Arts

Rhythm World dancesport

The Second Rhythm World Dancesport Competition of the Rhythm World Dance Studio was held in a colourful atmosphere recently.  

This year’s  competition saw something special in that the adjudicator was Aleena Tan from Singapore —  a renowned Latin American and ballroom dance teacher and dancesport organiser and adjudicator.  She is also the Official Examiner of Rhythm World Dance Studio from  January 2009

Aleena Tan is also the president of the Singapore Ballroom Dance Teacher’s Association,  vice president of the Asia Pacific Dance and Dancesport Council and an esteemed examiner of the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing with almost 40 years of experience in the field of dancing.

The competition consisted of different dances in various categories —  The Beginners, Intermediate Seniors,  Intermediate and Amateur Levels.   This year’s competition saw a special category —  The Parent-child; which was very touching in nature and enjoyed by all.

Judging from the response and applause of the spectators, everyone present felt that the show was not only greatly entertaining but also of a high competitive standard with competitors of all categories displaying a high sense of dedication and skill in their dancing techniques.   In fact, the Adjudicator, in her address to the participants, commended them for the high standard displayed in showing their prowess in the various dancing techniques.

The highlight of the evening was when, after the results of the competitions were announced, all the competitors and the audience took to the floor in a dance session.  

Those present could easily discern the homely atmosphere and spontaneous enjoyment on the faces of both young and old.    The climax was when the adjudicator herself, joined in the dancing and danced the baila which she admitted she thoroughly enjoyed!

Results of the Latin American section

Beginners :

Winners : rajith iresh and savini samarasinghe

2nd place : dinith ranaweera & amani Ranaweera  and Rushantha de alwis & navoda thenuwara

3rd place : pandula de silva & nilush wickramasuriya and Tharindu balasuriya & chandi kularatna

Intermediate seniors:

Winners : G. G. A. Nayana kumara & roshanthi Nanayakkara

2nd place : senaka dias amaratunga & shobhana dias  amaratunga

3rd place : sampath goonathilake & lakmini goonathilake

Intermediate :

Winners : chamal hettigama & vindhyani chandrasiri

2nd place : bihan karunaratne & malika yapa

3rd place : arjuna thilina jayasinghe & thakshila upasena

Amateurs :

Winners : rustom mikal yusuf & roshanthi nanayakkara

2nd place : andun priya hettiarachchi & shani ranasinghe  andSumudu silva & eromi mahamudalige

Results of the standard section

Beginners:

Winners : pandula de silva & nilush Wickramasuriya

2nd place : Tharindu Balasuriya & Chandi Kularathna

3rd place : Dinith Ranaweera & Amani Ranaweera  and Rajith Iresh & Savini Samarasinghe

Intermediate seniors:

Winners : G. G. A. Nayana Kumara & Roshanthi Akkara  andHazmie Yusuf & Farzana Yusuf

2nd place : Senaka Dias Amaratunga & Shobhana Dias Amaratunga

3rd place : Mano Gnanaraj & Marie Gnanaraj

Intermediate: Winners : Sulakshan Dias Amaratunga & tanya ranasinghe

2nd place : Chamith Sarathkumara & Chandi Kularathna and Chamal Hettigama & Vindhyani Chandrasiri

3rd place : Mahendra Ranatunga & Chandima Ranatunga

Amateurs:

Winners : Rustom Mikal Yusuf & Vasantthi Wittinton

2nd place : Deshan Kulatunga & Natasha Hewagama

Artist Sarath painting his way to success

By Risidra Mendis

His paintings are colourful, unique and exceptional in comparison to other artistic creations. However every one of his paintings has a truthful and at times heartbreaking and depressing story.

But despite the bitter truth he portrays in his paintings S.H.Sarath has today become one of the most popular artistes in the country.

His recent solo exhibition held at the United Nations office in Geneva is ample proof that Sarath has come a long way and in the process achieved many a landmark in his career.

Vicious life cycle

Sarath’s paintings may not be those that some of us would like to see hanging on the walls of our homes. There is no limit to the thoughts and ideas that flow through his mind that is why Sarath paints without restrictions. His artistic creations are therefore for those of you who are intelligent enough to understand the true meaning behind every painting he has completed.   

