Clarence Wijewardane

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Clarence Wijewardene
Clarence Wijewardene on the cover of an album
Origin	Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
Years active	1965 to 1996
Genres	Sri Lankan music, Pop

Clarence Wijewardene (August 3, 1943 - December 13, 1996) is a pioneering Sri Lankan musician, who introduced the electric guitar to Sinhala music. He is said to have revolutionized Sri Lankan music in the 1960s and is often named as the father of Sri Lankan pop music - having influenced performers in ranging from Annesley Malewana to Pahan Silu. His music is often characterized by simple melodies built around a melody that featurs the electric guitar - this style may be best illustrated by the song Malata Bambaraku Se (Translated: Like a Bee To a Flower).

[edit] Life

Wijewardene was born on August 3, 1943, in Haputale, Sri Lanka, to an estate doctor. His family moved to Butugedere, Ratnapura in 1964, where Wijewardene eloped with the daughter of a local landlord, and abandoned a budding planting career to pursue music full time.

Wijewardene first reached the airwaves as part of the influential band "The Moonstones", led by singer Annesley Malewana, in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Wijewardene founded the band "The Golden Chimes" with singer Anil Bharathi following Malawana's departure to focus his energy on his family. Later, upon Malawana's return to music, Clarence formed "The Super Golden Chimes". Following Malawana's departure from music in 1978, Wijewardene launched a successful solo career that he pursued until his death.

He passed away on December 13, 1996, at the age of 53, in Sri Lanka after a brief bout with cirrhosis of the liver. Many of his songs are considered classics, and continue to enjoy ample airtime on Sri Lankan TV and Radio broadcasts.

Due, however, to the immense popularity of his songs (which has grown since his death), they have also become the subject of a lawsuit over illegally recorded renditions sampled by other Sri lankan artists (including singer Rajiv Sebastien. Clarence's widow recent filed suit against Sebastian[1], hoping to recover a portion of the income earned thru the use of her late husband's work.

[edit] Music

In the course of his career, Clarence wrote several songs that became 'classics' in his own time - among these; "Gamen Liyumak" (Translated: A Letter From the Village), "Hiruge Lowedi" (Translated: In the World of the Sun), and "Malata Bambaraku Se" (Translated: Like a Bee To a Flower).

He also composed soundtracks for several Sri Lankan films, including "Sikuruliya"; as well as teledramas such as "Suseema" and "Nidhikumba Mal".

He is often credited as having influenced the music of Pahan Silu.

[edit] External links

Vernon Corea The Golden Voice of Radio Ceylon - Listen to Clarence Wijewardene on the 'Vernon Presents' page. Vernon Corea had an influential role in promoting The Moonstones in the 1960s in Ceylon.

Drawing of Clarence Wijewardane - Look at drawings of Clarence, along with several of his fellow Sri Lankan musicians on the homepage of artist Priyan Weerappuli.