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| Sunday, 17 November 2002 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Veteran Lankan duo to perform in London
For the very first time veteran female vocalist Nanda Malini and singer cum music director Victor Ratnayake will perform together at Camdon Centre in London on November 24. The musical show titled Gee Miyuru is organised by Priya Vijaya Fonseka and Prema Ganegoda of the Art Lanka Foundation in London. The music is directed by Rohana Weerasinghe and several musicians such
as Wijerathne Ranatunge, D.D. Gunasena, Mahinda Bandara, Jayantha
Rathnayake and Janaka Bogoda will assist him by providing music. The
special show in London is sponsored by SriLankan Air Lines. Suddhi the cow at Indian Cultural Centre The Indian Cultural Centre will screen Suddhi the cow (subtitled in English) a tele-film adapted from short story written by M. D. Rettamma from Kerala directed by Ms. Anoma Rajakaruna and produced by Women and Media Collective on November 18 at the Indian Cultural Centre, 133, Bauddaloka Mw., Colombo 4. Anoma Rajakaruna is an independent freelance video film maker who has travelled extensively in Sri Lanka documenting the lives of community groups and, in particular the lives of women in these communities. Her special interest has been exploration of multiple roles played by women in society as well as expectations from women by society. Her films, some of which have won awards, have been screened at film festivals around the world. Her most recent Sinhala tele-film, Suddhi was screened in 2000. Anoma's skills as a photographer won her the opportunity to work at both the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995 and the Beijing +5 Conference in New York in 2000. During the Beijing +5 Conference, she worked as a photographer for the Daily News paper Women action 2000 which was published during the conference. She is one of the two women among 15 journalists from Sri Lanka selected for a three-year training programme by the World Press Photo Foundation, Netherlands. As an artiste, Anoma's skills are extensive and varied. She is a writer and a poet and has several publications to her name. Her book of poems published in 2000 won her critical acclaim as one of the most sensitive and mature young writers in Sinhala creative literature in Sri Lanka, She also ran the media campaign on women's rights for the Sri Lanka Women's NGO Forum from 1998-2000 and was the author of a new genre of television messages on the rights of women in Sri Lanka.
International piano competition The competition organising committee of the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China will hold the Third China International Piano Competition from April 25 to May 5, 2003 in Beijing. The competition is open to pianists between the ages of 17 and 32. The first prize winner will receive US dollars 25,000 and there are six other prizes. The closing date for applications is December 20 2002. Details of requirements and a copy of the application form can be obtained by writing to the Organising Committee, in Beijing or to the Secretary Western Music Panel, the Arts Council of Sri Lanka, 8th Floor, Sethsiripaya, Battaramulla. Address of Organising Committee (A25, 10th Street Dong Si Beijing. Post Code 1000007, E-mail competition (@cpaap.com).
Thank you for the music Thank you for the music, the latest production by the students of Gateway International School, Colombo under the direction of Ms. Ruwani Seimon Seneviratne will be staged on November 23 and 24 at the Lionel Wendt Theatre. This evening of song and dance will be presented by two choirs with a total of 70 students participating, between the ages of eight and 18. To get their act together, the children have been practising hard since the beginning of September. The musical line-up includes songs from Grease and ABBA to be sung by the senior choir in four-part harmony, while the junior choir will do pieces from the much loved movie Little Mermaid. The evening will be topped off with an entire segment dedicated to Christmas even though it is a little too early for carols. In between the major choir numbers will be solo and small group items to give an opportunity for some of the especially talented youngsters of this school to be heard. To enhance this magical show that is coming together under Ruwani's strict but dedicated hand there will be many costume changes as well. The evenings' dance routines are choreographed by Ruwani and two of her private students. Kamalini Samarakoon will provide accompaniment on piano, with Swingly Perera on keyboard and Kevin Baduge on drums. The students have worked with an admirable supply of commitment,
balancing their schoolwork along with the demands made on them for this
production. Designing of tickets and posters and finding sponsors for
their show have been handled entirely by this dedicated group of
youngsters. Music lovers of Colombo can look forward to a grand show by
these talented students of Gateway International School. Guitar compositions on website by ANTON NONIS Amaranath Ranatunga who has special preference for the classical style of guitar playing, has been successful in producing a set of classical and flamenco guitar composition on the website, the first of its kind in this form of guitar playing. The classical pieces consist of Ferdinand Sor's Etude in B Minor, No. 27 in Carcassi's study and Romanza. The two flamenco pieces are Amaranath's own compositions and named as Third Wave and Echo. Being attracted to classics on guitar and mastering it under the guidance of Indrani de Silva and later the American classical guitarist, Mervyn Snaders, he gradually developed interest in the traditional flamenco style too. It was learnt under Mexican flamenco maestro, Frederick Bruno. Amaranath has managed to blend both, the classical and flamenco styles
wherever possible. Samples of solo music including some of his own
compositions are available on the website on www.amaranathclassical
flamenco.com Film festival of yesteryear at Elphinstone by ANJANA GAMAGE
The National Film Corporation has scheduled a film festival of yesteryear from November 22 to 26 at 6.00 pm at the Elphinstone Theatre in Maradana in aid of the welfare fund established on October 1 for the poor film artistes and technicians who need assistance in their old age. The five films which are to be screened are "Handapana", "Sundara Birinda", "Hatharadenama Soorayo", "Thushara", and "Vasana". The film schedule is as follows: Handapana - November 22 at 6.00 pm. The cast includes late Herbert M. Seneviratne, Vijitha Mallika, late Piyadasa Gunesekera, Ruby de Mel, Syril Wickramage and H.R. Jothipala.
