Music of Sri Lanka
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The music of Sri Lanka originates in cultural traditions deriving from three influences: the religious practices of Buddhism, the aftereffects of Portuguese colonization, and the commercial and historical influence of Indian culture - specifically, Bollywood cinema.
Buddhism is said to have arrived in Sri Lanka after the Buddha's visit to the island in 300 BC. Though it is debated as to how the Buddha made this journey, many believe that he did so by traveling across Rama's Bridge (the land bridge that is believed to have once connected the two present-day nations of India and Sri Lanka). Following this visit, it is believed that many of the local populous began converting to the Theravada sect of Buddhism, and it is the influence of this faith that would later begin to manifest itself in Sri Lankan music.
Portuguese colonizers arrived centuries after the Buddha, in the mid 1400s, bringing with them cantiga ballads, ukuleles and guitars; as well as African slaves (referred to, historically, as kaffrinhas), who brought with them a style of music now referred to as baila. The people of these two regions, and the musical traditions they brought with them, served to contribute further to the diverse musical roots of modern Sri Lankan music.
[edit] Endemic Instruments (The Béra)
According to the historical record available today, it is believed that several instruments originated within the tribal groups that once inhabited the island presently known as Sri Lanka. Among these, seven remain in use:
1. Gáta Béra - Also referred to as the Kandyan Drum; it is a double-headed, barrel-shaped drum, that is played by hand).
2. Thammátama - A twin-drum (similar to the bongo) that is played with two sticks instead of by hand.
3. Yak Béra - Also referred to as the Low Country Drum; it is a double-headed, barrel-shaped drum, that is played by hand (on one side), and by a stick (on the opposite side).
4. Udákkiya - A small, hour-glass shaped drum, that is played with one hand while the other hand modifies the tension of a cloth wrapped around its center (thereby changing the pitch of the drum-head).
5. Hand Răbāna - A drum similar to the tambourine (except in that it does not possess metal jingles)
6. Daŭla - A double-headed, barrel-shaped drum played by hand (on one side), and by a stick (on the opposite side).
7. Bench Răbāna - Similar to the hand rabana, except larger (it is often played by three to eight individuals simultaneously).
In addition to these drums, a new drum was recently created (in 2000) by Sri Lankan musician Kalasoori Piyasāra Shilpadhipathi, referred to as the Gaŭla - it is a barrel-shaped instrument containing one head from the Gáta Béra, and one from the Daŭla. A set of rudiments (practice rhythms) were also created by him to accommodate the instrument's unique tone.
Also in addition to these drums, the dhōlki is also used by many musicians - though this drum is believed to have descended from those brought to Sri Lanka from India - unlike the aforementioned instruments; which are believed to have existed in Sri Lanka prior to the arrival of the first Indian explorers (though this is difficult to verify due to the proximity of the two nations to one another - it is impossible to say, with any degree of certainty, that no cultural exchange occurred between the peoples of southern India and Sri Lanka prior to any particular date in history).
[edit] A Brief History of 'Modern' Sri Lankan Music
For many years, what were considered new Sri Lankan pop songs (other than baila songs), were, in large part, drawn heavily upon melodies found in Indian films - adapted to a Sri Lankan audience by substituting their original lyrics with Sinhala/Tamil lyrics.
The earliest stars of Sri Lankan recorded music came from the theater at a time when the traditional open-air drama (referred to in Sinhala as kolam, sokari or nadagam) remained the most popular form of entertainment. A 1903 album, entitled Nurthi, is the first recorded album to come out of Sri Lanka via Radio Ceylon. The station, which had long held a monopoly over Sri Lanka's airwaves, had been established in 1925, and one of Sri Lanka's pioneering broadcasters (Vernon Corea) almost immediately grasped the opportunity to introduce Sri Lankan Music on the English Services of Radio Ceylon.
During the early 1960s, music that had been produced for Indian films had grown to become the most popular kind of music in Sri Lanka. Conversely; Sri Lankan stars like Sunil Shantha and Surya Shankar Molligoda found greater popularity among Indian audiences than those in their homeland - by 1963, Radio Ceylon had more Indian listeners than Sri Lankan ones. Shantha, Molligoda, and other songwriters (most notably Mahagama Sekara), however, realized the importance of reaching the people they had long overlooked, and began the Sri Lankan Artistic Revolution. This class of songwriters is now remembered for its deeply poetic, and honestly expressed, ideas - many of which also promoted a sense of nationalism in a nation that had received independence less than a generation before in 1948 (Ananda Samarakoon, a prominent songwriter of the period, later wrote Sri Lanka's national anthem).
At the peak of this revolution, musicians such as Mohamed Ghouse, Premasiri Kernadasa and W. D. Amaradeva began pioneering a uniquely Sri Lankan style of film music. This was followed, in the mid-1960s, by the introduction of pop groups such as The La Bambas, The Humming Birds and Los Muchachos; all of whom played calypso-style baila borrowing their style from Caribbean folk-singer Harry Belafonte. This mixture of Caribbean calypso with native baila was dominated by two groups: The Moonstones, and The Golden Chimes led by musicians Annesley Malewana and Clarence Wijewardene.
Sri Lankan pop/filmi music managed to hold a large portion of Sri Lanka's market during the late 1960s and early 1970s, but by 1980, Indian film music had again displaced local musicians as the highest-selling sector of the Sri Lankan music industry.
Since 1998, Many Pop/R&B groups have emerged in Sri Lanka - the most prominent of which is known as Bathiya and Santhush (these two musicians are considered pioneers in contemporary Sri Lankan pop, having begun performing in 1998 with female singer Ashanthi and rapper Randhir). Among their accomplishments; they are the first Sri Lankan group to be signed to an international record label (Sony BMG), and were an integral component in the label's entrance into the nation's music industry in 2002/2003. They have received international awards for their compositions, and have performed in several countries - including on BBC radio in the UK.
In late 2006, a unique style of music began to emerge in Sri Lanka. Borrowing elements from modern African rhythms and the acoustic sound of Latin American music, the members of the group Pahan Silu have begun to make a name for themselves primarily by avoiding the electronic keyboard-based sound pioneered by groups such as Bathiya and Santhush and Centigradz, both of whom have borrowed heavily from western musicians.
| Lusophone music |
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| Angola | Brazil | Cape Verde | East Timor | Guinea-Bissau | Macau | Mozambique | Portugal | Sri Lanka |
| South Asian music |
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Afghanistan - Bangladesh - Bhutan - India - Maldives - Nepal - Pakistan - Sri Lanka |
