TV Times

Anura Wanniarachchi's entry to the music scene has turned out to be a service to many amateur musicians and all music lovers.

A collection of musical notations for hundred songs in one book titled ‘Gee Prasthara Shathakaya’ - (Musical notation for 100 songs) is the brainchild of Anura and valuable for those waiting to start playing their much loved songs.

This is the first time in Sri Lankan music history that such a collection of popular songs are to be found in one book. There is a demand for the book among amateur bands, those interested in learning the guitar, the organ and the violin in the oriental style. 'Gee Shathakaya' is the result of his weekly contribution to 'Ridma' which comes with the Sunday Lakbima newspaper. The book is published by 'Malpiyali Publishers'.

The book includes notations and chords of recent popular songs like Keerthi Pasquel's 'Kandula Ithin Samawenna', Rukantha Gunathilake's 'Es Deka Piyana', Kasun Kalhara's 'Kavulu Piyanpath Wahanna' and the evergreen hits of Sri Lankan music scene Priya Sooriyasena's 'Etha Ran Viman Thulin', Angeline Gunathilake's 'Amara Pem Lathawo' and H. R. Jothipala's 'Sonduru Lowata Mal Wehela', 'Taj Mahalak' 'Paya Ei Hinahenne' and Harun Lanthra's 'Sulang Kurullo'.

Anura studied at Kalawana National School and made his debut in 'Muthuhara' children programme on the Sri Lanka National Rupavahini channel in 1987. Later he also appeared in other musical programmes telecast on miniscreen 'Sarasavi Perahera', 'Methsihilal' and 'Nidahas Uyana' and performed at a show named 'Aradhana Gee Prasangaya' in 1988. Hailing from Kalawana, Anura is the youngest in the family of three brothers and two sisters.

Anura was exposed to music from his school days under the guidance of Sarath Bamunasinghe and later studied under the well-known singer and musician Sanath Nandasiri for ten years. He was a pupil of the Academy of Music in Lucknw, India where he studied for his diploma in music and sat for the Visharadha examination in 1995-1996.

Gaining proficiency in Hindustani classical music and the ability to compose music for songs, Anura passed as Grade B singer at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). The young musician also had performed as the keyboard player and a bass guitarist for a number of bands. Anura works as a layout designer in a national newspaper.

Among the milestones in Anura's career are the all island first place at the Youth Award Festival in 1991 for new song section and second place from Sabaragamuwa district at the Pepsi Sing Stars in 1995 and the felicitation he received as 'Sabaragamuwe Kalakaruwo' (Artistes from Sabaragamuwa) in 2005.

"The importance of this book is that I had painstakingly included the counter melodies clearly in a simple style," Anura said. "I also planning to release a second collection of musical notation soon,".

Having made and recorded four songs of his own, Anura is planning to release a collection of his songs. Priyananda Wijesundara, Dr. Praneeth Abayasundara and Bentota Chandrapala had penned them while Sanath Nandasiri, Mahinda Bandara and Anura himself had composed music.