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Music with a difference

by Sumadhu Weerawarne & Pix by Nihal Chandrakumar
The basse drums thunder, the others rattle, notes sound, the xylophone ribbons through. Cacophony in the classroom. There is no teacher and the children do what children do when that happens: riot.

A little chap enters with baton in hand. He is the teacher. He raises his arm and bids the children to calm down. They fail to respond. He then seeks to make sense out of the discord. And, does so. The riotous music under the teacher's direction loses its turbulence. It gradually gains a rhythmic quality, a certain quietude. Chaos gives way and sanity returns.

This is what Master Siripala Samarasekera very aptly titles "Preparing the children for their lesson". And it is for this composition that he won the all island inter-school music competition organised by the Education Department. It is a treat to watch the little kids energetically hammer away at the various instruments. This is a special performance for our benefit alone.

The ensemble includes such instruments as "serpinas", a basse drum, flutes of a kind, a xylophone and of course the side drums. All 18 members are students of the Buddha Ghosa Vidyalaya, and are no more than ten years old. It is quite evident that they have put in much practice. The composition is not of the usual junior school variety. There is no teacher accompanying the students to indicate at which point they should come in. The piece too is not very basic in structure. It requires the students to concentrate and respond to the conductor. Despite their very arduous efforts at modulation the impulse to energetically hammer away, holds sway. "They are a little out of practice," Master Samarasekera is apologetic. "They have not been practising of late." But it is in the little imperfections that we find joy.

While the performance itself is notable, it the creativity underlying it that is more so. All the instruments in the ensemble are no more than biscuit tins, bamboo sticks, glass bottles and a big tea chest. The very ordinary throw away items have been ingeniously transformed into musical instruments. The xylophone has keys of bamboo, the single note flutes are bottles filled with water to different levels, the serpinas too have keys of bamboo and are made out of wooden boxes, the basse drum is a primarily a tea chest and the side drums are no more than bamboo on bamboo. All this is the work of music Master Siripala Samarasekera.

Samarasekera is a musician and a very notable one at that being on the orchestra of maestro Premasiri Khemadasa. He has been the music teacher of Buddha Ghosa for the past two years. "I began my career as a teacher in the Hambantota Weeraketiya Central in 1967 and have served in many schools since then," he says. It is while he was a child that he made his first instrument.

"My brothers were all musically inclined. There were always many instruments at home, serpinas, violins... But they never let me touch any of them. And I had to keep quiet because I was the youngest. So I began to try to simulate the sounds of the violin with the use of a biscuit tin and some string."

His parents he says were not too happy with the idea of all their children taking to music. "They were not very keen on me studying music. They had a greater bent towards industry related careers. But I just followed my instincts and joined the Haywood State Music School, where I studied for six years," he says.

Here he learned composition of music, the amassing of a plethora of sound and structuring it according to some rhythm. But he did not learn the art of making instruments. This he learnt by himself. He makes and sells violins for Rs 4,500.

"My greatest input of course is time. It largely takes time and effort on my part and is painstaking work." He also makes sitars and xylophones. The latter cost as little as Rs. 100 to 200 but take three to four days to make. He says that he had given instruments thus produced to some schools. "There was a scheme while Mr. Maurice Rajapakse was the chief minister of the Western Province to supply such instruments to deprived schools. But this has been abandoned," he says. And that is a pity. The instruments have two principal advantages, the first is that they are inexpensive and the second that they take a lot of wear and tear.

Samarasekera adds that he trains students who are interested in making instruments and also in repairing them when necessary. "It is possible by way of a scheme to train O/L students to make these instruments and even provide them to the less privileged schools. They would be a good substitute for the instruments that these schools hope to buy, but never seem to be able to buy."

The Education Ministry and indeed the larger society would do well to pay heed and give support to such an initiative.

Women Power 1998

by Zanita Careem
The nations have emerged out of the past year with renewed hopes and aspirations. The mood is a strong mix of self-reliance, self-confidence and self-respect as underlined by the success of the fair sex in the year gone by. What have they achieved in the year gone by across the globe?

The world witnessed the close of one year and the dawn of a new one, while all people yearn for peace let us look back to the part played by women in 1998. What they have achieved and what progress they have made in society at large.


H. E. President Chandrika Kumaratunga		 Many women hit the headlines, stole the limelight and some in the shadows have their work in the public domain honoured by their governments and world bodies. Sri Lanka is ruled by a woman president, whose charisma and leadership skills is felt in every sphere of activity. She has propelled the People's Alliance (PA) government to carry on fighting inflation, corruption and most of all wage war against terrorism.

She has put forward the devolution proposals to find a peaceful solution for the ongoing ethnic war. She is also prepared for talks with the terrorist leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran. She is fighting against all odds while having close links with socialist parties. She follows a liberal economic policies to make Sri Lanka a progressive and vibrant society.

