Sithijaya (horizon)
Expanding the horizons of contemporary music:
by Indeewara Thilakarathne
 The launch of Sithijaya (Horizon), the latest Compact Disk by
world-renowned Sri Lankan musician Pradeep Ratnayake, perhaps, heralds a
new era in the contemporary Sri Lankan music as the CD is aimed at
catering to the masses although Pradeep has, at no point, compromised
with quality of the music composed for the CD.
One of the unique characteristics of Pradeep's music is the blend of
music traditions from the West to the East, and classical Indian music
of both in Hindustani and Karnatic traditions. This fusion is
extraordinary in the sense that it is the diverse music traditions,
perhaps, never thought possible of fusing to make music of an entirely
different hue; yet with Sri Lankan insignia, dominated by traditional
dreams of Sri Lanka.
Though simple in diction, Sithijaya (Horizon) carries the essence of
Pradeep's manifold talents in music in his capacities as a Sitarist of
extra-ordinary talents and as an accomplished composer.
As an academic Pradeep has attempted to introduce classical music to
the masses in order to uplift the public taste or to change the course
of popular contemporary music which is dominated by songs with
monotonous primary tones and fast beats.
The CD is made up of eleven memorable tone poems; Mountain, Standing
Together, Play with me, A pageant in July, Thinking of You, Blue Skies,
Green stalks of Paddy, Batayali, Joy, Rebirth and Horse in the field.
'The Mountain' is a repertoire of tones that make up the predominant
sounds associated with a mountain. As an accomplished painter captures
the memorable scenes with fine strokes of brush, Pradeep has craftily
been able to exploit the inner most properties of sounds and their
composite effort on the audience to make an abstract painting of a
beautiful and enticing mountain with intricacies such as flashing on
water of a trickle and wild sounds of singing birds.
'Standing together' is an embodiment of the unity in diversity. For
this creation, Pradeep has used Karnatic and Sinhala traditional music
motifs as well as Hindustani music. Karnatic music and Sinhala tones
fuse without compromising one another. Kolithabanu has principally
rendered his voice for the creation.
In the 'Play with me', Pradeep was able to capture the different
tempos associated with playing. Sitar, piano and western drums and
guitar have been used for this creation. 'A pageant in July' is a tone
picture of the Kandy Perahera or procession that parades the streets of
Kandy paying homage to the sacred tooth relic.
Sri Lankan traditional music of Vannam and dreams of Sri Lanka have
been used for this creation. Pradeep has encapsulated the principle tone
motifs of the Perahera and its varying tempo in action.
'Blue Skies' is another unique creation, a tone picture of a composed
nature of the blues skies. For the creation 'Green stalks of Paddy',
Pradeep has used music motifs associated with Paddy reaping and Sri
Lankan tones in poems. 'Batayali', 'Joy', 'Rebirth' and 'Horse in the
fields' are also composite expression of different themes.
Torana music which produced the CD should be commended for
contributing to this exercise bringing the best to the wider Sri Lankan
audience through its island wide reach.
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