Speaking to The Sunday Leader Sarath says that people are yet to understand the vicious life cycle they live in. “I have to admit that some of my paintings are depressing, but I think it is important to make people understand the reality of life,” says Sarath.

Painting is second nature to this artist, whose sole intention is to give out a message to the public through his paintings. The subjects on every one of his paintings differ from one to the other thus making every painting he completes an original masterpiece.

An artiste with an unusual flair for creativity and talent would be the best way to describe Sarath, who has in his own way made people aware of the complicated lives they lead, through his paintings. Sarath’s paintings also include human figures, animals, sceneries, nature and line drawings. 

Selected collections of Sarath’s paintings can be seen at the National Art Gallery Colombo, Trans Asia Hotel Colombo, Commercial Bank head office, Education Ministry, NDB, Koggala Beach Hotel, Tissara Beach Hotel, the National Library Services Board Colombo, ANZ Bank Norwood Australia, West Pack Bank head office Adelaide South Australia and the Ecka Art Gallery Yugoslavia among others.

International exhibitions

Among his selected International exhibitions are Commonwealth Institute, London in 1986, Contemporary Asian Art Show, Seoul in 1986, Asian Watercolours ‘95, Bangkok in 1995, the 6th Triennial Mondiale, Paris in 2003, the 7th Triennial Mondiale, Paris in 2006 and Expressions of Independence Mona Bismarck Foundation Paris in 2008.

Sarath has also held over 18 solo exhibitions in Canada, Thailand, Malaysia, Germany, Yugoslavia, Norway and Australia among others.

Sarath’s experiences include work at the Government College of Fine Arts Colombo from 1968 to 1973, UNESCO Fellowship Silpakorn University, Bangkok from 1979 to 1980, Vice President of the Ceylon Society of Arts 1981 to 1983, Member of the Art Panel, Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Art Council Sri Lanka 1983 to 1994, Art Consultant 1985 to 1987, Ecka Art Colony Programme Yugoslavia 1985, Project Officer (Art) Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Sri Lanka 1985 to 1994. In 1993 Sarath was an invitee of the Family Through Children’s Eyes, International Museum of Children’s Art, Oslo, Norway and was connected to the Visual Arts University of South Australia 1995 to 1996.

Sarath’s exhibition “Life” consisting of a new range of unusual paintings will be held at 18A, Sarasavi Udyanaya, Nawala Road, Nugegoda on March 3,4,5,6 and 7 from 10 am to 8 pm.

Billu Barber

February 27, 2009 Liberty Cinema – Colombo Wembly Cinema – Kandy

Finally again Deepika Padukone will be seen with Shahrukh Khan after the big success in OSO, but this time not as the heroine of SRK, she will have a guest appearance in the upcoming comedy movie Billu Barber, directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Shahrukh Khan himself. This is the first time that SRK will be seen in a comic movie of director Priyadarshan.

 Actually Priyadarshan first signed on for Irrfan Khan, Akshay Kumar and Tabu to perform the main roles in the film. But, Akshay didn’t find the film interesting and opted out from the film while Tabu refused to work with Irrfan Khan. The director then offered those roles to Shahrukh Khan and Amisha Patel respectively, and both of them agreed to act in the film.

But later, Amisha refused to act in the film as she felt her character’s role was not substantial enough and some sources had indicated that Juhi Chawla was then choosen for the role. In April 2008, Priyadarshan finally reported that he had signed on Lara Dutta to essay the role of the barber’s wife. What a mess!

The two gorgeous and beautiful actress of bollywood industry, Kareena Kapoor and Deepika Padukone have their special appearances in the film and it is rumoured that both of them will do item numbers in the film. If it happens then the song will be the first item number for Deepika Padukone.

Billu Barber is a remake of Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol.

This time Priyadarshan and SRK is going to do some bumper thing, best stars, good production and best item numbers.

Complete movie details, including cast details, crew and storyline are as follows.

