Around us rose the bastions of encircling hills clothed in forest which concealed a vast wealth of animal life: beyond these was a second range; and behind them a third; and so range beyond range, until finally fuliginous contours billowed against a crimson sky seeming to belong more to cloud-land than to earth. The sunset flared like a beacon scattering smoky flocculi. the dark crept to the whispering of cool night winds, the gemmed sky canopied the sleep of those solitudes, and the cold and comfortless moon looked down. Into our hearts crept a quiet, old as earth.
Welcome to the Underground. The scene is the Vihara Maha Devi Park amphitheatre, a plain concrete stage framed by trees. Except for the gigantic looming figure of a half-man/half-beast ghoul overshadowing the stage, this seems like a perfect place for a performance of "A Midsummer Nights Dream".
This is a reality if the proposed plans for the regeneration of the park go through, but that is a subject for a future column. The occasion is Settle with Metal III, Monsters of Rock in concert and the bands today span all generations and genres. Headlining is veteran rock band Venom, who together with Cancer are long standing veterans of Colombo's rock music scene , stretching back decades.
In the middle is Exodus , who focus on rock from the seventies and eighties. On the cutting edge are Ground Zero and a new outfit called Wreck who are making their live music debut tonight. None of these bands play in lobbies or weddings or on a professional basis at all.
Their musicianship is some of the best I have seen in this country and their spirit is unchecked by the blandness that has pervaded the music. First up are Wreck, with five original tunes; " Song of Death" a Pantera like headbanger about the ethnic conflict (a subject brought up by other bands throughout the evening) ; a ballad , "Down" , a strange Doors-type hybrid called "Disillusioned but Pretty" ; a straightforward punk number called "Bulath" and the finale, a Rage Against the Machine-type diatribe called "Feed Me". After them, Exodus take to the stage. Better known as a reggae band, they embark on a tour of classic rock hits from Dire Straits ("Sultans of Swing") to Deep Purple ("Smoke on Water), competently handled and well rehearsed.
Then the mystery compere of the evening announces Ground Zero in his own inimitable way (ie. Completely garbled) . "In the beginning there was Zero and eventually we all come back to zero, so let's give a big round of applause to Ground Zero". He could have fitted in as an extra in "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest" with no problems. Ground Zero are ostensibly a thrash metal band and a pretty damn good one at that.
They comprise the dreadlocked Nero on lead vocals , dropping to one knee in full Henry Rollins mode for songs like "Trauma" and "Third World Order" ; a balaclavad mystery bass guitarist who gave the impression that the IRA had decided to celebrate the ceasefire with a little headbanging ; guitarist Dulip , who looked like a cuddly Nazi, a nice Sid Vicious, sporting a redhead Dennis Rodman type hairdo and camoflauge pants ; and the drummer Malik, who crouched over his drums barebodied, like a Japanese kodo drummer, making percussion into a martial art. He is one of the most tireless drummers I have seen, the sheer physicality of what he does strength sapping to watch. Ground Zero injected bits of ragga , hip hop and , I swear to you , baila into their harsh, no compromise originals and completely blew the audience away.
Then came Cancer, with more of their counterculture rock, including one particularly penetrating rant about "the news brought to you by the United States of America " , an observant look at the propaganda slant of the news all over the world. ("Hey you know what the BBC stands for ? Bigger Better Colonies. BBC - but You Can't See Me "). Then finally , it is the turn of headliners Venom, lead by Keerthi , the man who is the main organiser behind this whole she bang. Ramitha Wettimuny and Bonnie Appusami are both technically excellent guitarists, while bass was handled by Joe Lappan who was moonlighting from his job as a member of Go Public. Singing classics like "Stairway to Heaven" and "Sweet Child of Mine" , the highlight of their set was an elegaic version of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters".
The sound and lighting are commendable, handled by a newcomer to the scene, Passion Sound and Lighting Systems. The indefatigable sound engineer Mel runs back and forth between the stage a hundred times, at one point gracefully defusing a potentially ugly situation with no loss of face. Hopefully this will not be the only rock concert for the next two years ; after taking a basic, common sense approach to the promotion (posters and press, no Official Radio or Television Stations) , Keerthi and his crew have managed to show what sheer determination and a genuine, abiding love for music can accomplish. They turned out in their hundreds that Friday evening, singing and cheering along good naturedly to the songs on stage. They will return if someone decides to stage another Colombopalooza like this one. The music is there. The fans are there. The bands are there. It was a gloriously fun night. Let's do it again soon..............
