Kumar
says bye to FanClub
By Sanath Weerasuriya
Popular television presenter Kumar de Silva bids farewell to
'Fan- Club' this Tuesday May 28 after a record thirteen years
as its award-winning host.
In fact, rather shocked by the news, I asked him why. 'I feel
the time has come to move on. Let a much younger person take
over. I'll be happy to teach him or her the ropes", was
his brief and modest reply.
"I've
had an absolutely ball of a time on 'Fanclub' during these
past thirteen years. I've had a great interaction with my
viewers all over Sri Lanka. It was wonderful.
But now I feel the time has come to call it quits. Mind you
'Fanclub' is still ITN's (and thus Sri Lanka television's)
longest running English music programme. Others like 'Variety
Fare', 'Musical Showcase', 'Bright & Breezy', 'Musical
Miscellany' closed down long ago. So I count myself honoured
to have hosted such a programme for so long a period,"
he told TV Times.
Kumar
joined 'Fanclub' as its host way back in 1989 when top singer
Ayesha Gunesekere of Dream Team fame left the programme. ITN
requested him to present the programme "until a suitable
replacement was found". "That replacement was never
found for thirteen years," Kumar said laughingly.
Taking over the programme, Kumar infused dynamism and a great
deal of variety into it, with his inimitable style. He was
the winner of Golden Clef Award for Music Presenter of the
Year 1994 and enjoyed top slot in the TV Presenter category
for several years.
Recalling
unforgettable moments during his13 year stint with Fanclub,
he said when he was once preparing to record 'Fanclub' in
a little village in France's Britanny region, there was a
curious 'Sri Lankan looking' couple watching.
I wasn't sure from which country they were. Since I spoke
French with my friend Jean Michels who did the filming, they
had thought that I was from Pondicherry in India. The moment
I began presenting and mentioned the ITN address (Wickremasinghepura,
Battaramulla) they rushed up to me, stopped the filming and
got in an emotional chat in Sinhala about Sri Lanka, since
they hadn't been home for nearly a decade."
Any lessons
he has learnt from this thirteen year experience on Fanclub?
"Not to be stuck up and think you're God's gift to mankind.
And also, to keep your feet firmly rooted in Sri Lanka and
speak clear, coherent English without put-on phoney accents.
Sadly I see a lot of it still happening around."
I asked
him what he planned to do from now on. "Well, I want
to get into current affairs and social issues which I find
very challenging," he said. "I'll still be on 'Bonsoir'
and 'Dhamma in Daily Life' (every Poya night on ITN).
But I
want to put in a lot more of my time into 'Adahas', the public
relations and media communication agency which my wife and
I run". In conclusion he said, "Life goes on. Life
has to go on. The whole idea about enjoying life and living
life to the fullest, is realising that it is in a constantly
state of change and that nothing is ever permanent.
Chandimal
dances in Dubai
Chandimal
with his band 2nd Connection will be flying to Dubai on June
1 for two weeks tour. This is their first trip to Dubai and
they will be playing at Sofitel City Centre Hotel in Dubai.
The entire
tour is being organized and fully sponsored by Sofitel City
Centre Hotel and special thanks go to Mr. Priyantha Rathnasinghe
for organizing the tour for the band.
As usual,
Chandimal is going with his Latin America Dancing couples
and that will be an added attraction for their performances.
The tour is in connection with a Sri Lankan food promotion
and Executive Chef Publis and a team of chefs from Mt. Lavinia
Hotel and Channa Upuli Dancers too will accompany the band.
Beginning
month of May the band was playing at Sofitel Doha Hotel for
SriLankan Airlines Awards Nite and promotions and that was
their fifth trip to Doha.
'Chandana/Elsworth and Dev being the members of the band working
very hard to improve their repertoire as there will be large
crowds with different types of tastes in music due to attend
too the Dubai Food Promotion,' said Chandimal.
Best
of European technology magic for Lankan musicians
By Nilika de Silva
Behringer the company to first gain ISO 9001 status for audio
products around the world, has entered the Sri Lankan market
through its chosen dealer Penguin Electronics.
