A music legend of our times...

Tenth death anniversary of Clarence Wijewardene

By Prasad Gunewardene

Ten years ago, the date was December 13. Number thirteen; some say is unlucky to some. The previous day he showed no signs of bidding goodbye. But, in the early hours of that thirteenth day, the One Above decided that he should write, compose and sing those beautiful melodies to the angels over there. The stubborn fact of our mortality is brought to our homes most forcefully when somebody known to us dies at a relatively young age. If that somebody was a glamorous figure who had taken the country by storm, the poignant nature of his death is even more carved in our hearts. It was in that backdrop that the legend of Sinhala pop music, Clarence Wijewardene went at the age of fifty three.

Hailing from Matale, this son of an estate doctor gave up a lucrative planting career to enter the music scene. He wanted a change to the style that then existed. Clarence brought about a revolution in the Sinhala music industry. He introduced the electric guitar.The style of music by this young man in the early 1960s earned him the recognition as the progenitor of Sinhala pop. If there was one who made a special contribution to advance and expand the stream of Sinhala pop,it was Clarence Wijewardene and no one else. Clarence a self made man in music was gifted this talent by the One Above in whom he had much faith as a Christian.

Clarence in his lifetime was ignorant of musical notations or anything in the theory of music. Beautiful melodies came to him. He would pen lovely lyrics. The melody comes to him. He tapes it on a small cassette recorder. Thereafter, the heart rending interludes flowed to him like a river. That was how Clarence Wijewardene reached the peak in Sinhala pop. He was a friend of all musicians. When Clarence made the mark as a top musician, he thought of others. To him, the opposite popular pole at that time was H.R. Jothipala, whose voice appealed to the lumpen and working classes because of the vibrancy of his singing. To Clarence, Jothipala was a legend. At the invitation of veteran broadcaster, Karunaratne Abeysekere, Clarence penned and did music for a few songs to Jothipala. One of them was the popular "Gangawai Maha Muhudai".

If there was a singer who sang to the pop style music at that time, Clarence was the man who made him popular with his compositions. Apart from his life long friend Annesley Malawana, there were others like Milton Mallawaarachchi and Priya Suriyasena who depended on Clarence for exciting compositions. He led the "Moonstones" with the emergence of Annesley Malawana as his lead vocalist. The success of Annesley was the gain of Clarence. In music they became an inseparable duo. Realising this fact, Clarence in his journey, decided to abandon "Golden Chimes" and re-unite with Annesley to form the "Super Golden Chimes", which became the only hit band of that era. The adventures of Clarence's music created a saga of his own from the hits"Mango Nanda"-"Dilhani" for Indrani Perera. All compositions were blessed with simplicity. He later progressed to more complexed textures like "Sihina Lovak Dutuwa" to "Kanda Suriduni".

Clarence's music left a legacy to many. Why? The outstanding characteristics of his music were tasteful and refined in contrast to much of the vulgarity of the so called popular music that followed and even continues to hold the centre stage. What do we have and enjoy in music now? Men and women who call themselves musicians or singers today either kill a lovely composition of Clarence or somebody by their so called 'rapping'.

In the proper sense the song is actually raped and not rapped. The death of Clarence Wijewardene only brought down the curtain of an era, which one would today admit was an era of lost innocence. Clarence had many wishes and dreams. One was to bring his last group"Super Golden Chimes" back on stage. He bid goodbye early though he planned a re-union of the band with Annesley who was by his bedside in hospital, just a few weeks prior to his death. Annesley fulfilled that great dream of Clarence a few years after his death.

Not stopping at that, Annesley paid another glowing tribute to his mentor, last month by bringing the original "Moonstones" and "Super Golden Chimes" back on stage at the BMICH where Annesley marked his 40 years in music. The notable absentee was Sheela Wijewardene,wife of Clarence. Annesley piercing the audience called for Sheela to come on stage to accept a financial reward. But, later it was reported that she was absent though she had accepted the invitation.

The talents of Clarence were admired greatly by his fans. Many followed the style of his music. Even the generation of today is mad over the music styles of Clarence. Though the curtain fell for the "Creator" of Sinhala pop, Clarence Wijewardene on December 13, 1996,his legacy continues uninterrupted. Clarence is gone.....but, his music lives on.

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