Sandika Madushan

Sunil Santhi

THE re-entry of Sunil Santhi into the field of Sinhalese music is hailed as an important event by all lovers of Sinhalese music.

It is a pity that this creative artist was forced to give up music  for a period of six years. This was indeed a loss to Sinhalese music which is still in its infancy.

The factors that contributed for his down-fall are varied and many. His bitterest enemies were cause of his contemporaries who were jealous of his popularity and his music and left no stone unturned to vilify him and discredit his music.

Most of Sunil's songs are derived from the folk songs of Ceylon like the Vannams, Pal Kavi, Goyan Kavi Karaththa Kavi, Viridu, Seepoda etc. They are gracefully blended with North Indian music and the final result is a very pleasant music, which can be called our own. Sunil Santhi called these type of songs as "Daeseeya Sangeetha", and he is perfectly right in calling them so as there is definitely a 'Sinhaleseness' in all those songs.

His compositions, dwell on simple subjects like birds flowers, fruits, clouds, sun, village maidens etc.

They are very fascinating unlike the present day film songs, which dwell mainly on love. Song like Olu, Pipeela, Erabasa yanne Katharagammae, Bovitiya Lanka Lanka Rella Naganna, Ridee Walawe Kelamala, etc. etc. have stirred the imagination of both young and old.

Sunil Santhi's music is in the film "Rekawa", which is considered to be one of the best Sinhalese films, is a challenge to most of our film producers, who yet think that there are no competent men to provide music for Sinhalese films.

W. M. BANDARA

Kandy.