Neela Wickramasinghe
| Neela Wickramasinghe | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Dona Delicia Neela Wickramasinghe |
| Born | 30 March 1950[1] |
| Origin | Sri Lanka |
| Genres | Playback singing, Sri Lankan music |
| Occupation(s) | Vocalist,teacher,composer |
| Years active | 1967 – present |
Visharada Neela Wickramasinghe is a veteran female singer and a musician in Sri Lanka,[2][3] who mainly sings in Sinhalese.
Early life
Wickramasinghe was the youngest daughter of Don Francis Wickramasinghe and Withanaratchige Done Yasawathie Gunasekera in Wattala. She became a victim of Polio at the age of six months. The first school she attended was kirimatiyagara Vidyalaya. On 1954 she was admitted to Kesbewa Government private school where she first started to involve in music. Later she went to Mampe Sri Sobhita Maha Vidyalaya. Wickramasinghe learned music under maestro Vincent Somapala and Ananda Jayasinghe. She sang her first song for the then Radio Ceylon in 1959 for a programme 'Amateur voice.' In 1967 she got the privilege to record her first song with Radio Ceylon. The song was composed by Mr. Dalton Alwis and the Music was provided by Lionel Algama, "Sende ambare nisha mal yata". In 1973, she was selected as an A grade artiste on the merit of the songs sung of the research section of the SLBC. After studying North Indian Classical Music, she graduate in 1974 with a Sangeeth Visharada Degree. Wickramasinghe had a number of popular hits including duets with T. M. Jayaratne.[4] Later, Wickramasinghe opted to become a teacher in music. After teaching in several schools she decided to retire prematurely in 1998 after a period of 23 years having had a long stint of eight years at Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo.[5] Wickramasinghe was diagnosed with abdominal cancer in a very serious manner and survived.[6]
Music
So far she has sung in 67 films as a playback singer[7] and has contributed to hundreds of songs. List of songs composed by Wickramasinghe.
| Song | Lyrics | Singer |
|---|---|---|
| Kakkutu Suttan | Seetha Ranjanee | Pradeepa Dharmadasa |
| Dhelthira | Ananda Hewaranhindage | Nelu Adikari |
| Wala potin | Manju Nedagamuwa | Petronella Fernando |
| Atha dennam | Suneth Rupasinghe | Petronella Fernando |
| Jeevithaye | Chandradasa Fernando | Victor Ratnayake |
| Sihina nagaraye | Chandradasa Fernando | Victor Ratnayake |
| Mage puthanuwane | Ashoka Kovilge | Jorg Lesley Ranasinghe |
| Nirindeku wee | Chandradasa Fernando | T.M. Jayaratne |
| Thana pinne | Priyananda Vijesundara | T.M. Jayaratne |
| Sihina thusithaya | Swarna Sri Bandara | T.M. Jayaratne |
| Kandulu iwarakara | Ven.Siddhartha Thero | Rohana Bogoda |
| Edawage mathu | Priyananda Wijesundara | Amarasiri Munasinghe |
| Mee thula mee peni | Priyananda Wijesundara | Amarasiri Munasinghe |
| Viyo dukin | Thilaka Kaluarachchi | Ayesha Gunasekara |
| Mahamera se ape amma | Thilaka Kaluarachchi | Neetha Wickramathantrige |
| Balakale | Ven.Siddhartha Thero | Kapila Herath |
| Ayeth dawasaka | Ananda Hewaranhindage | Kapila Herath |
| Adasanda nivila | Sunil R. Gamage | Kapila Herath |
| Pahankala sanda | Ananda Hewaranhindage | Kapila Herath |
| Kandulusaure | Sunil R. Gamage | Kapila Herath |
| Etha himale | Ven.Siddhartha Thero | Kuma Athanayaka |
| Niwan dakna | Mahinda Disanayaka | Kuma Athanayaka |
| Hadawathak | Ven.Siddhartha Thero | Krishantha Erandaka |
Solo concert
On 2012, To mark 45th anniversary of her musical career,Wickramasinghe started a solo concert named "Master Sir".[8][9][10]
Social activity
The Mother Organization
On 2002, Wickramasinghe founded a charity organisation named "The Mother" with the aim of catering to children, elders and artists who made a lifetime contribution to the field.[11] She is the president of the organisation[12]
Support to eradication of Polio
Wickramasinghe participated in the UNICEF Project to save the children by eradicating polio from our country in 1989.[13] She sang a song composed for this campaign, which was heard frequently over the airwaves and T.V. channels. Her efforts helped immensely to eradicate polio through this campaign and by 2000 not a single case of polio had been recorded since.[11]
Awards
She has won the Sarasaviya Award thrice, Presidential award, Sumathi tele award, Zonta award and Vanitha award.
| Year | Title | Award | Production | Song | Lyrics | Music |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Sarasaviya Best Female Playback Singer | Sarasavi | Ethin Ethata | Bodhiye Viharaye | Ajantha Ranasinghe | Sarath Dasanayake |
| 1986 | Sarasaviya Best Female Playback Singer | Sarasavi | Dolosmahe pahana | Rasa musuwu pem kalpana | K.D.K. Dharmawardana | Premasiri Khemadasa |
| 1992 | Sarasaviya Best Female Playback Singer | Sarasavi | Dolosmahe pahana | Pemakasuwanda denila | Yapa B Senevirathna | Greshan Ananda |
| 1996 | Best Teledrama Vocalist | Sumathi Awards[14] | Sankranthi Samaya | Nothalan Malkekulu | ||
References
- ↑ Malini, Yamuna (8 April 2006). "'Gajaman Nona' of our time". Dailynews.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ Thenabadu, Sunil (8 August 2010). "Versatile playback singer". Sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ Kolitha Bhanu Dissanayake, Ranga Chandrarathne (11 March 2012). "The celestial voice that bears the tonal signature". Sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ Neela Wickramasinghe's 'Master Sir' at Nelum Pokuna Theatre. Lanka Help Magazine. 2012. 2015-04-12
- ↑ Thenabadu, Sunil (30 October 2004). "Neela – the singing sensation". Dailynews.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "Dona Delicia Neela". internationalwomensday.org. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ↑ "Neela Wickramasinghe". lktunes.com. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- ↑ Sandun W. (14 March 2012). "Neela Wickramasinghe's 'Master Sir' at Nelum Pokuna Theatre". Magazine.lankahelp.com. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ Chandrarathne, Ranga (28 August 2011). "Fusion of technical acumen with aesthetic finery". Sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "නීලා පායා එන්න පෙර සේ" (in Sinhala). dinamina.lk. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
- 1 2 Chandrarathane, Ranga (16 December 2007). "Seperated [sic] and isolated by the lumpen culture". Sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "Neela Wickramasinghe.com". Themother.org. 31 October 2004. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "Dona Delicia Neela | INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY". Internationalwomensday.org. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ↑ "Sumathi Awards 1996". sumathiawards.lk. Retrieved 19 September 2012.