Her noteworthy achievement was the successful piloting of the 10th SAARC conference held recently in Colombo. It was particularly important as it was the first time that the seven heads of state did take redress in Bentota.

On the domestic front national honours were awarded to Doreen Wickremasinghe (wife of the late Communist leader Dr. S. A. Wickremasinghe. Doreen was an ex-MP and Dr. Manohari Saravanamuttu, Sunila Gunasekera, Nita Fernando, Savitri Gunasekera, Deepika Udugama, all well known women who made headlines last year.

Sunila Abeysekera was one of the five recipients of the 1998 UN Human Rights Award for her enormous work in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Nita Fernando won the Best Actress Award at the Singapore International Film Festival. Savitri Gunasekera, Professor of Law at the University of Colombo was honoured with her appointment as a member of the committee to implement the United Nations Commission on the elimination of discrimination against women.

Some of our leading women became victims of brutal killings last year. Sarojini Yogeswaran, Mayor of Jaffna was gunned down by the LTTE. Women took to the streets against the rape and killing of school girl Krishanthi Kumaraswamy by army personnel. Rita John, a recently wed from India was killed by a group of sadists in Mutwal. This killing enraged the public some even demanding lynching of the suspects.

In sports Damayanthi Dharsha did the country proud by bagging two 'golds' at the recently concluded Bangkok Asian Games.

On the international level Hillary Clinton was in the limelight. The world witnessed strong willed and determined Hillary Clinton maintaining her dignity, and sense of purpose amid the scandal her husband Bill Clinton faced.

She stood by her husband in his moments of grave crisis. The enigmatic Mrs. Clinton may even be in the spotlight even run for office on her own? For Hillary 1998 was the best of years and the worst of years, opening with unspeakable humiliation and closing with unprecedented popularity and status. Last January brought endurably the darkest days for the US first lady, with headlines screaming the most intimate details of president Clinton's affair with an intern barely older than her daughter.

Behind every successful man there remained a woman. The first lady has just that despite the calumny caused to Clinton.

Unlike the public stand by your man display in the 1992 Jennifer-Flowers affair, Hillary Clinton has been tight-lipped on Monica Lewinsky, offering only an occasional "I'm doing fine" to voracious reporters and circling the wagons around her family.

"Hillary Clinton represents for so many Americans the problems and strangles in their own lives" Senator Robert Toricelli told the 'New York Times', recently "She's obviously a symbol of my generation of people with deep personal problems in complex times."

No first lady has ever faced such public scrutiny of such painfully private matters or generated such lively debate about what to do next.

A poll by 'Bridal Guide' Magazine showed 82 per cent of women surveyed said Hillary Clinton should divorce the president and many women's rights activists said it would be a good role-model move.

Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh has put on a brave front despite all opposition. She signed an agreement with the rebels fighting against the Bangladesh government from the hilly regions. The rebels laid down the arms and came to an agreement with Hasina regime.

Sonia Gandhi took over the leadership of Congress Party. She became the rallying point for the Congress bringing its members together. Her leadership paved the way for Congress to win three state assembly elections including Delhi - which was one time the stronghold of BJP.

Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto has lost her political glamour but has not given up hope to pursue her political career and begun enlisting mass support.

Maneka Gandhi rebel daughter-in-law of Indira Gandhi is now occupying centre stage under the BJP leadership as an state minister and a leading environmentalist.

Leading Indian women particularly the Rajya Sabha member film star Shabna Azmi have continuously campaigned for women's rights. Another noteworthy achievement is the introduction of the Women's Reservation Bill in India. Although it created tremors it was a notable achievement for women after so much heat and dust it generated, the fact that the Bill has been introduced is itself an indication of women's resilience, and the women's organisations have achieved a great deal in a thoroughly patriarchal country.

In Burma Ki is still leading the anti-government non-violence protest against the military regime.

She persists in her campaign for a democratic dialogue. She remains an unending symbol of hope for the people of her country. Imelda Marcos of Philippines also made headlines after a long silence by returning to Philippines and placing herself in the forefront of women's rights.

In lndonesia, former President Sukarno's daughter is a leading force in the Opposition Camp, which demands for fresh elections.

The former chief minister of Tamilnadu J. Jayalalitha with several court cases against her is back in the political cockpit challenging her arch rival M. Karunanidhi - the present chief minister.

Moreover, what started as a trickle has turned into a flood in the shape of women's liberalism. The print and electronic media gave much publicity to sexual harassment, divorce and rape. On the whole the women's ideal of a free unfettered womanhood is reached to some extent. With the new millennium fast approaching it is left to us women to use our charm and natural intelligence to cooperate with others in the establishment of a world order free of corruption, crime and sexual harassment of women.