"Lester James Peries: a four decade romance with France" directed by Kumar de Silva with technical directing by Chintananda Abeysekera, was screened at the BMICH on Thursday 19th June 1997 on the occasion of the investiture of "Commander in the Order of Arts and Letters" in Dr. Lester James Peries by the French Ambassador in Sri Lanka Mrs. Elisabeth Dahan on behalf of the Government of France. It was a presentation of the Cultural Service of the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka.
A great many of us have heard of Lester and Sumithra Peries' long standing links with the Republic of France, through various articles in the local newspapers and through the French Embassy's popular weekly TV programme 'Bonsoir'. But those specially invited guests who were fortunate to be present at the investiture would certainly agree that this video presentation, was first class, to say the least.
It began with the Nimal Mendis' haunting music score from 'The God King' and the quick photomontage of the master's life, from his birth to the present day. It showed the viewer faded photographs from the old family album: the ancestral house in Dehiwela where Lester was born, his parents, his brothers Ivan and Noeyal, his sister Erica, his youth, his meeting with Sumithra Gunawardena, his marriage to her etc.
The master himself then appeared on screen, going down Memory Lane and recounting his early days as a film maker and the strange chain of events which led to his presenting his first ever film 'Rekawa' at the l0th Cannes film festival in 1957.
Then came on details of his successive visits to France and the honours France heaped on him over these four decades: his second visit to Cannes with 'Beddegama' in 1981, his third visit to the festival with 'Kaliyugaya' in 1983, his jubilation at serving as a member of the prestigisous Jury when Cannes turned 45 years in 1992.
The viewers were also taken through black and white pictures to the Cannes of 1957 and in colour to the Cannes of 1992, to the Festival of the Three Continents of Nantes which recognised Lester James Peries as "one of the few best film makers of the three continents" - Asia, Africa and Latin America.
We were not only told that the French Cinematheque in Paris is the spiritual home to both Lester James and Sumithra Peries and many other international film makers, but also even taken to this august institution which apart from making the Peries' honorary life members, proudly boasts of 'Nidhanaya' as part of its collection of the classics of world cinema.
Dr. Peries is now resident in Paris, where his wife Sumithra is Sri Lanka's ambassador to France. Through the informal interview, viewers were shown this couple's life there and Dr. Peries wittily replying to the question what it felt like being "the Ambassador's spouse in Paris".
Documenting the long standing ties, a person like Lester James Peries has with France, needs great skill and intricate planning, planning down to the very last frame and shot. Director Kumar de Silva had obviously drawn from his own close links with France, harnessed all his creative skills and put in both heart and soul to make what is now a valuable historical document.
Technically too, this film was excellent. The freezes, the cuts, the mixes, the fading in and out etc., were good. Much of the variety in this film stemmed from the skilful mixing of the informal interview with Lester James Peries together with still photographs and extracts from his films like 'Rekawa', 'Beddegama', 'Nidhanaya', 'Kaliyugaya' etc.
It was obvious that a lot of love and affection had gone into its making. Every shot had been carefully picked, the film extracts carefully chosen. Particularly good was the ending where Lester James Peries answered the question, 'From now on where...."? And as his voice faded in the middle of the answer, there appeared a succession of still shots from each of his seventeen films over a piece of haunting music, at the end of which, he was brought on again to complete his answer. This effect was arresting, lingering and a fitting conclusion to the film.
The British Council together with Hongkong Bank, Colombo Hilton and Capital Radio presents 'An Evening of Romantic, Impressionistic and Jazz Music' performed by renowned pianist Sujeeva Hapugalle on Thursday 31st July at 7.15 p.m. at the Colombo Hilton's Ballroom.
Tickets priced at Rs. 500/-, 300/-, 200/- and Rs. 100/- (reserved) are now available at the Colombo Hilton and at the Cultural Affairs Office of the British Council.
Described by critics as a sensitive, imaginative, exciting pianist her artistry balancing virtuoso control with musical insight and a vast colour spectrum, concert pianist Sujeeva Hapugalle completed her undergraduate studies at the Royal College of Music, London after winning a scholarship by the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London.
She continued her postgraduate studies at the RCM with further awards from the Associated Board, the RCM Napper Award and President's Award.
She has broadcast for Classic FM, UK and BBC Television. She made her debut at St. Johns Smith Square, London in February this year.
Continue to Mirror Magazine page 2 * The Cinnamon Peeler *Lament for a lovely isle
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