The presence
of Behringer products in the local market will provide the
slumbering audio industry with direct access to sound equipment
with proper after sales service and responsible warranties.
The main problem faced by the sound industry, comprising broadcasting
stations, musicians, sound engineers, DJ's and Karaoke bars
in Sri Lanka is obtaining the after sales service required
and claiming the rights enshrined in a warranty.
"When
faced with technical problems which crop up after purchase
we had to take the equipment back to Singapore for repairs,
because local agents refused to repair goods purchased outside,"
said Penguin's Director Marketing Mahen Kasturisinghe, adding
that television stations and radio stations all face this
same problem.
Since
until now mass import of products did not take place, equipment
was ordered through catalogues, restricting buyers from fully
knowing the feel of a product prior to purchase.
However,
Penguin has introduced a scheme where people could look at
the products and buy, Kasturisinghe said, stressing that the
price of Behringer products is compatible to the Sri Lankan
market.
The product
launch took place last week at a ceremony in Colombo with
the participation of the Sales Manager - South Asia, Behringer
Holdings (Pte) Ltd, S. Sajeev.
"We
are entering into Sri Lanka in a big way," Sajeev said
adding , "There is a good market we know". Behringer
has decentralised worldwide operations to Singapore, and now
the products are shipped from Singapore to the rest of the
world.
"We
are going into every territory possible - New Guinea, Tahiti
every place possible. We have looked at each market individually
and adjusted according to that market. Vietnam and Myanmar
will be the next," Sajeev said.
Penguin
Industries which has the latest recording studio system has
been engaged in cassette production and duplication. Providing
an atmosphere conducive to creativity Penguin offers a different
concept where the musicians can relax when they come out of
the studio, believing that creative contributions reduce due
to the lack of atmosphere in local studios.
We depend
on the creations of musicians, therefore to protect the musician
we have to endeavour in such an exercise, Kasturisinghe explained.
Sticking to the motto "double the features at half the
price" Penguin will market a wide range of Behringer
products from audio equipment to musical instruments and even
supplementary parts such as guitar strings etc. "We are
targeting providing all the products required in this field,"
he said.
In the
sound industry an essential ingredient is that one understands
the value of a creation. Most of us come in as musicians so
we relate to each other very well and we understand the problems
encountered by musicians and immediate solutions will be provided,
he said.
Penguin
Electronics would honour the warranty in repairing equipment
and when this cannot be done in Sri Lanka a replacement will
be provided A vast market awaits these products. One can buy
professional products and use it at home, in school auditoriums,
classrooms. Every classroom may soon have need of a sound
system as in foreign countries and churches and religious
organisations are slowly beginning to invest in these products.
As Sri
Lanka moves along the road to peace, many hope for a better
tomorrow. In the sound industry too this feeling reigns. "Along
with the peace process we believe that live music will be
able to rise up," Kasturisinghe said on an optimistic
note, bearing a vision of an era when artistes can do better
than simply survive.
'Abhisarikavi'
has creative music
Centre for Society and Religion will launch a cassette named
'Abhisarikavi' on May 31 at Elphinstone Theatre. The Centre
for Society and Religion, which as been for the last 40 years
consistently focusing its attention on the need to establish
a peaceful society based on justice, has once again taken
another step in the same direction. It has done so through
Abhisarikavi, a socially analytical musical presentation consisting
of a set of creatively crafted songs that has an urgent message
that would bring back a sense of poise and also a heightened
level of social awareness.
This cassette
will be formally presented to the public on 31 May (Friday)
at 6 p.m. This cassette will be available for sale at the
sales counter of the Elphinstone Theatre on that day for a
specially reduced concessionary price. On that occasion another
cassette called Rathu Malak (Red Flower), consisting of songs
rendered by Sanath Nandasiri, Gunadasa Kapuge and Sarath Ovitigala
will also be on sale at a concessionary price. Both these
cassettes could be obtained together for Rs. 150/-.
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