A Tribute to Pandith Amaradeva

                       

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I want to rebuild my image - Amaradeva
Daily News 15th Jan 2000

The duty of the elite is to take the younger generation from the'known to the unknown, and to make them more knowledgeable and sensitive towards the arts, says Dr. Amaradeva.

"However, I am yet to come across a proper program that can instill in the younger generation a genuine feeling for what is traditionally ours," he says.

Dr. Amaradeva who celebrated his 73rd birthday last month in Milano, Italy still remembers with gratitude the Nation and its people for making him a proper musician.

"It was the media which helped me to reach this stage. If not for the eminent Editor D.B. Dhanapala, the name Amaradeva would have only been only a dream. There were people who even contributed 50 cents for the 'Amaradeva Scholarship Fund' to send me to Shanthinikethan, India for further studies. Some contributed their salaries. I am proud to say that I am a People's Artiste," he says while going through a huge file of early paper-clippings.

In 1953 he left for India with Rs.3000 collected from public donations and he re-paid the nation by winning the first place in an all India music competition in 1954.

He recalls the hard times he had and claims "It was not a bed of roses," with humility.

Amaradeva has counted more than a half a century in his musical career, but says he is yet to be understood fully by his fans. "Most Sri Lankans have identified me as merely a vocalist. That's really a misunderstanding."

"In the first place I am a violinist. The violin came to my hand when I was a child. I began with a hand made violin. I can still remember my father's birthday gift to me when I reached eight. It was a Japanese made violin and that was my first love. Till then I was playing the hand made one. My father realised my talents and it was something that encouraged me. That's how our parents encouraged us and today not only us, but the entire nation reaps the benefit. Thanks to them."

"When I think back, there is another name that I cannot ever forget, Sunil Shantha. He took me from my home town of Koralawella to Kurundukele in Ja-ela to enhance my talents."

"One day, when Sunil Shantha and I were practising in a studio, one of Sunil's admirers, a Rev. Father called Moses, came rushing into the studio. I can still remember Rev. Father saying, Today I didn't come to listen to Sunil, but to see the great violinist."

In terms of proper music, Sri Lanka's musical legacy counts more or less about half a century, Amaradeva says. "There were folk music and various other terms, but the pure music, the classical form of music, the 'yathha-roopee sangeetha' began in the 1940s or 50s. Due to this very particular reason, Sri Lankans use to think that the song is the music. Mostly it is the light song. But, exactly, according to norms and beliefs, song is only one aspect of music. Basically it is also the oldest and the most popular aspect."

Amaradeva thinks that the same fact was behind his popularity as a vocalist. "In the new millennium I thought of rebuilding my image as a musician, mainly a violinist. What I want to do is to guide the younger generation for a better taste. To guide them from the known to the unknown. Pure music is something strange to our society. So, as a vocalist, I think I can guide them from known songs to the unknown pure music."

In this aspect he is to stage a musical evening dedicated to the classics. "It will be my new year gift for my fans in April," Amaradeva said.

-Ranga

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