Much awaited ‘Sa’ DVD out
Those who missed the final performance of Victor Ratnayake’s ‘Sa’ can now have the consolation of enjoying the DVD of the show. The DVD was launched at the recently concluded Book Fair.
The DVD offers more than the final show itself. It has glimpses from Victor’s musical journey spanning over three and a half decades. It also has footage from the news conference held just before the ‘Samaapthi – the final performance. That’s where Victor answered the most asked question since he announced the final show of ‘Sa’. “It’s the artiste who knows best when to stop. He realises that he cannot go on forever singing 20 to 25 songs at a stretch.
That’s the time to go,” he said.Victor had not one but three shows to wind up –at Nelum Pokuna, at the Maharagama Youth Centre and the last at the Lumbini Theatre Hall. The latter would have brought Victor pleasant memories for that’s where he launched ‘Sa’ on July 20, 1973. Having been at that show, I realised what a totally novel musical experience it was. For the first time the music fans could enjoy a recital featuring a single artiste. Just like Victor, we were all 39 years younger then.
At the final show at Lumbini, Victor reminisced about that night: “The fans were shouting. They were breaking the doors and windows. The glass was shattering. They were trying to force themselves in. And the hall was packed.” Two of the organisers went out and appealed to them. They assured the fans that a second show will be held. The doors were opened. Victor started with the ‘sthothra’ – eulogy. There was pin drop silence thereafter. The large crowd patiently listened from outside.
Incidentally ‘Sa’ had 1450 performances. Most of the members of the original orchestra had been with Victor throughout. His younger brother Somapala is one of them.
The DVD has segments from all three final performances – the best from each. And at each show Victor stopped in between singing whenever he thought of going into a little bit of history of a particular song. At the Maharagama show where Pandit Amaradeva was the chief guest, before starting the song ‘numbe namin ma dukvee…’ Victor went back to the 1970s when Amaradeva sent the song to him with a note asking him to sing it with Neela Wickremasinghe for a programme over the State radio. He was taken aback but couldn’t ignore the maestro’s request.
He reminded Amaradeva how he had composed the song based on a particular ‘raga’ and the latter was seen nodding his head in agreement. Then Victor proceeded to sing the song.
Victor also paid tribute to those who had departed among them, lyric writer Premakirthi de Alwis, a dear friend of his. Victor spoke with much feeling introducing his composition ‘Aadaraye ulpatha’ paying homage to the mother where Premakirthi had linked the lullaby ‘doi doi doi doiya putha’ into the melody. Victor demonstrated how the Buddhist stanza worshipping the mother fits in well with Premakirthi’s words.
The viewer is able to enjoy Victor sing 30 songs without a break just as much as those present at the final show did. And they will keep humming Sunil Ariyaratne’s much loved song ‘Api okkoma rajavaru’ – the final item, as many did after every show for nearly forty years.
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