characters are Malani Fonseka, Ravindra Randeniya, Sanath Gunatilake, Wasanthi Chathurani, "Wewakanda Walawwa" also introduces a number of newcomers to the screen.

Only memories are left of the movement

The teledrama is directed and produced by Dayaratne Ratagedara.

A teacher's union leader Jayasekara is a humanitarian. He is sent to a rural area as a political transfer where he later tries to bring the socialistic ideas to the people there.

But the response from people was not to up to his expectations. in fact he faces many problems from the principal and the parents in the school. 

Jayasekara who is not discouraged looks for different ways to approach people with more practical activities. His selection was so hard that at one point he happened to learn even how to embalm corpses.

The people in the area requests him to contest the election which he does successfully. The opposition seeks other avenues to buy him over. Money is one factor

His sister comes with the news that his younger brother has been arrested for alleged murder and the need to retain a lawyer to release him. At this stage the sincere politician Jayasekara who has not made anything from his political career happens to give the money to his sister to be spent on the case. 

At this moment there is vote of no confidence motion in the Pradeshiya Shaba and on the way for the meeting Jayasekara is abducted by a group of thugs.

They force him to vote in favour of one party and to sign a document saying that he took the money from the businessmen to which he refuses. At this moment Jayasekara's sister comes again with another bad news that relatives of the person who was allegedly killed by his brother had burnt their house and taken away the money. But when she comes to meet her brother she hears another tragic news that Jayasekara had run away with the money given to him in order to avoid voting against the opposition. This is the first time that the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation's teledrama unit has produced such a teledrama carrying this kind of theme.

C&C Duo back after a foreign stint 

C&C Duo have a wide repertoire of lyrics which includes Sinhala, English and Hindi songs. Also they are able to adapt themselves to classical, jazz, pop, chart hits, calypso, oldies and even baila to suit the requests of the demanding audience. Also they have their own innovations. 

This Duo appear weekly at the AirPort Garden Hotel, Royal Oceanic managed by Jet Wing Group and Inter-Continental. Variety in lyrics and style is the requirement at these different spots, which has been ably and efficiently tackled by this Duo. For instance at AirPort Garden the regulars are mostly local whereas at Royal Oceanic the crowd is foreign and at InterContinental the audience is mixed. 

Chandani and Chaminda are grateful towards the management of all these popular resorts for the special attention paid to them and in particular they regard the services rendered by Ranjan Stanislaus, the General Manager of AirPort garden, with gratitude. This Duo have performed for the last five years at AirPort Garden and the Royal Oceanic Hotels weekly without a break. 

Chandani has been on centre stage for nearly fifteen years and is a versatile songstress having a distinctive and inherent voice and style of her own. She recalls with gratitude her initiation to the limelight by Debbie and the SEAC Band. 

Chaminda on the other hand is an instrumentalist playing the key boards. He started his career as a musician at Galle, from there he joined Super Pink and Purple, then joined the popular Ayesha and the Dreamteam. 

The C&C Duo are planning to do a concert in October this year, which will be their first since they joined as a 'team'. 

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