Edward Jayakody

Jayakody Arachchige Don Edward Timothy Jayakody (Sinhala:එඩ්වඩ් ජයකොඩි: born 6 April 1952), popularly as Edward Jayakody, is a Sri Lankan musician, singer and composer. Jayakody has directed the music for hundreds of Sinhala films and television serials and has also composed many songs for children's programming ("Koppara Koppara").[1]

Edward Jayakody
එඩ්වඩ් ජයකොඩි
Born
Jayakody Arachchige Don Edward Timothy Jayakody

(1952-04-06) April 6, 1952
Kegalle, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationBandaranaike Junior School
St. Mary's College, Kegalle
OccupationMusician, composer, singer, teacher
Spouse(s)Charitha Priyadarshani (m. 1991)
Children2
Parents
  • Don Raphial Jayakody (father)
  • Victoria Jayakody (mother)
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentsVocals
Years active1977–present
Labels
  • Nilwala
  • MEntertainment
  • Ransilu

Jayakody won the Swarna Sanka Award in 1987 for Best Male Singer for the film Gedara Budun Amma. He won Best Music Director in 1979 and 1980 for the plays Nidane and Aparadaya Saha Danduwama.[1]

Personal life

Jayakody was born on 6 April 1952 as the youngest child with six siblings of Don Raphial Jayakody and Victoria Jayakody in Hettimulla, Kegalle, Sri Lanka.[2] His mother died on 29 April 2017.[3] Jayakody received his early education at Bandaranaike Junior School, and received his secondary education at St. Mary's College, Kegalle of Kegalle. He joined the church choir while attending Bandaranaike and learned music while at St. Mary's, under teacher H. Samarapala.[4]

Jayakody is married to popular songstress Charitha Priyadarshani where the wedding was celebrated on 17 January 1991.[5] The couple has one son, Chandeepa and one daughter, Sharanya Rasodi. Chandeepa got engaged to Deshaki de Silva.[6] To celebrate 25th wedding anniversary, Jayakody and Charitha remarried on same date.[7][8]

Music career

During the period from 1968 to 1976, Jayakody participated in the "Maliban Guwan Thotilla" and many amateur music programs. He entered the Government College of Music in 1976 (presently the Faculty of Aesthetic Education of Kelaniya University) and during that time took part in music programs conducted by popular musicians.[9] In 1976, he sang on the popular radio program "Pibidena Gayaka Parapura" on the radio, and he won second place in the grand finale of the program.[4] He entered singing with the song Karadiya Gambare for a 1977 radio musical program. Its lyrics are by Premakumara Jayawardena and the music was composed by Rohana Weerasinghe.[10]

During 1980s, he released two cassettes and a CD, Seethala Pinimatha, Kerakena Rode and Samanalaya Mala Ha Lamaya. He also holds a government position as Educational Assistant Music Director.[2] Jayakody made several children songs such as Kopara Kopara, Katu Akule, Rajjuruwo Udai, Sulangak Vee and Chakgudu Gudu.[11] At the same time, he was appointed as the Music Teacher at Nalanda College, where he worked for a while and then transferred to Gurukula College, Kelaniya. In 1986, Jayakody was promoted to Staff Education Officer in the Music Division and attached to the Ministry of Education. Around the same time, he unveiled his second album Kerakena Rode. He received his Master's degree in 1992 from the Bhatkhande Music Institute Deemed University, Lucknow.[4]

Apart from singing, he composed and worked as the music director for more than fifty-two singers.[12] He also composed music for a number of stage plays and teledramas. He has performed as an actor in seventeen stage plays including maiden acting in 1975 stage play Spartacus and then in Kontha Nona, Angara Ganga Galabhasi, Mawatha Api, Sekkuwa, Nari Bena, Gajaman Puwatha, Oedipus and Satara Waram Raja Daruwo.[10] In 2010, Jayakody and Charitha organized a musical tour titled Wasanthaye Aga to Europe from October 16.[11] In 2019, Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka conferred a lifetime achievement award for Jayakody for his contribution to the Sri Lankan music industry.[13]

He has contributed playback singing to several films, including Seilama, Gedara Buddha Amma, Mangala Thagga, Himagira, Saroja and Kiri Kawadi.[4] He made maiden cinema appearance in the musical film Guththila with the titular role.[14][15] Jayakody's album Deduna Palama was released on April 6, 2003.[1]

Jayakody has performed his solo musical concert titled Marambari since January 2010.[10] So far, 13 Marambari concerts have been held in Italy alone. The series was a huge success in Canada,[16] London, France, Australia, New Zealand,[17] Dubai and the United States.[18] In November 2017, Marambari concert was held at Apeksha Hospital, Maharagama.[19] The tenth anniversary of Jayakody's Marambari solo concert was held on the evening of the 31 January 2020 at the Bandaranaike Memorial Conference Hall, Colombo.[20]

References
  1. "'Dedunu palama' A celebration CD". Sunday Observer. 2003. Archived from the original on 2008-06-10. Retrieved 2007-05-20.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  2. "The true epitome of meaningful song". Dinamina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  3. "President pays last respects to the mother of singer Edward Jayakody". lankainformation. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  4. "Let's meet at the rising moon of life to relax - an invitation from scholar Edward". Divaina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. "Edward Charitha Let's see joy in the sweet home". tharunaya. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  6. "You brought happiness to my heart and my heart stayed with you". Dinamina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  7. "Edward and Charith reweds". Hiru FM. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  8. "We remarried to celebrate a successful 25 year marriage - Edward Jayakody". vinsaara. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  9. "Edward Jayakody and Charitha's only son engaged". Dinamina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  10. "Happy Birthday to Edward Jayakody". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  11. "'Wasanthaye Aga' Edward and Charitha". Dinamina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  12. "අද හොඳම දවස ඔබ එනවා නම්". Divaina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  13. "Award for Edward". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  14. "Edward Jayakody became an actor". webgossip. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  15. "Edward Jayakod becomes an actor with 'Guttila'". tharunaya. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  16. "Edward - Charitha and Sharanya in Canada with Marambari". Divaina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  17. "Edward-Charitha to travel to New Zealand with Marambari". Silumina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  18. "Edward Jayakody 'Marambari' Who bent us in America". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  19. "'Marambari' at Apeksha Hospital". Divaina. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  20. "Ten Years of Marambari by Scholar Edward Jayakody". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
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