Adorning the Ves dancer from head to toe
Not only a Ves dancer but also one of the few creators of the handcrafted ornaments, the repository of which is a ‘Ves Pettiya’, Ratnayake Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara has just accepted the invitation to be part of the Guru Gedera Festival. As he goes back home to Piliyandala, we follow suit to learn about his [...]
Letters to the Editor
Our taxes are wasted on local govt. officials who do little to provide a service I fully endorse the letter by Dr. S.W. Gunasekera published in the “Sunday Times” of July 1 under the headline- “Municipal Councillors, get your act together and stop blaming citizens”. The Health Ministry every time ‘Dengue” raises its head, boasts [...]
Appreciations
To the greatest Amma who gave us nothing but the best Dr.Tilokasundari Kariyawasam It is one year since Amma left us, leaving a deep void in our hearts. During this year there is not a single day that went by when we have not thought of her. She was such an extraordinary person, her loss [...]
Drawn to a hidden world of spirits
Young L.S.D. Pieris used to be dispatched to a Buddhist temple in Moratuwa to learn his Sinhala, a subject eschewed by the prestigious Anglican school syllabuses of the time. It was in the precincts of the temple that the ten-year-old’s imagination was hooked by his first glimpse of yantra drawings sketched on palm leaf. This [...]
Michael Ondaatje’s identity between history and fiction
Michael Ondaatje, born in 1943, is both outsider and insider in relationships with Sri Lanka, the country of his birth and very early childhood. He began his adult discovery of this country in the late 70s of the last century, and that part he was to share with the world is in Running In The [...]
Classical concert to help Sunshine Charity
Internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan-born musician, Ashan Pillai (viola), Juan Carlos Conelles (piano) and Joana Thome (mezzo soprano) will perform works by Bach, Brahms and Glinka at the Lionel Wendt Theatre on Thursday, August 2. The evening’s proceeds will support the work of The Sunshine Charity which provides for 52 vulnerable children in Trincomalee. Fundraisers for [...]
Sri Dharanee Performing Arts to launch cultural events in August
Sri Lanka’s first ever dedicated performing arts theatre for cultural entertainment for tourists is gearing up for a musical and dance celebration of Sri Lanka’s rich cultural heritage from August 1. The Sri Dharanee Performing Arts Theatre inaugurated earlier this year, aims to provide a platform for local artistes to portray Sri Lanka’s rich culture, [...]
Docs put down their stethoscopes for an evening of music and drama
The Sri Lanka Medical Association (SLMA) will present the ‘SLMA Doctors’ Concert’ held during its annual International Scientific Congress at the Main Ballroom of the Galadari Hotel on July 28 from 7 p.m. About 30 performers will present vocal and instrumental musical presentations and skits. In addition there will be a few guest performances by [...]
Senior Old Anandians meet today
The Senior Old Anandians will have their get-together today (July 15) at the Lions Activity Centre at Jayanthipura, Battaramulla from 9.30 a.m. All Anandians over 60 years are warmly invited. Tickets priced at Rs.1300 with lunch and beverages could be got by contacting: Ranjan Jayawardena – 0777781634; Athula Walisinghe – 0714041217; Newton Punchihewa 0773636117; Upatissa [...]
Wesley OBU calls for nominations for Double Blue Living Legends award
The Wesley College Old Boys’ Union Colombo’s Double Blue Living Legends award aims to recognise and honour distinguished old boys who have excelled in their respective professions to national / international acclaim, bringing honour to their ‘Alma Mater’, and making an outstanding contribution to their respective profession and/or society. The award is based on merit [...]
Who was the new face at Freddy’s One Night Stand?
When Adin Mathitharan’s first joke met with surprised silence, the 27-year-old’s heart sank for a moment. The newest addition to “Freddy”, Adin’s debut in ‘One Night Stand’ was nerve-wracking. He was performing for a crowd of 2600 at the Temple Trees auditorium with a set based on familiar turf for him but less familiar possibly [...]
On drawing the line
Sujith Rathnayake was busy creating a new body of works for his exhibition entitled ‘One Continuous Line’ when I met him in his rustic studio, amidst rubber estates and farmsteads in the heart of Athurugiriya. He brought out work after work of figurative line drawings, reductivist pieces deliberately devoid of elaboration, and displayed them on [...]
Lanka-Vietnam sounds of harmony in Hanoi
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Vietnam led by Ambassador Hasanthi Dissanayake hosted a “Sri Lankan Vietnam Friendship Concert” on June 23 at the Music Academy Hall in Hanoi, Vietnam to celebrate Sri Lanka’s 70 years of Independence and fruitful years of diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Internationally renowned pianist Rohan De Silva and Opera singer Tharanga [...]