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| Sunday, 21 November 2004 |
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| News Business Features Editorial
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Happenings Bunka Awards 2004
The 11th Bunka (Cultural) Awards organised by the Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Cultural Fund will be held on November 24, 2004 at the Rupavahini Corporation. Several mid-career Sri Lankan artistes will receive Bunka Awards from this Fund at the ceremony, in the presence of Vijitha Herath, Minister of Cultural Affairs and National Heritage and Akio Suda, Ambassador of Japan. The Japan-Sri Lanka Friendship Cultural Fund was established in 1993 on the initiative of the Japanese Association and the Japanese Commerce and Industry Association in Sri Lanka, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan with a view to foster better cultural ties between the two countries. Apart from the performances by the award winners themselves, the highlight of the ceremony would be a special guest performance by a popular Japanese vocalist Ms. Chikaco Sawada, who will be specially flown in for this ceremony from Japan courtesy Singapore Airlines, Hilton Colombo, Toyota Lanka (Pvt) Ltd., Aitken Spence Group of Companies, Hotel Tree of Life and Yamaha Music Centre. Ms. Sawada is a popular Japanese singer whose single record Aitai which means Wanting to See You had over a million sales in Japan. While the ceremony will be held at Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation amidst a gathering of distinguished invitees, a recorded version of the award ceremony will be televised on 'Channel Eye' for he benefit of the viewers of Sri Lanka on November 25, from 9.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. Young dance champions by Mahes Perera
Young Liven Jansen and Shalini Jayatilleke students of the Strict Tempo Dance School were winners at the Crystal Dance sport Championships 2004, held in Malaysia. They carried off the trophies in the Beginners Cha Cha and Beginners Jive categories. This championship was organised by the World Dance Academy Malaysia with international participation from the Asia Pacific Region and was held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on October 24. At a media briefing held recently, Liven and Shalini students of Gateway International School, were full of joy that they came out winners, they couldn't believe that they were judged the best! "We never had any plans to participate, it just came upon us suddenly. A decision taken by our dancing school teacher Langston Comester and our parents.
We've been dancing together for the past two years and within a short time we had to work hard to reach a higher standard. We were put through our paces by Langston and we must thank him for all the hard work as well as our parents for their support" Liven and Shalini speak their thoughts in unison. In Malaysia it was a one dance Cha-Cha and Jive competition and Liven and Shalini had to compete with fourteen other couples from Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. "We were the only black couple and we thought oh my gosh! that could be a draw back. The preliminary rounds were in the morning and the show in the evening. We were not sure whether we would make it to the finals - we told ourselves lets be satisfied with the whole experience which was tremendous. But we got a lot of support from the participants of the other countries, especially from an Irish dance teacher who was just eighteen years and who gave us a lot of courage and last minute instructions. We were happy to settle for second place and when we heard the announcement of the winner and the loud cheering we told each other "are we really hearing this...!" concluded a happy Liven and Shalini. Langston Comester a leading qualified Dance teacher said he established his school nine years ago and has been entering his students for all the National Dance Championships, Footwork Dancesport Championships. He trained and groomed students for the recently conducted medal exams by the International Dance Teachers Association UK organised by the Ballroom Dancers Federation International Sri Lanka. The objective of his school is to keep alive the interest and quality of dancing at all levels from social dancing to medal exams to competition dancing. A Lankan wedding for Japanese couple by Udula Peiris Tying the nuptial knot on the traditional Sinhala Buddhist way has
become popular among Japanese couples in Sri Lanka. Recently Goji Aramaki
and his bride Ayumi entered matrimony according to Sinhala The bridegroom and the bride arrived at the 'poruwa' in two separate processions accompanied by a Kandyan dancing troup. They stepped on to the 'poruwa' at the auspicious time. The little fingures of the bride and the groom were tied by a thin gold string upon which water was poured to fulfil the rite of Atha Pen Wedeema. Thereafter they exchanged rings and presents. The couple thereafter received the elders and close relations by presenting sheaves of betel in the Sinhala manner. Jayamangala gaatha were sung by a bevy of girls to bless the new couple. They were made to descend from the 'poruwa' at the predetermined auspicious time. After the couple jointly lit the traditional oil lamp the wedding cake was cut and the reception began in the usual way, on a grand scale. |
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| Produced by Lake House |
Buddhist rites
at the Ven. Pelpola Vipassi Foundation under the guidance of Ven. Pelpola
Vipassi Thera, attended by a large number of friends and relations. A
large number of distinguished guests including Trade and Consumer Affairs
Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle and IGP Chandra Fernando were also present
on the occasion.
