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| Sunday, 12 January 2003 |
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Latha Walpola notches 55 years of singing by ANJANA GAMAGE Latha has been singing from the tender age of thirteen with her first song Namo Mariani in 1947. That was the beginning of an uninterrupted singing career of Rita Genevive Fernando who was baptised Latha by veteran painter, cartoonist and singer Susil Premaratne.
To-date, she has created a Sri Lankan record by singing over 5000 songs during her career highest by an artiste so far. Latha's fans, admirers and with the government assistance will pay a handsome tribute to her on January 18 for completion of her 55 years of singing career when she turns 70. Rajina Mamai (I am the queen), a felicitation concert will be held on January 18 at 6.30 pm at the BMICH with the participation of Deputy Leader and Minister of Power and Energy Karu Jayasooriya, Minister of Human Resources, Education and Cultural Affairs Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku and a large number of distinguished artistes. According to the organisers, Latha will sing thirty of her most popular songs at the three-hour concert which will also include eight dance items presented by well-known choreographers, Padmini Dahanayake, Kulasiri Buddawatte, Rajini Selvanayagam, Channa Wijewardena and Rangana Ariyadasa. Artistes, Sangeeth Nipun Sanath Nandasiri, Victor Ratnayake, Susil Premaratne, Ishak Beg, Rukantha Gunatilake, Nuwan Gunewardena, Saman de Silva, Rajiv Sebastian, Amith Walpola, Suneth Walpola and Ravindra Randeniya will assist Latha in co-singing. Music will be by Sarath de Alwis. The guest lectures will be delivered by Pandith W.D. Amaradeva and Ravindra Randeniya. The concert will be conducted by Sathischandra Edirisinghe with Dulakshi Perera. Rana Monaro, a CD and a audio cassette with Latha's popular songs and a commemoration booklet edited by Saman Chandranath Weerasinghe will be launched on the same day. The concert is organised by the Department of Cultural Affairs with the assistance of Tower Hall Theatre Foundation and the BMICH Foundation. The media sponsorship will be from ITN and Lakhanda Radio. |
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Latha who later became Walpola after marrying Dharmadasa Walpola, queen
of Sinhala melody began her singing career in films, as the playback
artiste for the film Eda Re in 1953. The film Prema Tharangaya which was
her second and her Honda Hondama Veya Lova became a popular hit.
