The signature difference between cultured and untutored voices

For an enlightened audience in a cultural dessert:

Although many 'artists' who churned up cheap fantasies had been rewarded with medals and cash and sometimes with lands and houses, genuine artists have not been recognized by the state.

It is disgraceful that Sri Lanka has not honoured Prof. Amera Ranatunga who leads a simple life. India honoured Prof. Amera Ranatunga with the prestigious award of Bharatha Mithra . Nation should be ashamed of not bestowing on her any awards.

'Maha Re Yame' Dayaratna-Amera Abhinandana Prof. Amera Ranatunga and Dr. Dayaratne Ranatunga will be felicitated at a ceremony Maha Re Yame at the BMICH on December 5. Prof. Amera Ranatunga's book 'Musical Conceptism' will also be launched on the same day.

It is incomprehensible what the Government appreciates in the name of art, if it fails to afford due recognition to genuine art and artist. Media which highlights fake artists and their cheap fantasies should also be responsible for the sorry state of art and culture in the motherland of ours.

Speaking on the latest trends in the Sri Lankan music scene, Prof. Amera Ranatunga is of the opinion that youngsters who entered the field should have systematic education on music and proper voice training.

Pandit Ravi Shankar wanted a refined educated musician to perform in Sri Lanka-Prof. Amera Ranatunge is in extreme left.

Bharatha Mithra Award being presented to Prof. Amera Ranatunge.

Although one may be able to mimic reputed singers, the original tone of the cultured voice cannot be copied and are unique to those singers. Sheer beauty in cultured voice is peerless.

This is self-evidence when a classical vocalist sings Gamac , techniques of tone by voice. Gamac is a technique whereby a trained vocalist sings a complex note containing several notes in it. Meend is a technique that vocalist moves from one note to another continuously.

Murki is a decorated note similar to Gamac . The principle difference between a classical vocalist and an untrained vocalist is that the classical vocalist captures the subtle decorative features of each whereas an untrained vocalist fails in this regard.

Her message for youngsters who enter the field of music is not to imitate established singers and sing their songs but to make creations of their own and render their voice to them. She stressed the point that she sings Sri Lankan songs as a teacher.

Of new trends in the field, Prof. Amera Ranatunga stated that fusion music is gaining ground in diverse parts of the world. In the California University, different music traditions such as North Indian, Sri Lankan and Bengalian were fused in fusion music concerts.

She has extensively researched on music therapy and particularly the therapeutic properties in voice. She has, by now, been teaching for over 43 years and completed 50 years of her career in music. She is currently serving the university as an expert teacher.

She believes in the Sanskrit adage 'Peace through music'. According to her, it is a unifying factor which transcends artificial barriers such as race, cast, creed and nationality.

For instance in India, though there are diverse races, they all unite in a performance as notes are common. Osthad Bismillah Khan, a Shanai player and Pundit Ravi Shankar play on the same stage. She has observed it in Pakistan when she and her husband Dr. Dayaratne Ranatunga performed with Pakistani musician Akbar Fathe Ali Khan.

Refuting the argument that there is no audience for classical music, Prof. Amera Ranatunga is of the view that though each and every fan may not appreciate classical music, Sri Lanka has an informed audience who readily appreciate classical music.

However, she admits that one need to have a keen sense as well as intellect to listen and appreciate classical music.

As a vocalist she rendered her voice to several films including Jeevana Ganga by Dayananda Rodrigo and Saroja by Herbert N. Seneviratne.

It should be stated here that Prof. Amera Ranatunga is the only female vocalist who has a doctorate and also became the first lady Professor of Music when she took up duties at the University of Kelaniya in 1996.

They were very fruitful years for Prof. Amera Ranatunga as she has been able to make a lasting contribution to the field of music. During her sabbatical leave, she got a rare opportunity to join the Department of Musicology in the University of California.

While engaging in intensive research on music, she taught North Indian classical music to students in the university for over two and a half years. She also delivered special lecturers on Sri Lankan music.

Although the Chairman of the Department, Dr. Timothy Risen invited her to join the Department on permanent basis, she declined the offer, on the advice of the then Vice Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya to further teach Sri Lankan students.

Recollecting her days at the California University, She mentioned the disciplined American students and how they learnt North Indian classical music which they consider as an important subject.

In California, she contributed to fusion music concerts with techniques drawn from North Indian classical music such as Alap.

