TRIBUTE TO NARADA TOMORROW
Aspecial commemorative event titled ‘Mudu Hadawathaka Thathu’ will be held at the Battaramulla Janakala Kendraya tomorrow, August 28 at 6 pm to mark the second death anniversary of award-winning singer Narada Dissasekara.
Minister Dinesh Gunawardane will participate as the Chief Guest while the keynote address will be delivered by Prof. Carlo Fonseka.
Visharada Nanda Malini, Rohana Weerasinghe, Dayaratne Ranatunga, Amara Ranatunga, T. M. Jayaratne, Bandula Wijeweera, Janaka Wickremasinghe, Ronnie Leitch, Deepashika Ranatunga and Ranjan Saliya will be featured in a musical tribute show held during the event. The Army Oriental band will provide the music while Srimath Indrajith Liyanage will compere the event organised by a committee headed by Neela Dissasekara.
The event will coincide with the launch of a book on Narada titled ‘Mudu Hadawthaka Thathu’.
Narada who was born on June 7, 1933, joined Radio Ceylon’s engineering division on December 15, 1955 and retired as an audio engineer in 1967. He joined Radio Ceylon again in 1970 and produced musical programmes such as Newum Mihira, Dhawala Sanka and others.
Edmund Jayasuriya penned Narada’s first solo ‘Thilowa Thilaka Budu Piya’ paving the way for him to sing hundreds of melodious songs.
In a career that spanned five decades in the music scene, Narada won several other awards for his vocal talents. He breathed his last on May 19, 2010. Tomorrow’s commemorative ceremony ‘Mudu Hadawathaka Thathu’ is being organized by Narada’s wife Neela Dissasekara and some of her closest associates.
“I am extremely grateful to Narada’s Kalutara Maha Vidyalaya schoolmate Major Gen. Nissanka Wijesinghe and his wife, Pushpa Malalsekara, Nalendra and Girly Amarasinghe for their immense support in making this event a success. I am also thankful to Minister Dinesh Gunawardane and his son Yadamini for helping me to get the plot to build a tomb at the Borella General Cemetery in memory of Narada last year, to coincide with his first death anniversary,” Neela told Impulse.
“The book titled ‘Mudu Hadawathaka Thathu’ edited by Inoka Perera Bandara encompasses chapters in his life and also lyrics of his popular songs. I am grateful to everybody who has contributed towards the success of tomorrow’s event. I believe Narada would be watching it from somewhere,” she said.
(Ramesh)