Entertainment / People

Fashion Designer of the Year 2006

One time stage actress, the versatile fashion designer Chula Nanayakkara Ariyaratna's Fashion Designer of the Year contest 2006 will be held at the BMICH on November, 30 2006. The event is sponsored by the Singer Fashion Academy with D.H.L as co-sponsors.

The media sponsors are Sunday Observer and Daily News. This year, a winner will be chosen from each of the four categories; sari, evening, casual and office wear as well. In this new feature, each winner from the categories will be awarded a sewing machine from Singer. The trophy is in memory of Sujatha Jayawardena, the well-known personality who passed away eight years ago and who was Chula's teacher.

The event will be enlivened with Latin American dances and entertainment provided by Chandana Wickramasinghe's troupe. Top Sri Lankan models will represent the designers. Tickets are available at Singer Mega Showrooms and at Salon Ramzi's, 65/7A, D. S. Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 8. Watch out for more news in the weeks ahead.

'Prince' felicitated

Beverley Jansz

DANCE: Managing Director of the Prince Ratnam School of Social Dancing, Dehiwala Prince Ratnam, popularly known as the 'Prince of Social Dancing', was felicitated on the 12th anniversary of his school at a dinner dance held at the Holiday Inn, recently.

Prince was given a red carpet welcome and was greeted at the entrance by Rukmaly Perera, a senior pupil of Prince Ratnam. "I did my first step of dancing at Jaffna as a student," said Prince with all smiles.

In the early 90s he joined the Dance Lanka School, Nugegoda where he learnt the finer points of Social Dancing, Latin American and Ballroom. Prince started his school of dancing in 1994 in a very small way at Wattala, and shifted his school to Moratuwa with only 15 to 20 students. Following a short stint abroad, Prince started the Prince Ratnam School of Social Dancing at St. Mary's Church Hall, Dehiwala, with only one girl and one boy, but he never gave up.

With time and hardwork his school of dancing snowballed into a massive project and now Prince runs another school of Social Dancing at Kandy. He runs his two schools more or less as a service.

Prince has taught social dancing to VIPs, doctors, lawyers, graduates who have now become dance maestros. Not only is Prince a dance maestro, but also a talented singer. His rendition of 'Green Green Grass of Home' with Super Pink 'n' Purple on the bandstand brought the roof down at Holiday Inn,' with his dance students screaming for more.

The evening was indeed very colourful and entertaining with "Friends in Harmony" and "Super Pink 'n' Purple entertaining the audience from the bandstand.

Esraj soloist in concert

by Mahes Perera

Sarath Kumarasinghe a popular Esraj soloist when he was in Sri Lanka will stage his Immortal Melodies 2 concert on Saturday November 11, at the Don Bosco Secondary School Auditorium in Toronto, Canada.

Sarath one of the foremost classical Esraj players in North America has a keen sense in improvisation which has added colour to his performances. Two years ago he held a highly successful Solo Esraj Concert and Saturday's concert is a follow up one by popular demand.

Kumarasinghe started playing the Esraj when he was twelve years old while studying in a secondary school at home in Colombo. Under the guidance of Vishard H. de S Jayasekera, he joined the Bhathkanda College of Music, Lucknow, India to nurture his skills in classical vocal and instrumental music.

In Sri Lanka he was a leading light at numerous recordings, radio, television and stage performances in classical and light music. His artistry was also sought after in music tracks for several Sri Lankan movies.

His soothing style of playing the Esraj and the uniqueness of the tone he gets from the instrument has inspired many a musician and has endeared him to a long line of fans. Sarath Kumarasinghe is presently domiciled in Canada and has also given successful performances in Hamilton, Ottawa and Montreal.

Hiru releases a new album

by Hemasiri Kuruppu

Hiru Musical Troupe (HMT) released a new album with sixteen traditional Sri Lankan folk music at the International music festival which was held in China on October 30. The event make the twelfth anniversary of Hiru.

HMT group leader Sangeeth Visharad Duminda Kadigamuwa told the Sunday Observer, to mark this memorable occasion that they have made all arrangements to do the first recording their new album. Sixteen new songs are on the theme of unity for a free Sri Lanka.

Several popular lyric writers from all ethnic groups composed new songs in Sinhala, Tamil, English, Hindi, Chinese and Arabic for the new album. Meanwhile, HMT have informed the Veddha Chieftain Uruwarige Vannila Aththo of Dambana to produce a traditional singer from the veddha community to take part with them and the chieftain's response was very good.