In the year gone by it has been amply proved that the hand that rocked the cradle rules the world.

Along the Kalu Ganga basin through the eyes of the Portuguese

by Gamini G. Punchihewa
The Portuguese fort later fortified by Dutch as it stood on the mount overlooking Kalu ganga during their times. The Gangatilaka vihara built on it was destroyed by the Portuguese. On it now stands the white dagaba. (Reproduced from R. L. Brohier's 'Seeing Ceylon')

Many major battles were fought on the banks of the Kalu ganga between the Portuguese forces and King Mayadunne, King Dharmapala (of Kotte 16th century) and Bhuvaneka Bahu (VII) helped the Portuguese.

Kaluganga severe battlefield
King Mayadunne (of Sitawake) led by his gallant son, then a boy of 13, Tikiri Rajjuru Bandara (later King Rajasinghe I) fought the Portuguese forces supported by Widiya Bandara's forces.

P. E. Pieris, in his 'Ceylon and Portuguese (1920)' describes the blood-battles fought on the banks of Kalu ganga and Kalutara itself: "In accordance with this the Sitawake army commanded by the youngest son of Mayadunne, Tikiri Rajjuru Bandara, a boy of thirteen, with whom was associated Wickremasingha Mudiyanse, the bravest of his father's generals, advanced to the Kalu ganga, and was joined at Kalutara by the Portuguese contingent of three hundred men. After crossing the limpid waters of the Pelen ganga the allied forces were met and attacked by Widiya Bandara, who after a hard fought battle was forced to flee, abandoning his wife and treasures to the conquerors."

Later on, Widiya Bandara was forced to seek refuge in the Udarata region under the protection of Karaliyadda Bandara. The fate of Widiya Bandara is another part of the story where he actually had to take refuge in Jaffna. In Jaffna he along with his son Wijayapala was slained.

Coming back to the battle scenes around Kalutara, the blood thirsty Portuguese in 1574, commanded by Diogo de Mele with his forces devastated that part of the country destroying shrines and temple. These ravages took place from Kelaniya, to the towns of Kalutara and Beruwala.

In late 1594 the Portuguese forces led by General de Azavedo were fast advancing towards Kalutara to capture it. Paul Pieris in his above quoted book has recounted how de Azavedo planned the capture.

The builder of Kalutara fort was Jorg de Albuquerque in 1622. Later it was captured by King Rajasinghe I of the Sitawaka kingdom. Then still later it was captured by the Dutch and re-captured by the Portuguese. On 14.10.1655 the Portuguese surrendered to the Dutch.

Phillipus Baldaeus was a Dutch Pastro who lived most of his sojourns in Jaffna. He wrote a book in Dutch (later translated into English by Pieter Brohier), titled 'A True and Exact Description of the Great Island of Ceylon (1672). In it, he gives the following vivid description of the Portuguese fort of Kalutara built by the Portuguese and captured later by the Dutch "Within days journey of Gale (present Galle), lies the fortress of Caletura (Kalutara) situated in a most locality near the mouth of a large and broad river close by the sea. The defence is strongly built with double earthen walls, and is at present under our sway, it was taken over by us (by gods' blessings) under the directions of Honourable Director General Hulft (sic) on the 15th October 1655".

Portuguese, Dutch named present Kalutara as Caletura. Dr. R. L. Brohier, the author of many books on ancient irrigation works in his 'Seeing Ceylon' (1965) summarises an historical account of Kalutara thus: "There is much to interest one in this hinterland, but it is rather on fragments of the earlier history was ruled by a Sinhalese king, and when, if you look from the northern bank across the waters of the Kalu ganga, near its mouth, you saw, on the outlying spur an insignificant hill, an ivory-white dagaba poised on its crest, Gangatilaka Vihara, they called it: and De Queyroz, the historian, says of the river flowing by, that it was named 'Santosa Ganga'. There large trees and avenues of teak which cast shadows over green maiden and gardens in bloom. All this, and more, the Sandesa poems have translated into song". That was the glorious past of Kalutara.

High fashion
Exciting happiness in the year gone by

by Kirthi Sri Karunaratne
Many exciting things happened at the end of the last year which included Karaoke championships, Anniversary celebrations of several establishments and individuals. Also back home on holiday were many Sri Lankans with their families and it was celebrations all the way, when old friends met and new friends were made.

Technical defects brought delay and distraction at the Show Beat Karaoke Championship held at the Trans Asia Hotel. The contestant who was the first in line had to start three times over as the faulty sound gave the Judges a hard time, and the judges call a break till the fault was mended. The panel of judges was quite formidable and included Gabo Pieris, Thilan Wijesinghe and Mignonne Fernando. As a result the whole evening's programme went into a late night, and many of those who graced the event had to leave, and couldn't be present when the final winners were announced. There was a gathering of styles though, ranging from the teenager jeans and tee shirts to formal dresses, sarong skirts and even sarees. Carol Swee picked on a long full flowingskirt and a tailored top in black, for simple and sophisticated elegance.

