Lankan Folk songs on show at Alliance, Kandy

The Alliance française de Kandy presents ‘Folk Songs of Sri Lanka’ an evening of traditional music with Weerasena Gunathilaka on Friday, February 8 at 6.30 pm at Verandah of the Alliance Française de Kandy, 642 Peradeniya Road, Kandy.

Weerasena Gunathilaka in action

The untiring and unprecedented efforts with a clear vision and a very keen insight into his undertaking, Cecil J. Sharp of England opened the doors to the realm of folk music when in 1907 he published his book on English folk music. Since then scholars, musicologist and many others who were interested in folk music have contributed to preserve this much treasured heritage of the human race.

Many universities are doing research, broadcasting stations, record broadcast and propagates. In 1954 the international folk music council met in Sao Paulo.

It was a land mark in the history of folk music. Scholars from all over the world congregated to discus and define as to what folk music is.

They conferred and deliberated for a number of days and came to the following conclusions.

Folk music is music that has been submitted to the process of oral transmission; it is the product of evolution and is dependent on the circumstances of continuity, variation and selection.

The factors that shape the tradition are continuity which links the present with the past.