With his baton and a bit of Ryker philosophy, he brings out the best
Acclaimed conductor Robert Ryker is in Colombo to conduct the Gustav Mahler Orchestra in a series of concerts, with the final gala concert on November 22 at the Lionel Wendt. The American-born conductor who initially aspired to be a civil engineer has achieved remarkable international success, conducting orchestras all over the world having spearheaded the [...]
Age-old traditions of the Katina cheevara poojava at Malwatte Viharaya
The three months of vassana (rains retreat) for monks in their temples ended with the Vap Full Moon Poya on October 28. From the day after this Poya, the Katina Cheevara Masaya (month of robes) began and will end with Il Poya on November 26. Each viharaya (temple) decides on the day they should conduct [...]
CFW’s second take for this year looks to South Asia
Colombo Fashion Week (CFW) returns for a second time this year with its Luxury Resortwear edition on November 29 and 30 at the Shangri-La Colombo. The second season of this edition focuses on Occasionwear and sophisticated Resortwear in tandem with a renewed focus on circularity in fashion. The handpicked designers from Sri Lanka will be [...]
Letters to the Editor
Property tax: Adopting taxation on unimproved values This is with reference to the recent announcement that it is proposed to implement a property tax. I would like to make the following comments and suggestions towards implementation of the property tax. Land taxation not only produces direct revenue but also when applied with the desired intensity [...]
Appreciation
Chutinandamma, you left behind many lessons to last us a lifetime Prof. Chandra Kumari Abeysekera Dear Chutinandamma, most of the world saw you as a pediatrician, lecturer, researcher, administrator, author and humanitarian. As a family, we saw and knew you in a different way. You were there when I was born. You yourself were pregnant [...]
Glimpses of Egypt’s rich and diverse past
The last publication of Dr Vernon L. B. Mendis, The Gift of the Nile, was launched earlier in November 2023 at the Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute (BIDTI) in the presence of his wife, Mrs Padma Mendis, family and friends. Deshamanya Dr Vernon Mendis topped the Ceylon Overseas Service when it was first constituted in [...]
A historian of the soul
On opening Beyond Checkpoints by Duleep de Chickera, and reading the first few pages, I was reminded of a similar opening in a book by Svetlana Alexievich who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for literature. Working on an oral history of Russian women who fought in WWII, she wrote in her book The Unwomanly Face [...]
SLDF returns with exhibitions, shows & forums
The highly-anticipated Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) makes its way back to Colombo with an exciting programme from December 1-3 at the Colombo Innovation Tower. Now in its 14th year, the SLDF is an initiative by the Academy of Design (AOD) that provides a platform to support and strengthen innovation, both local and global. This [...]
‘Who we are and why we do certain things’ : Feroze on Grow up Nana
“It’s going to get personal, very personal,” promises Feroze Kamardeen as he prepares for his latest outing on the Colombo stage next weekend. “Grow up Nana!” is a play that describes life from a viewpoint of the Sri Lankan Muslim. “A little bit of who we are and why we do certain things,” says Feroze. It [...]
CMF donates to UNICEF
UNICEF has received a contribution of Rs.500,000 from the Country Music Foundation (CMF), Sri Lanka to support its work for children in the country. The donation was delivered by CMF President, Feizal Samath during a recent visit to the UNICEF office in Colombo. During the visit, Mr Samath met with Christian Skoog, Representative for UNICEF [...]
Sri Lanka as a location of global naval communication line: RAASL lecture
“The Unsinkable Aircraft Carrier of Sri Lanka: The Future of Island’s Trilemma & Commercial Intercourse with China, India & USA’ will be the topic of this month’s Royal Asiatic Society of Sri Lanka (RAASL) lecture on November 21 at 5 p.m. The lecture will be delivered by Prof. Patrick Mendis, Professor of Transatlantic Relations, Warsaw [...]
Talk on evolution of Sri Lankan cinema
The cultural programme of the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between France and Sri Lanka continues with a sequence dedicated to Sri Lankan Cinema. The French Embassy to Sri Lanka and the Maldives presents ‘Cinema and society: beginnings and evolution of cinema in colonial and post-independent Sri Lanka’, a talk by [...]
De Lanerolle Brothers mark 15
Celebrating 15 euphonious years of song, the De Lanerolle Brothers marked their 15th anniversary as a brand unveiling a new logo on Wednesday at ‘The Blue’ at Hilton Colombo. The animated transformation of the familiar silver lettering against the black to a vibrant red background with gold lettering was showcased while the brothers Rohan and [...]
The British School all set for Christmas carnival
Book the date! The British School in Colombo’s Parent Teacher Association will hold its popular annual Christmas Carnival – Glitter & Glee on Saturday, December 9 from 2 p.m. – 8 p.m. Open to the public and widely attended in the past, the highlight of the evening would be the show featuring the very talented [...]