He did it the Sunil Santha way

by Aditha Dissanayake

Ever thought of how you could get rich and famous in a fortnight? Play cricket? No. For that you have to be a male and have a hair-do similar to a crow's nest made of pieces of straw. The easiest way to become a demi god these days is to get selected as a super star, singing other people's songs.

Is this plagiarism? Is this wrong? No. Not when it happened in the past.

Think of Ivor Dennis. If not for him most of us who were born decades and decades after the 1950s would never have heard "Olu Pepeela" or "Thel gala hisa peeran nano" or any of the other famous songs of Sunil Santha almost in the maestros own voice.

Almost in his own voice? Come again! Yes, exactly the same voice. Here is how Ivor Dennis recalls his encounter with his guru in the early 1950s. "When I was still at school I took part in a programme for amateur singers on the radio. I sang Sunil Santha's "Waren Heensare, Redee walawe".

As chance would have it Sunil Santha had heard the song when it was aired and had listened thinking he was hearing a song he himself had sung. Then he had noticed a slight hitch and realized no, this was someone else singing one of his songs in exactly the same voice".

That small hitch in the singing had brought forth the turning point in Ivor Dennis's life. Wanting to discover the youngster who could sing exactly like him, Sunil Santha had dispatched a friend to Seeduwa in search of Ivor thus paving the way for the longest and the greatest journey in his life. "I was beside Sunil Santha in everything he did. He asked me to join his classes, he helped me become what I am today".

Talking about the current super star craze he confesses he hardly ever watches the programme during the weekend, but that, on the rear occasions he has seen it he had been surprised at the vast amount of talent displayed by the contestants.

"Most of the participants are very talented. It is very good to encourage them, but I don't agree with the way their singing is judged. How good they are, or how bad they are, should not depend on the number of sms-votes they receive".

Today, leading a peaceful retired life, in his home in Seeduwa, looking back at his career as a singer, which had begun in 1956, Ivor Dennis recalls 1986 as a memorable year in his life, for it was in this year that he had won first place in an international singing competition organized by the Asian Broadcasting Union in New Zealand.

He had taken part in it along with Angeline Gunatilake. The other countries he had travelled to include Australia, Italy and Japan.

A man of few words, having celebrated his 75th birthday this year, even though he says he has many dreams which are yet to be fulfilled, the impression I form of this legend who has lulled at least three generations with his golden voice, at the end of my short acquaintance with him, is one of someone who is at great peace with himself and the world around him.

Here is a person who seems to believe if a thing is worth saying, you sing it - the Sunil Santha way.

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Uthurana Kiri Kalasa Vilasin...

A felicitation ceremony to pay tribute to Ivor Dennis, organized by Chandra Keerthi Kularatne will be held on October 22, at 6.15 pm at the Tower Hall Maradana. A CD with fifteen new songs of Ivor Dennis as well as a book titled "Apa dutu Ivor" edited by Chandra Keerthi Kularatne will also be launched at the event.

Among those who will take part in "Uthurana Kiri Kalasa Vilasin", are Sunil Liyanarachchi, Sadun Kumburuthanna, George Dinesh Manthrige, Iresh Prasad, Ranga Dayal Hewage, Asela Sudarshana, Prasad, Kalum Niroshan, Chandana Liyanage and Bandula Ananda.

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