AMARA RANATHUNGA: THE MUSIC GENIUS

The recent demise of veteran musician, songstress and scholar Prof. Amara Ranathunga has created a void in the country’s music scene. Amara Ranathunga who was born in August 1939, became the country’s first Professor in Music and she together with her celebrity husband Dr. Dayaratne Ranathunga became the first Sri Lankan couple to serve as lecturers at the University of California, focussing on North Indian music. Both Amara and Dayaratne started learning music from their childhood and both became diploma holders in music at the age of 18. She was among the first batch of students at the Government Music School when she was a schoolgirl. The committed youngster used to travel from her hometown Hanwella to Colombo to attend music classes and that commitment and dedication was evident until her demise. She later studied music at the Bathkande and Benaris universities in India. Her evergreen songs like Palu Pele Mata Thani Nehe, Eeye Rea Oba Sihinen Dedawoo, Eka Kirulak, Pem Sililare, Radha Krishna, Maha Re Yame, Selalhiniyo, Prema Kathawaka and Sapumal Suwandak Se are hits even today. Amara who had written significant books on music based on extensive research, started her professional career as a music teacher. She later held top positions in universities where she groomed a large number of musicians and singers who later became popular personalities.