Alap, a series of notes with characteristics of the Raga and serves as an introduction to Raga . Alap was used for Ukusa Vannama in a fusion music concert held in California. During her academic career, she has written scores of books, research papers including 'Musical Conceptism'.

The book based on classical and semi-classical raga has been written in Hindi and will be launched on 6th December 2007. The book contains number of creations by her including a Raga Bhimtala which she created. Her teacher Dr. Chitea Ranjan and Jyothith supervised her work. She has also created generations of students and fans.

The lyrics for the book were taken from the book Raga Kalpadruma , a rare book of lyrics in India. Her researches include musical therapy based on North Indian Music.

Commenting on the deteriorating standards in the field of arts, Prof. Amera Ranatunga stressed the point that Sri Lankans do not yet agitated for what when they should. What Sri Lankans lacks are standards. An artist should be a person with harp senses and intellect. He/she is a one who can appreciate arts and culture.

Born into a family of eleven, Prof.Amera Ranatunga heard the first note of music at the age of eight.

Amera commenced dancing lessons under Wasantha Kumara following the footsteps of her elder sister who had, by then, entrenched herself into dancing. The father who was a principal always encouraged her in her pursuits.

She recollects vividly her school days and how she sang at various events including dramas produced by Ananda Sarath Silva. Soon she joined the popular children's programme Lama Uyana as a singer, the precursor to the Lama Pitiya , aired on SLBC and produced by Ananda Sarath Wimalaweera. Among her contemporaries were Malika Kahavita, Sidney Artigala and Primrose Jayasinghe.

Wimalweera having spotted Amera's innate talent for leaning classical music, she was directed to Dr. Lionel Edirisinghe, then Director Education who recommended that Amera should be sent to India for further studies.

She learnt classical music under the tutelage of B. S. Wijeratne and was also fortunate to be one of the first students to enter Haywood in 1952. In Haywood which was subsequently upgraded to the University of Visual and Performing Arts, she further learnt classical music prior to her departure to India.

By 1958, at the age of 18 Amera sang for the SLBC as an A grade vocalist, thus commencing her career as singer. For a short spell she taught at Meegoda Maha Vidyalaya as a teacher of music. In 1962, having been studied in India and obtained Visharada , Prof. Amera Ranatunga joined Haywood which by then was named Rajaye Lalitha kalayatanaya, as a teacher on a permanent basis.

Perhaps, Prof. Amera Ranatunga would not have been thought that this assignment would lead to many fruitful years as a university teacher and also as the country's first woman to earn PhD in music. Her students, at the time, included Sujatha Attanayake, Victor Ratnayake, Gunadasa Kapuge and Sarath Dassanayake.

Although she was satisfied with her performance at Rajaye Lalitha kalayatanaya, her wish was to study further.

Fortuitously, the University Grant Commission offered her a scholarship to study for a Post Graduate Degree in the prestigious Benaris Hindu University which is famous for its academic excellence.

The university was a bastion of group of brilliant academicians and particularly famous for its Performing Arts Section.Prof. Amera Ranatunga was privileged to learn classical music under the expert guidance and counselling of legendary teachers such as Dr. Chira Ranjan, Dr. Ritvic Sanyal and Dr. Wagmala.

One of the singular achievements during her studies in India was the fact that she obtained her Merit Master, having obtained 150 marks out of 150 for four subjects. Upon her success, she further studied music for two years for her doctorate which she completed in 1984. In 1995, she became the head of the Institute of Aesthetic Studies which was affiliated to the University of Kelaniya.

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Request to the policy-makers

As the Chairman of the Performing Rights Society which was formed on the request of then Minister of Trade and Commerce Lalith Athulathmudali, Dr. Dayaratne Ranatunga appeals to the Government to take steps to protect intellectual rights of the artists.

He pointed out that SLBC which used to pay royalty to artists and to announce names of the vocalist, lyrist and the music director had also stopped this practice. Newly established FM channels did not follow this practice as the licenses given to those channels contain no clause enforcing the Performing Rights Act. Although Dallas Alhapperuma as Deputy Minister of Cultural Affairs attempted to solve this problem, so far no action has been taken.

Dr. Dayaratne blames certain media for promoting new comers at the expense of old artists. There are numerous instances where original artist are paid a pittance while the 'duplicate' is paid handsomely. He urges the Government to put end to this unethical violation of intellectual property rights of the artists.