Damian makes a comeback with ‘Jeewithe Gala Yai’
Many songs of Buddee Keerthisena’s box office hit film ‘Mille Soya’ too became hit songs. Many did not know that the songs ‘Jeewithe Gala yai’, ‘Salli Pokuru’ and ‘Amore’, which were became all popular were sung by Damian Wickremathillake who is welknown in the English pop music circle.
Started music at St Joseph’s College, Colombo 9 Damian who stopped his Advanced level went to international at very young age. “I was not in the school band or not even in the choir. But we took singing lessons and that is where I started my music,” said Damian grateful to his alma matre.
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- Damian with Sunil
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- Damian with Sir Paul McCartney at Gstad in Switzerland. Damien met Sir Paul who was lunching in the resrt where Damian was rehearsing.
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- Damian with Peter Andre
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- Damian with Housain Jiffry
Half the way of his A/Level Damian had to stop educationa and gone to Switzerland. Lot of the star bands were taken to the Switzerland. There was a Swiss agents who came and took us to perform in Switzerland. At night clubs. Our standards were very very high. This agent went nuts when he saw were were performing in Colombo.
Anybody wanted to stay could stay. It was in 1982.
Rondevouz was the band went to Jeffry Fernando, Derrick Wickremanayake, Lal de Silva and Black West Indian UK Paul Odiase and myself and we went as Rondevoz.
More or less the this was the line up for ‘Purple Rain’. Later on the group became Purple Rain.
Jeffry and others were seniors and they
I used to play guitar then bit of keyboard but mostly I did singing because I loved singng. Singing is something I really liked and automatically came. There were musical connections were there. Band connection influence was mainly from my God Father Sunil Fernando and brother was the one who played the guitar and taught me first chord actually. Sunil Fernando was drummer of Supersonic in Kandy. That is where Stanely Peiris and Milton Peiris were involved in the band.
From 1982 to 1986 we were touring in Switzerland, Austria, Scandinavia and other European countries.
I actually wanted to become a pilot but things were changed and I ended up becoming a musician. I got into do piloting too. Studied got neglected after Ordinaly Level. Last year I completed my piloting course in Ratmalana. I did six solos. This year I was supposed to finish the license but then again Covid interfered. I wanted to start slowly.
We have a lot of talents in our country. We have proffessionals all over the world. Same way in the arts area there are musicians and international big stars in this field too. For example Houssain Jeffry is in Los Angelese and he is an international star. He plays with all the top bands. Like that you know we are very talented. Even Housain played in Switzerland. He first went to Switzerland with all of us. With all the bands he also ended ups there. From there he went to the States. So there are amaziong musicans like Aruna Siriwardena drummer who can teach anybody in the world. He can play with anybody in the world. Such an amazing drummer. We have all the talents. In Europe that was the different there. We were exoitic. We were different. We were brown with long hairs. With the voice and sounding like the original song. We could do the covers so well. They were amazed how we covered the music.
For the youngesters today it is much easier than it was for us. Now they have the internet and youtube and everything. They only have to record themselves and put it on the net. And the whole world can see them. And somebody can fick them up where as we did not have that opportunity. We had to be lucky that somebody come to the club and pick us. And the kids nowadays are really talented and it is incredible. They can learn anything from the youtube, they can learn any instrument, they can learn how to sing and they are doing a great job. There are some amazing talents coming up.
Damain thanked his band members Shivanka in base, the drummer is Dharshana Jayamanna, Riza a female singer who got a beautiful.
Not only in the Western Damian has made friends even in the local music. I have many friends in the Sri Lankan music and they are really talented.
“When I first saw Bathiya and Santhus in a talent show in which I was judging I said anyone who does international it would be them.”
Not only Jeewite Gala yai but other songs like ‘Salli Pokuru’ are to be released with new version in the coming days. Damian’s Jeewithe Gala Yai is now available on Youtube.