Sundara Birinda - November 23 at 6.00 pm with Ravindra Rupasena, Leena de Silva,Ananda Jayaratne, Claris de Silva, Reeta Rathnayake, Cristy Lenard Perera, Asoka Ponnamperuma and Liliyan Edirisinghe. Hatharadenama Soorayo - November 24 at 6.00 pm will comprise Gamini Fonseka, Malini Fonseka, Sriyani Amarasena, Vijaya Kumaratunga,Anthony C.Perera, Senadeera Rupasinghe, late Lionel Deraniyagala, Alexander Fernando and Agra Sajeewani. Thushara - November 25 at 6.00 pm with late Vijaya Kumaratunga, Malini Fonseka, Joe Abeywickrama, Sonia Dissanayake, Baptis Fernando, Mark Samaranayake, Lilian Edirisinghe, B.S. Perera, Shanthi Leka, Alexander Fernando and Piyadasa Wijekoon. Vasana - November 26 at 6.00 pm will comprise Vijaya Kumaratunga,
Malini Fonseka, Joe Abeywickrama, Geetha Kumarasinghe, Neeta Fernando,
Domi Jayawardena, Rukmani Devi, Freddy Silva and late B.S. Perera. Aswesuma in Calcutta Aswesuma directed by veteran artiste Benett Ratnayake and produced by Samanmalee Hewamanne which had bagged seven awards at the recent Sarasavi Film Festival is to be screened at the International Film Festival to be held in Calcutta today. The film has won four coveted international awards in USA, India and
Bangladesh as well. 'Different Strokes' with a difference by LAKMAL WELABADA
Tranquil scenes depicting the beauty of nature in oils were the first sight that greeted me, when I visited artist Melville Assauw a few days back. The effect was startling. The luscious scenes of tropical landscape seemed more alive than any camera shots I had seen of the same images. "Yes, they are different. That's why I decided to call this exhibition 'Different Strokes'," says Assauw who displayed his talents on canvas at his fourth solo exhibition which opened at the Lionel Wendt art gallery on Friday (November 15). Today is the last day of the exhibition and if you are either an art lover or nature enthusiast, this is an event not to be missed.
Assauw's love for art began when he was a school boy at St. Peter's College, Colombo. The highlights of his early painting career was when he was invited to donate his paintings to aid needy people overseas. The proceeds from the sale of his work went to the funds raised to assist the flood victims in Bangladesh in the late 1970s, and in 1999 for programme to give Indonesian street children a better future. Assauw has been described as an artist who has grown alongside his brush. "This hobby also helped me to hold a successful venture in the advertising industry in Sri Lanka," says the artist who is often described as one of the pioneers of the industry. And testimony to that is in the fact that for the past several years he has been running one of the top advertising agencies in the country, which has now been turned into a family business. "We have a lot of young talent in ad-directing. I cannot see why
we spend so much of dollars in importing ads, directors and models from
India", he says pointing out that Sri Lanka has beautiful girls and
locations and that of importing the ads, youth were losing job
opportunities. 'Dawn' a colourful visual exercise by Prasad Abu Bakr
Artist Aruna Senanayake's recent exhibition at the National Art Gallery focused on village life featuring temples, monks, farmers, fishermen and paddy fields which the artist is familiar with. He uses an assortment of brush strokes in the process of painting his pictures. His overpowering desire to dedicate more time to his passion of
painting made him quit his job from the Police service. Inspired by his
father, who was an artist, Aruna attended to many needs of the village
whenever his talent was called upon to help. With no financial gains, he
practised his creative exercise to decorate many interiors of hotels,
among which were Club Palm Garden Marawila, Lanka As an artist who is proud of his rural bearings Aruna's paintings depicting Sri Lanka's heritage have brought him many admirers specially among foreigners. the recent exhibition of Aruna, captivated an audience among local art lovers which goes to prove that art is a universal language, a language that Aruna has mastered well enough to communicate with. |
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Assauw is a self-taught artist who had fine-tuned his in-born talents
by associating with renowned artists like David Painter, Ivor Baptist and
Donald Ramanayake. Their style of art he admits, had inspired him a lot in
doing portraits and landscapes using - the 'real' or 'photographic'
technique of painting.
Princess, Wornels Reef
and Neptune, Moragolla taking priority. His flair to decorate trade stalls
and interiors has contributed to his development as an artist in a big
way.
