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| Sunday, 1 June 2003 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Desmond celebrates 40th year in showbiz: Mega gig at BMICH on June 7 by DAVEENA PAKIANATHAN Desmond de Silva better known as Des to his admirers will be back in Sri Lanka to celebrate his 40th year in showbiz with a mega gig at the BMICH on June 7. Already eager fans are waiting to tap their feet and shake their bodies to the music of Desmond and the ever popular group Gypsies (who are backing Des). Well, there's been lot of hype regarding this show and there is anticipation in the air. It is a show everyone's looking forward to.
He entered the world of music as lead vocalist of the "Fire - Flies" in 1963 and also did stints with the Spitfires, Gabo & the Breakaways and the Jet-liners. In 1976 Des formed his own group called Desmond and the Clan which has performed in the Maldive Islands, Kathmandu and Scandinavia. A man of the times, Des has made music accessible to the masses and believes in doing it his way, and likes to travel to entertain the Sri Lankan communities around the world. Desmond represented Sri Lanka at the 5th Olympiad of Song held at the Olympic Stadium in Athens, Greece, in 1973. And he took part in the Yamaha Song gala in Tokyo, Japan. The feat of recording 550 Bailas has won him a wide circle of fans who to relish his performances. This show is a tentative project after two years planned by Desmond himself. The presentation and format have been given considerable thought with emphasis being on songs cherished by a cross section of his fans. Des remarks he is indeed inspired to work with the Gypsies because of their immense talent and dedication. Sunil and Piyal Perera and Cumar Peries who is doubling as director of music for the concert, Golden Cleff Award winner Nevanthi Peiris, Antoinette De Alwis and her daughter Ashanthi (also a Golden Cleff winner) will spice up the show. So get ready to entertain yourself along with the undisputed King of Baila! **** Desmond live in concert is brought to you with the compliments of the Sunday Observer, Singer Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines and Creative I. ###### 'Secret of love' from June 1-8
The inner feelings, untold hidden emotions of young women will be the theme of 'Secret of love', an art exhibition by Nilushika Pathirana, to be held at Thambapanni Restaurant gallery at Duplication Road, Colombo from June 1 to 8.
The paintings done with oils and water colours are a mix of abstract and realistic styles. Nilushika is a final year student at the Department of Aesthetic Studies affiliated to the University of Kelaniya. 'Secret of Love' will be her first solo exhibition. She has won many awards in art competitions since her school days at Newsted Balika, Negombo. - Lakmal ###### Unusual programme by Music Club There was an hour's unusual programme of collectors' items of musical transcriptions presented by Lakshman Joseph-de-Saram at the Music Club meeting at 3 Kinross Avenue, Colombo 4 on May 6. There was Anon-Mozart "variations on 'Twinkle twinkle little star' which Mozart had dashed off at the age of nine. Bach-Brahms was a piano transcription by Brahms of a Bach fugue. Beethoven-Mozart was a forgotten set of variations for piano and cello by Beethoven of an air from Mozart's opera "The magic flute". Chopin-Sarasate was a transcription for violin with piano accompaniment of the Chopin Nocturne in E flat major Op.9 No. 2 by the Spanish virtuoso violinist Sarasate. The strangest of all was a J Strauss-Rachmaninoff in which there was a performance of an encore item in which Rachmaninoff had played his own transcription of 'The Blue Danube' at a concert in Vienna. He had never written it down but it had been available on tape and some wizard had transcribed it off the tape and then played it. - VB ###### Finding expression through the human form by Neomi Kodikara
Human beings are fascinating. They are complex, diverse, capable of changing mood in a split-second. A fragment from myriad moods of people of varied walks of life, men and women, rich and poor etc. as seen through the eyes of an artist and a man sensitive to such subtle changes will be featured in 35 paintings under the theme 'Expressions' on June 6 from 6 pm to 8.30 p.m. at Lionel Wendt Gallery. I am not an adept critic of art, but from the first glance at his paintings I fell in love with those, charismatic, curved, full, lively, fresh and richly expressive human portraits. Realistic and poignant depiction of human figures seems to me to communicate more directly with the public. Jayantha Silva, the artist behind these paintings of figures and portraits says the photographic memory of people he happens to see in a journal or in the day-to-day life, blended with his imagination has been the source of inspiration for his art. Representing the human figure is one of the most challenging of artistic disciplines as well as one of the most fascinating. It was the focus of art in ancient Greece, Rome and classical Hindu sculpture.
Jayantha follows the art of detailed portrayal of human figures. Yet surprisingly they are not based on models and this was made possible by studying human expression and figure which was his hobby from his days as a tiny school boy. "In my artistic mind I used to undress beautiful woman-figures, this act lent sustenance to my art," Jayantha frankly admits. He recalls his first painting of a 'nude' that came out at an age, he had not even seen a nude photograph. "It was totally through my imagination," he says. 'Expressions' presents the portraits of South-east Asians. According to him it is among Sri Lankans, he finds the most expressive faces. He believes pastel is the best medium to paint human figures and the hues and shades, he says depend on his mood at the time of work and the message he tries to convey. Jayantha's re-birth as an artist was wholly because of his hunger to express himself. For 20 long years the artist in him was dying, "In fact I was killing him with my busy lifestyle and thousands of other duties as a Managing Director of an advertising agency, husband and father." About a couple of years back through an accidental attempt he realised that his talents have not left him. His maiden exhibition is dedicated to Rohan Abeysinghe, his best friend who died last October. "Since childhood he was my critic, and was bold enough to pinpoint my faults, uplift and encourage me in my hour of despair," muses Jayantha. |
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| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
Desmond has been residing in the United Kingdom for the past 16 years
and has been working for H.R. Owen, a motor vehicle company as a service
adviser. His hobbies are sports and reading. He was born in Matara to a
family with great musical talent which has brought him to his present
position of mastery. Desmond will act as an "Ambassador" for the
Hope Hospital Project. He has also plans to contribute to a housing
project for the less privileged.
