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Kala Korner - by Dee Cee

Where has the patriotic song gone?
Researcher Professor Sunil Ariyaratne recently did an in-depth study on what was once a popular and integral part of Sinhala music - the patriotic song. A proud tradition, it is virtually lost today, with lyric writers fighting shy to compose these songs, he laments.

He gives two reasons for this -- the disinterest of cassette producers who feel there is no commercial value in them and the confusion of present day composers of such songs on concepts like nationality, nationalism and ethnicity, who fight shy to create what was traditionally accepted as compositions that promoted patriotism.

In the meantime, he sees a trend developing. Songs are being composed to promote national unity. The theme of these is the need for unity among all races to build the country. The different meanings given to the word 'Sinhala' from the mid-eighties are also another reason for the virtual disappearance of the patriotic song.

Sunil traces the history of patriotic songs to the days when the Sinhalese armies fought against foreign powers. He refers to numerous musical instruments -- mentioned in the Thupavamsa -- that were used by King Dutugemunu's army as it marched to quell the enemy. The Dambadeni Asna gives a list of musical instruments played when King Parakramabahu II went to war.

The Ingrisi Hatana quotes verses that were sung in patriotic mood after Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe's army crushed the British forces at Wagolla. The Gannoruwa battle, between Rajasinghe's troops and the Portuguese was portrayed in a poem called Pavana.

The poem written by the Nayaka Thera of the Degaldoruwa temple while the 1818 rebellion was on, is a much quoted one and laments that the Sinhalese did not have a king though the ants had one:
Ane kumbinne
Thopatath rajek inne
Apata netha inne
In nisavada apa tevenne
The feelings of Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe when he was being taken away were echoed by a folk poet in yet another popular verse that ends thus: Ithin ayubowan lak mavunu garu.

The Indian struggle for independence was a driving force for our creative poets too. That was the beginning of the era where literary personalities like James de Alwis (1823-1878), Ven. Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala Thera (1827-1911), Ven. Ratmalane Sri Dharmarama Thera and Sir D. B. Jayatlaka wrote with patriotic fervour. Poet S. Mahinda Thera, inspired by Anagarika Dharmapala, also wrote hundreds of poems.

Dramatist John de Silva used the nurti to evoke nationalist feelings. The historical dramas he wrote and produced had plenty of such songs.
Sunil moves over to the gramophone era when songs sung by Luxmi Bhai (Pita deepa desha jayagaththa) and Ceciliyana Dias (Maheshakya sinhalunge janma bhumivu me sri lanka deepe) are being sung to this day. Ananda Samarakoon, composer of our National Anthem, also contributed much towards the patriotic mood of the people. He composed Jana sema mana adhipathiyena tuti ve based on the Indian National Anthem. He adapted Tagore's compositions to suit our nationalist feelings.

Film and radio
The Sinhala film was a source of inspiration to project nationalistic feelings. Once again Ananda Samarakoon played a dominant role including such songs in two of the early films, Sujatha and Seda Sulang.

Among others who contributed to film songs were Karunaratne Abeysekera, Sri Chandraratne Manavasinghe (through lullabies in Daivayogaya and Sepata Soya), Fr. Marcelline Jayakody (viridu in Rekawa), Parakrama Kodituwakku (Puran Appu) and Arisen Ahubudu. Sunil regards Me Sinhala apage ratai (Saravita) and Ahubudu's Ko haturo in Sandesaya as the most effective patriotic film songs.

Dwelling on the role played by state radio, Sunil says that Manavasinghe and Wimal Abeysundera propagated patriotic songs through gita nataka. Ahubudu is possibly the one who wrote the most number of patriotic songs, which were broadcast over the then Radio Ceylon. Sunil Shantha's Lanka lanka pembara lanka and Dakuna negenehira batahira uthurada- eka kodiye sevane have remained popular for over five decades. Ahubudu's compositions were sung on radio by Pandit Amaradeva, Nanda Malini, Ivor Dennis and Victor Ratnayake. Another composer was Dalton Alwis whose creations were broadcast mainly over the popular programme Vijaya Geeta. Mahagama Sekara too had a few compositions.

Sunil sees the later lyric writers as not being too enthusiastic about patriotic songs and with audio cassettes taking over the market from radio, a gradual decline has been noticed. Sunil presented his findings at a gathering of musicians at President's House (with the President herself present) at a ceremony organized by Lakhanda to felicitate musicians who had sung patriotic songs.

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