Neela Wickramasinghe

Visharada Neela Wickramasinghe is a veteran female singer and a musician in Sri Lanka,[2][3] who mainly sings in Sinhalese.

Neela Wickramasinghe
නීලා වික්‍රමසිංහ
Birth nameDona Delicia Neela Wickramasinghe
Born (1950-03-30) 30 March 1950[1]
OriginSri Lanka
GenresPlayback singing, Sri Lankan music
Occupation(s)Vocalist, teacher, composer
Years active1967 – present

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. In 1954 she was admitted to Kesbewa Government private school where she first started to be involved 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 graduated 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
  1. Malini, Yamuna (8 April 2006). "'Gajaman Nona' of our time". Dailynews.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  2. Thenabadu, Sunil (8 August 2010). "Versatile playback singer". Sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  3. Kolitha Bhanu Dissanayake, Ranga Chandrarathne (11 March 2012). "The celestial voice that bears the tonal signature". Sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  4. Neela Wickramasinghe's 'Master Sir' at Nelum Pokuna Theatre. Lanka Help Magazine. 2012. 2015-04-12
  5. Thenabadu, Sunil (30 October 2004). "Neela – the singing sensation". Dailynews.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  6. "Dona Delicia Neela". internationalwomensday.org. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  7. "Neela Wickramasinghe". lktunes.com. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  8. Sandun W. (14 March 2012). "Neela Wickramasinghe's 'Master Sir' at Nelum Pokuna Theatre". Magazine.lankahelp.com. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  9. Chandrarathne, Ranga (28 August 2011). "Fusion of technical acumen with aesthetic finery". Sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  10. "නීලා පායා එන්න පෙර සේ" (in Sinhala). dinamina.lk. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
  11. Chandrarathane, Ranga (16 December 2007). "Seperated [sic] and isolated by the lumpen culture". Sundayobserver.lk. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  12. "Neela Wickramasinghe.com". Themother.org. 31 October 2004. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  13. "Dona Delicia Neela | INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY". Internationalwomensday.org. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  14. "Sumathi Awards 1996". sumathiawards.lk. Retrieved 19 September 2012.
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