Manik Chandrika :Versatile singer with a tonal decorated voice
View(s):
Manik Chandrika’s voice bears a signature of a unique Sri Lankan female voice, possessing the attributes of a versatile South Asian singer, singing with varied music themes derived from diverse traits of music with distinct musical credentials.
It is over half a century for her trailblazing career, she preserves her signature Sri Lankan female voice, particularly when she sings songs with western melodies. She is regarded as a vocalist who sings only ‘six-eight tempo’ songs. She wanted to be faithful to the expectation of the song and to exploit to the peak the sentimental and emotive properties of the melody, thereby, generating passion and sound perceptions in the minds of listeners.
Her real name is Chandrika Damayanthi Senadhira. As her ‘pet’ name was Manik, as at home she was called Chandi is how Manik Chandrika name had evolved. She is the only female sibling among children.
Born in Colombo but as a mother, the youngest child among twelve siblings had opted to live in Negombo, where a sister of hers close to her had lived. It is learnt that she was a very shy girl but she had participated in school stage dramas at the age of six.
Her mother had been a keen follower of music who could also sing. Hence there had been a musical environment at home. Manik too had inherited talent to sing. Her musical career had begun when she was barely eight years old. She had come out of her shell to be more forward, by singing children’s songs in school when her talent was spotted. Her singing prowess was even highlighted in the ‘Mal Piyali’ children’s magazines. She had passed the audition at the SLBC in the children’s sector as an ‘A grade child singer’, but had never pursued a career at the SLBC.
She had been initially taken to a musical show in Negombo at Maris Stellar College, where Nihal Nelson, Tony Hassan and Baby Shiromi were billed to perform. It was the very first place, where she had been inspired after watching Baby Shiromi singing on stage. Later she had sung Baby Shiromi’s songs at school functions and other small functions in the locality. A sweep draw had been held in Negombo in the year 1973 which was followed by a musical show with the SEAC Entertainments band in attendance. The show was organized by one of her uncles. With the greatest difficulty after a small rehearsal, on the uncle’s insistence, Manik was afforded a prospect to sing the song ‘Konde Namagena”.Her talent had impressed the SEAC experts who had even announced her name as ‘Baby Chandrika’. As they did not have a female vocalist in the band even at the tender age as a teenager she was deployed by the band of course with resistance from her mother. Manik had balanced her studies with her singing career, participating in many stage and musical shows. Her tenure with the SEAC band had persisted for eight years. Thereafter the practice had prolonged all through her life to date as a stage solo exponent. She had sung in four languages duetting with AE Manoharan and Tony Hassan, but after meeting her husband bass guitarist Vajira Fenando, she was counseled to sing mostly Sinhalese songs.
She has been regrettably tagged as a ‘Baila’ singer as she sings to ‘six eight’ fast beats, which the audiences demand. But she is competent in signing slow songs mostly to the music composed by Clarence Wijewardena. She is also a lyricist who had composed lyrics for many of her songs and others.
After singing children’s songs at just fourteen years, she recorded two songs for the ‘Silverline’ label, v.i.z., ‘Keewe Ne Dutu Da Oya’, ‘Obe Adare Soya’ to the lyrics of Chitrananda Abeysekera and to the music of Sarath Dassanayake. Her elder brother Bandula Senadhira a talented lyricist had’ composed several songs to Manik knowing her innate qualities like ‘Mage Loketa Hirui Obai Amme’ and ‘Punchi Kale Man’ relating to her immense love to her mother and her boisterous conduct at home. The music for them was by veteran Rohana Weerasinghe. It is known that Manik visits her mother living in the vicinity daily, taking her meals also indulged in the habit to inform her wherever she goes. Another hit song is ‘Oben Thora Lokayak’ a duet with Rookantha Gunatilleke, the lyrics were also by Bandula Senadhira.
In the decade of 1980, it was a thriving period for Manik having sung for six cassettes mostly for the lyrics and music of Clarence Wijewardena. One song that was a hit was ‘Hada Golu Wela’. Before her marriage, Clarence had made appropriate lyrics ‘Mage kathawe Raja Kumara’ who had hinted at her growing love. The other songs which are heard over our airwaves and on stage are ‘Sepalika’, lyrics by Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe to the music of Stanley Pieris, ‘Sanda Horen Horen’, lyrics by Chandradasa Fernando and the music by Upali Kannangara’, ‘Oba Dutu Da Sitan’ lyrics by Manik Chandrika herself for the music composed by Rohana Weerasinghe, ‘Dinayak Udawee Sinasee’, ‘Mahe Kathawe’ lyrics and music by Clarence Wijewardena, ‘Punchi Kale Man’ lyrics by Bandula Senadhira, music by Ernest Zoysa,’ Tharu Mal’ lyrics by Chandradasa Fernando and the music by Mahinda Bandara.
Sunil Thenabadu in Brisbane