Sunday Times 2
A free bird takes on the Fab Four
During the day Dr. Manella Joseph finds herself surrounded by blood slides and chemicals, her office deep in the pathological laboratory of the Sri Jayewardenepura Hospital constantly teeming with people. But her evenings take her back to a time of flower power and Beatle mania as she prepares for her forthcoming concert ‘Dr. Manella Joseph in Concert 2′ featuring the music of the Beatles.
At 63, Dr. Manella has few thoughts about slowing down. “I’m in the retiring age,” she informs us, her eyes twinkling. But calling it a day doesn’t seem to be part of her plan. A Consultant Senior Pathologist, Dr. Manella discovered a passion for music at a very young age. A member of the ‘Winslow 6′ along with her siblings, she remembers a home full of musical noise, of evenings where after prayers they as children would pick up instruments and perform. Having been so in tune with music from such a young age she mastered playing the piano accordion and along with her siblings, they made a mark for themselves at a very young age. They would sing in both Sinhala and English, performing originals written with the assistance of the late Clarence Wijewardena. Having started writing songs since the age of 16, Dr. Manella’s dream of releasing her own records came true and she even launched a CD in 2010 appropriately titled “60 Years Young”.
Fondly she recalls the interested adults who would enjoy performances done by mere children and recalls performing on a music programme on Rupavahini. “I remember Noeline Honter introducing us on the show Musically Yours as having a style of our own. That comment moulded the young Manella who knew, from that moment exactly what kind of performer she wanted to be. “I don’t want to do what everybody does,” she says emphatically, preferring to stick to her own style of singing, largely influenced by country and western. Her childhood echoes her father’s Tony Brent tapes that would resonate through the household.
Her concert will be a celebration of the music of the Fab Four but strangely Dr. Manella didn’t think of herself as an ardent admirer of the Beatles. “I really wasn’t a Beatles fan,” she says. Growing up she loved the smooth vocals of Jim Reeves, finding many similarities between him and crooners of today such as Michael Buble. Her husband, she tells us, is a lover of folk and rock music of the 60s and the 70s, his favourites including Simon and Garfunkel and of course, the Beatles – possibly the reason she discovered a new found appreciation for the boys from Liverpool! She describes their songs as being “evergreens” attributing their popularity to simple melodies, a quality she finds quite rare in most music of today, except for maybe Pharrell William’s iconic hit “Happy” which she and her husband both love. “I’ve kept the lyrics but have changed the styles” she discloses, including jazz, blues and even reggae to her interpretations of the songs included in the line-up.
The proceeds of the show are in aid of the Kidney Protection Fund of the Anuradhapura General Hospital.
Accompanying her are acclaimed musicians Thilak Dias, Suresh De Silva and Lal Weliwita . Guest performers include a trio of doctors- Gananath Dassanayake, Suran Kuruppu and Heshan Attapattu, Chanuka, along with her friend and colleague Eesha Premathileke and performances by her daughters Dillain and Dillai. A close knit affair of family and hits, the show is also a chance for Manella to do what she loves. With her children grown up she laughs- “I’m a free bird at last, and age certainly doesn’t daunt me.”
Dr. Manella Joseph in Concert 2 – Celebrating the Beatles will be held on November 2 at the British School Auditorium at 7 p.m.. All proceeds from the show go to the Kidney Protection Fund at the Anuradhapura General Hospital. Tickets priced at Rs. 1500, 1000 and 500. For ticket inquiries please contact Eesha- 0777571438 or Dr. Manella- 0777188028