The man behind "Daffodil Mala"

by Lakmal Welabada

'Golden Daffodils dancing in the wind..' Chaaminda Ratnasuriya quickly remembered a line of William Wordsworth's poetry which he had absorbed the other day. It was after a brief struggle, that the young lyricist managed to complete a unique song by adding 'flowery' words to the tune handed over to him by Dayan Witharana.

It was how the famous song sung by Dayan was produced. No sooner in early 2000 the song became a hit though it brought little fame to its lyricist Chaaminda or the musician Karunaratne Wijewardane.

But the 'Daffodil Mala' won many hearts of fans and the confidence of singers and artistes of the country. Veteran singer Neela Wickremasinha who recognised the creative ability of the youngster introduced him to Irvin Weerackody, owner of the Phoenix Ogilvy advertising agency. And today Chaaminda works as a copy writer there.

"Working as a copy-writer in an advertising field would not allow a creative artiste to pour his creativity as he wishes. We have to create things to satisfy our clients and it depends on the taste of the buyer. But still we try our best to give a better artistic message to the society," explains Chaaminda.

The young lyricist-writer is a nature lover. The fresh breeze that flowed kissing the blooming paddies in his village, Tennekumbura, Kandy where a lot of greenery could be viewed in every turn and facet has been still instilled in his memory. It was the very scene he used to see when he was a child both morning and afternoon while schooling, firstly to Vidyaloka M.V., Tennekumbura and secondly to Kingswood College, Kandy.

During the holidays Chaaminda and his three younger brothers never missed the visit to their mother's village, Blackpool, Nuwara Eliya. Chaaminda still remembers how he used to admire the greenery and the beauty of the fauna and flora of both places.

Though today he has won fame as a creative person, he had nothing to do with composing or writing when he was a school boy. Playing football in the playground and scribbling portraits (faces) in the school note books and presenting them to his buddies were his pastimes. It was when he was at A/L classes that he started changing his traits.

He developed a sudden passion towards poetry, and started penning down a 'nisades'. "But it was hard. Sometimes, how ever much I struggled I could not pen a word. So I realised that I had to elaborate and strengthen my knowledge. So I began to explore it in good old literature," says Chaaminda who has been expanding his wisdom through 'good' literature like 'Geetha Govinda' and 'Sandesa Kavya'.

Japanese short poetry 'Haiku' guided his aesthetic vision in to another better direction. The young poet who was much extroverted among his peers silently enjoyed spouting out his inner thoughts into a creative 'nisadasas'. He might have neither bothered to show his work to anybody or none knew his abilities.

However, the youngster never had any particular aim or set goals for life. After the A/L exam, he earned his very first rupee by working as an insurance agent. As a child Chaaminda always fascinated to watch farmers working in the paddy fields at Tennekumbura and planting vegetables in 'helmalu' at Nuwara Eliya.

Leaving insurance, the young man decided to seek greener pastures at Nuwara Eliya. He became a farmer and wrote one of the most happiest and memorable episodes in his autobiography. The one and half acre land inherited from his mother soon produced a grand harvest. His sweat was not in vain.

He was a successful farmer until the government of that era decided to import potatoes. "It was a tsunami that blew across Nuwara Eliya. We could not sell our crops and lost in lakhs. So I gave up my three-year farming career and returned to Kandy," he reminisces.

After that episode he went through a 'nonagathaya' (inauspicious) period for five years. Nothing seemed to be coming in a stable and proper manner. But still the youngster knew how to face things with a smile and always tried to give a smile to others' faces as well by cracking bone breaking jokes.

He also continued some freelance work by writing radio jingles and radio spots. Simultaneously he joined a drama troupe and started detecting his capabilities for drama. Chaaminda's meeting with Ranil Mallawarachchi, son of the late evergreen singer Milton Mallawarachchi was another diverting turn in his life.

The two became good buddies, and Ranil chose Chaaminda's lyric 'Nosithu Aadaraya' (the unexpected love) to sing with Harsha Bulathsinhala for their album 'Ranil Mal Dahasa' in 1994. This song marked the rise of the duet in recent times. "And it was the first sinhala rap song," claims Chaaminda.

After Ranil and Harsha many singers were fortunate enough to get the graceful wordings from the young rebel whose mission was to write something that would challenge the music director.

Chaaminda has his own style and identity in his lyrics whose lines were impossible to set music to. Kithsiri Jayasekara's 'Cinderella', Kasun Kalhara's 'Radical Premaya', Samitha Mudunkotuwa's 'Samsara Aaranya', Lakshman Hewawitharana, Neela Wickremasinha, Uresha Ravihari, Anuradha Perera, Nelum Ratnayaka and Sathis Perera are a few among those fortunate singers who have sung the young revolutionist's rebellious lyrics.

Chaaminda has little, but firm plans for the future. It seems the young man has at last decided to lay a concrete foundation to both his career and personal life. However the young composer loves to proceed a carefree life that would lead on the middle path.