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Kala Korner - by Dee Cee

3 decades for Victor’s Sa
It was a new experience for music fans to enjoy a performance by a solo singer. It happened 30 years ago. Since then solo performers have come and gone but pioneer Victor Ratnayake has gone on and on.

It is indeed a unique happening when on Saturday, August 9, Victor gets on to the stage at the BMICH for the 1300th show, marking the completion of 30 years of the ever-popular 'Sa'. We were comparatively young when he started 'Sa'. We enjoyed it then. And we still do though advanced in years. Obviously Victor does too.

Possibly one can count on one's fingertips the number of music lovers who wouldn't have seen it. It has been performed in the far corners of the country and each time has drawn a full house. Victor has gone to certain towns over and over again - such was the demand for this entertaining show. Victor has no gimmicks. No irrelevant 'side shows'. The result: the audience can enjoy Victor's singing to the maximum.

At Saturday's show Victor will be joined by his two sons - Jayantha and Lelum in the orchestra. Jayantha plays the keyboard and Lelum, percussion. They are now seasoned musicians. As for the others in the orchestra, some who played in the first few years have retired and their places have been taken over by others.

Why is 'Sa' so popular? Victor believes it's because our music fans begin to like a particular singer. "Take Sunil Shantha or C. T. Fernando or M S Fernando who are no more. But we still like their songs. There was a big following for them and they continue to listen to their songs".

In the absence of a clear tradition where we can spell out and say 'this is Sinhala music', Victor thinks this trend will continue. "People like different types of songs and they begin to identify these by getting closer to the singer. Thus the singer becomes popular. It is a matter of building up an identification of a personality rather than a particular type of music," Victor explains.

Yet so fresh
Having enjoyed 'Sa' a few times, I have never got tired of it. Victor sings the same songs, yet they are fresh when we hear him sing them. They never get stale. Though it's a single person's voice that we hear, there is variety in the songs he sings. The melodies are nice. The words are simple. The delivery is superb.

From Lumbini Theatre where the first performance was held on July 20 1973, 'Sa' did a full round and came back to Lumbini for the 100th show in April 1975. The run continued till 'Sa' reached Jaffna in July 1976 for the 200th show. The 500th show was at BMICH and the 750th in Sydney. The 1000th at the BMICH in September 1984 was attended by the highest in the land.

'Sa' scored a 'first' when it was made available as a 33 1/3 long playing album. Just as he pioneered the concept of a one-man concert, Victor was also the first solo singer to produce a LP album. The audio cassettes were followed more recently by a dual CD. As technology moved ahead, so did 'Sa'. Now 'Sa' can be enjoyed on a dual VCD - yet another 'first', of a Sinhala 'live' concert. Still crowds throng to see him perform. And they will on the 9th too. Good luck, Victor!

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