|
|
 |
| Sunday, 9 June 2002 |
 |
|
 |
Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Sound of Sri Lanka, sight of Japan by Mahes Perera
To commemorate 50 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Japan, the Embassy of Japan in collaboration with the Ceylon Tourist Board will present 'Sound of Sri Lanka Sight of Japan' a photographic exhibition by Nana Kashimoto. The event will be held from June 14 to June 16 at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo. Twenty years ago when Nana Kashimoto was influenced by her late husband Masami Kashimoto an internationally renowned Japanese photographer who captured on camera the grandeur of Sri Lankan flora and fauna, to take to photography she never thought she would find success like she did. "I was a writer of short stories before I was encouraged by my husband to learn the art and today I have scores of photographs out of which I have selected 50 exhibits, twenty five of them Sri Lankan and twenty five of them sights of Japan. In fact I have held ten exhibitions in Sri Lanka, Japan, South Korea and France", says Nana Kashimoto.
Laid back in nature and attractively petite Nana reveals that her exhibition is a collection of landscapes, of peoples and their lifestyles and the cultural heritages of both Sri Lanka and Japan. "Sri Lanka is full of colour and I adore the vibrant red of the flamboyant flower in bloom. In Japan the colours of nature are like pastel colours and the four seasons Japan enjoys makes nature
an interesting canvas for photography, enthuses Nana Kashimoto. It is an exhibition that should not be missed. Kashimoto's camera artistry and split second timing of what she terms 'natural scenes' is emotionally expressive. 'Sound of Sri Lanka sight of Japan' will be declared open by the
Minister of Tourism Gamini Lokuge. The Ambassador of Japan Seiichiro
Otsuka is the guest of honour. Piano quartet in concert today
Sri Lankan-born world renown pianist Rohan de Silva and internationally acclaimed violist Ashan Pillai team up with Indian-born Jagdish Mistry and Spanish cellist Damian Martinez for two concerts at the Lionel Wendt Theatre today (Sunday June 9) and on Monday June 10. The Transworld Piano Quartet have chosen to play Mozarts Piano Quartet No. 1 in G Minor K478, Benjamin Britten's Elegy for Solo Viola, Beethoven's Duo for Viola and Cello and Brahms' Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor Op 60. The proceeds from these concerts will fund a Music Development Project
designed by Ashan Pillai and the British Council together with the Western
Music Department of the Ministry of Education. The project is to encourage
children between seven and twelve years to participate in a wider
international music environment through music workshops in schools around
the country. These concerts are held with generous support from SriLankan
Airlines, Galadari Hotel, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation and SLBC. Rangana Sri Dhara By Jayanthi Liyanage A bare structure standing at Salamulla, Wellampitiya, waits for the day
it could see the life-long dream of 79-year old dance maestro, In seeking the public support for this noble aim, Sri Jayana International Culture Foundation will present "Rangana Sri Dhara", a classical Sri Lankan Dance Performance under the patronage of Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe and five other Cabinet Ministers at the Tower Hall Theatre on June 11 at 3 pm and 6.30 pm. The dancing troupes of Sri Lanka Army, Kulasiri Budawatte, Kalasuri Piyasara Shilpadhipathi, Rajini Selvanayagam, Chandra Rajakaruna, Gunaseela Abeygoda, Sirinatha Thalgahagoda and Ratna Rajapakse Amarasekera, the daughter of "Master Jayana" will assist Jayana in this endeavour. He expressed confidence that the present government would extend to him the support he requires to complete the venture. Jayana and the "Madyama Lanka Nrutya Mandalaya" he initiated
was instrumental in inculcating "dancing" into the national
school curriculum in 1944. His dancing troupe had toured many countries
and contesting with 3,600 artistes from 55 countries in France, Jayana won
the first prize at the 1989 festival of folklore. He earned the fond adage
"Shri" from former Indian premier Shri Javaharlal Nehru when he
created a ballet based on Nehru's book "Discovery of India." Sarachchandra Memorial Orations Sarachchandra Sahurjjana Sansadaya is organising the third annual orations at Sri Lanka Foundation Institute on June 14 at 4.30 pm in appreciation of the service rendered by Prof. Ediriwira Sarachchandra to Sinhala Literature, Theatre and Social thought. The Sansadaya has invited Dr. Pundit Amaradeva, who was honoured recently with the prestigious awards, Magasaysay by the Government of Philippines and Bharat Padmasri by the Government of India, to preside over these orations. Pandit Amaradeva will deliver one of the key note addresses on 'my pleasant experience in composing music to some plays of Prof. Sarachchandra. He hopes to discuss his experience working in close collaboration with Sarachchandra, while demonstrating his application of North Indian ragas and folk melodies in his composition of music for the plays Pabawathie, Vessantara, Lomahansa and Bhawakadaturawa. This would be a novel experience to the audience as he hopes to present the original form of the Raga and demonstrate how he has changed this to suit the dramatic situations of the Play. Mahanama Wickremasinghe, Nissanka Diddeniya, Menike Attanayake the veteran dramatists who took part in Sarachchandra's Plays would assist him in singing. The other lecture will be delivered by Dr. Ranjini Obeysekere of the Department of Anthropology, University of Princeton, USA on 'Modern Sinhala Literary Criticism; Professor Ediriwira Sarachchandra's contribution.' Dr. Obeysekere will examine in this lecture the Contribution of Sarachchandra as a pioneer in search of a method to evaluate Sinhala Literature. How he was influenced by Sanskrit and modern English critical theories will be discussed in detail. Dr. Obeysekere was a pupil of Sarachchandra and had taken part in Sarachchandra's Plays and published a book on modern Sinhala Literary criticism. Sisters in dance recital Guru Dakshina a dance recital by the two sisters Kushani Sandareka and Sachini Naresha will be held at the BMICH on Saturday June 15 at 6 pm. Daughters of the playback singer Maya Damayanthi Perera and Victor Vijayantha Perera the versatile Shanaist of the SLBC orchestra, Kushani and Sachini were tutored by the renowned Visharada Moksha Samarasuriya. Twenty two year old Kushani now a music teacher acquired a degree in North Indian classical music, received specialised training in this field as well as in Kandyan dancing, drum artistry and folk singing. Besides she has also acted in more than ten Sinhala films and given recitals over Rupavahini and SLBC. Her sister Sachini just seventeen years old won an award for the best young singer in the category classical solo last year. She has won a number of prizes in Kandyan dancing and has acquired a degree in Karthak Narthana. Don Asoka Wijewardena |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Kalasuri
Waidyalankakara Rathnadipathigedera "Shri" Jayana Rajapakse in
reality. The construction of Sri Jayana International Cultural Institute
intends to preserve and propagate among local and international
dance-loving generations Lanka's traditional dance arts of Kandyan,
Low-Country and Sabaragamuwa in their purest forms. The meaning of which
could be lost and garbled in the foaming tide of east-west fusions popular
among the new generation.