Lashika de Silva
Lashika de Silva		 Lashika de Silva favoured the other end of the scale. Her feminine draped white sarong she teamed with a draped blouse of distinctive charm. A gold necklace was her choice of ornament. Young ballroom dancer miss Siriwardene too favoured a sarong skirt in a tie and dye fabric. On the cloth the colours fused from burgundy to a lemon, into a purple at the waist. The boxy top which was sleeveless and square necked was also in the purple. She wore a dainty pendent and earstuds in gold with it.

Marriage
Back home for the first time after marriage was Dani de Silva with her husband Robbie Galloway. To meet their friends, and mostly for Dani's friends and relations to meet her husband who was on his first visit to Sri Lanka, a cocktail party was hosted in their honour by Shethara and Chulika de Silva and by Dhanya and Wilhelm Woutersze. There was a gathering of clan of young and pretty cousins who brought a fresh charm with them in their simple but stylish clothes. Dani for the more formal early part of the evening wore what was her bridal dress completely simple in line. Sister Chio Siriwardene opted for black. Once again the simple dress had cutaway armholes which created a strap effect. Her jewellery was in a dazzle of white stones on the necklace, and onyz studs surrounded by diamonds on her ears. The other sister of the trio Drupathi Senanayake too wore a black dress, the top of which was in a deep purple satin. Among the older generation was Eranga, the female part of the duo of Eranga and Priyanga also home on holiday. Eranga's choice was an off white suit style with pearl buttons on the top, and pale gold accessories, complimented by only a bracelet and earstuds in gold. Sonali Karunaratne teamed her cafe au lait pants with a top in white patterned in streaks of stripes in subtle colour. Suven Karunaratne wore a salwar kameez in a silk in rainbow like print in turquoise and lilac, the design taking several directions. Mitchelle who was on a holiday from Dubai and on her way to Australia was attired in a charcoal dress printed in a filigree of a paisley design and Shalini Seneviratne used a long white sleeveless top banded at the hip in black with a slim black clinging skirt, for smart cocktail wear.

Flying all the way back to Sri Lanka and home was lovely Therunee Perera to be with friends and family when she was formally engaged to Daniel the man of her choice from Canterbury in England. Therunee who has spent most of her life in the United Kingdom has still not given up her grass roots, and decided on a Kandyan saree for this big occasion in her life. Her saree of pink shading into silver grey was worked on the 'ihe' the fall and the sleeves in pink ribbon embroidery. The 'Ihe' and the sleeves were given more glamour with pink pearl highlights on them. Her necklace, earstuds and bracelet of rubies set in gold was an heirloom of great beauty. In her hair was a single pink blossom. Therunee is the daughter of Dr. Maurice and Marie Perera. Therunee Perera
Therunee Perera

Film on love and sacrifice

by D. B. Kappagoda
The new year offer for our film fans is a Hindi movie Rajeshri Productions Humaapke Hain Koun. It is a love story based on the concept of fate.

The story centres round two lovers, Prem and Nisha whom fate brought their families together, with the marriage of Prem's elder brother Rajesh and Nisha's elder sister Pooja. The young lovers move together but make love secretly.

They belong to the new generation of carefree young lovers. After the marriage ceremony was over, Pooja came to live in Prem's family house. Days rolled by and Nisha was invited to stay with the married couple.

With her arrival, Nisha began to attend to household chores and became part of the family. It was then Prem and Nisha had the opportunity to make love. This they did secretly. It was during this time that tragedy struck with the death of Pooja, leaving behind her child at the mercy of her sister, Nisha. This was cruel blow to the family and it appeared that their life had come virtually to a standstill.

Pooja's child was left motherless, thereby creating a lot of worries for the household. Rajesh's health began to deteriorate. To overcome this difficult situation, Nisha's father suggested that Nisha should get married to Rajesh and become foster-mother to Pooja's child.

This made the lovers to sacrifice. Their love for the sake of the family. Meanwhile Rajesh came to know the truth behind the lovers sacrifice. He then decided to hand over his child to Nisha and unite the lovers and give his blessings.

The lovers longed for this day. In the lead are the well known names in Hindi film world - Madhuri Dixit, Salman Khan, Sahila Chaddha, Mohnish Bahe, Renuka Shahane, Aloknath.

Music direction is by Raamlaxman. Screenplay, dialogue and direction by Sooraj R. Barjatya. The production is handled by Rajkumar Barajatya.

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