Kandyan and Odissi in step together in New York
They will step in tune not only to the rhythmic Kandyan beats, but also to haunting Odissi music. They will introduce into the cultural melting pot of the ‘Big Apple’, our own beats of bera and the fluidity of Kandyan dance – the legacy of Vajira’s imperious grace and Chitrasena’s majestic style. Performing at this [...]
Art as balm
Pablo Picasso once said ‘the purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls,’ a sentiment that resonates with artist Nisansala Karunaratne Rajapaksa, whose aim is to bring a little peace into people’s lives with her work. Showing a talent for art from early childhood, Nisansala went on to pursue a [...]
12 compositions by Tanya featured in ‘Perfect Moods’ released by music giant ‘Naxos’
This September sees the worldwide release by global music giant ‘Naxos’ of a six-CD box set of solo piano music under its Grand Piano label, titled ‘Perfect Moods’ – contemplative contemporary piano miniatures. CD5 of this set comprises world premiere recordings of 12 critically acclaimed works for solo piano composed and performed by Sri Lankan-British [...]
Shehan shortlisted for Booker Prize
Sri Lankan novelist Shehan Karunatilaka’s novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida has been shortlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize. He is the second Sri Lankan to be shortlisted for the prize in two years. Six books were chosen from a longlist of 13: Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo, Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, [...]
All in a spin, but in a good way
“If you were to ask me 10 years ago if I would ever try spin again, I would have said ‘no’,” says fitness instructor Alberto Ruiz. And if you are wondering what spinning is, it’s a type of exercise performed on a special stationary exercise bike with a weighted flywheel while an instructor rides alongside. [...]
Wildlife conservation: A view from DWC
Wildlife conservation in Sri Lanka: Are we headed in the right direction? This month’s Nations Trust Wildlife and Nature Protection Society (WNPS) lecture will be presented by Ranjan Marasinghe, Director – Operations, Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) on September 15 at the Jasmine Hall, BMICH at 6 p.m. With the human-wildlife conflict, rampant deforestation, illegal [...]
Iceland: Where nature’s beauty abounds and place she calls home
It is ‘the land of fire and ice’, where some of the world’s most active volcanoes seethe above lava fields and some of Europe’s largest glaciers tower and gleam. Iceland is a picturesque home to an abundance of mystical sights and endless vistas of natural beauty with steaming geysers that erupt dramatically, where the peaks [...]
Letters to the Editor
History certainly repeats itself In the book “A Historical Relation of Ceylon” by Robert Knox published in the early 1700s there is an incident mentioned where some of the Englishmen had been assaulted by the locals and when they complained to the Korala Arachchi the latter had failed to take action due to a bribe [...]
APPRECIATIONS
The music will never die as you join the heavenly choir Jungle Sugumaran Thambyayah “Kumaran” as he was affectionately called was a sincere, dependable, lovable ‘lifelong friend’ and a devoted Christian throughout his life. He was the eldest son of Daniel Selvaratnam and Blossom Thambyayah, and dearly loved brother of Arunkumar, Vinothkumar, Jeyakumar and Kumuthini, [...]