Director : Priyadarshan

Producer : Gauri Khan

Music Director : Pritam

Playback Singers : Sukhwinder Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Neeraj Shridhar, Tulsi Kumar, Kay Kay, Rana Mazumdar, Suraj, Raahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ajay Jhingaran, Raghuveer, Kalpana, Soham Chakrabarthy, Akruti Kakkar, Monali, Abhijeet

Cast :

Irrfan Khan as Billu Barber (Bilas Rao Pardesi)

Lara Dutta as Billu’s Wife (Bindiya)

Shahrukh Khan as Sahir Khan

Rajpal Yadav as Jhallan Kumar

Om Puri as Damchand

Manoj Joshi as Damodar Dubey

Asrani as Nobat Chacha

Mitali Mayakar as Billu’s daughter

Pratik Dalvi as Billu’s son

Jagdish as Madan

Rasika Joshi as Mrs. Gahalot

Special Appearance :

Kareena Kapoor (in song Marjaani)

Priyanka Chopra (in songs You Get Me Rockin and Reeling and Khudaya Khair)

Deepika Padukone (in song Love Mera Hit Hit)

Lite 89.2Fm celebrates 10 years

Lite FM, which belongs to a radio network that is without a doubt Sri Lanka’s most innovative and charismatic, TNL Radio Network Pvt. Ltd., celebrated 10 years of radio broadcasting on February 27.

The network has much to celebrate.

Lite FM (89.2 in Colombo, 98.2 in Kandy, 92.5 down south and 90 island wide) was Sri Lanka’s first Adult Contemporary music station.

Its first broadcasts were made from a modest little studio in Colombo 4. Back then - in the ‘good ol’ days’ - the gear was basic and the radio personalities anything but.

Ten years later and technology has taken over, with Lite FM and its sister channels 101.7 TNL Rocks and the new entrant Sinhala station Rhythm FM (100.7FM) leading the way. The studios are now located at No. 52, 5th Lane Colombo 3 – and boasts some of Sri Lanka’s most hi-tech and new age broadcasting equipment.

‘The emergence of stiff competition has only strengthened the station and with the changing times, we changed our music formats and content, keeping ourselves ahead in the game, always. Ten years later, Lite FM’s successful formula consists of more than just the best Adult Contemporary/Country music,’ a spokesperson said.

It’s been a team effort to get Lite FM to where it is today. Under the watch of CEO/Chairman Niraj Wickremesinghe, Lite FM’s dynamic on air talent coupled with the round-the-clock work of Programmes Manager Warren Nicholas, a marketing and sales team who know their stuff headed by Director Sales Dharaka Abeywickrema and an engineering unit who are on their toes at all times headed by Uditha Silva and Benildous Perera, have gelled over the years to become a well oiled machine. And it’s paid off too. 

Lite FM’s unique music format has allowed it to reach out to a cross section of listeners. Be they young, old, housewife or executive, Lite FM has found a place in many a listener’s hearts.

The station’s personalities now include Jay on what’s been called the most popular morning show, the Lite Café, the charming Karin who’s back at Lite FM after a five year stint in California, song bird Ann Jay on the afternoon request show Total Control while Naomi is on Lite Drive.

Kshanika and Keith share weekday nights on the laid back Lite at Night and the station also has a host of weekend voices which include Warren on The Time Machine, Wendell on The Flashback Show, Shenali on Lite at Night and Danny on Your Weekend.

A 10th Anniversary would not have been complete without a Flashback Show, and Lite FM threw Colombo’s biggest retro party of the year last night at the H2o. Wendell, Ben, Bunty and Marlon spun the records, which have contributed to Lite FM’s signature sound over the years.    

The station celebrated 10 years on air with Trans Asia Hotel, Barristas, Pizza Hut, and many more who partnered with the station to give away exciting and memorable prizes.

Ten years ago today, radio changed forever in Sri Lanka. As Lite FM looks back on a journey that has had its share of memorable times, good tunes and great people, the personalities and the crew that makes Lite FM what it is, are ready to take the station to new heights in the ever-changing world of radio.

Inner Wheel Club of Kandy celebrates 40 years of service

By Hafiz Marikar 

The Inner Wheel Club of Kandy District 322 Sri Lanka, the third oldest club in Sri Lanka celebrated its 40th anniversary this month. It was formed by wives of Kandy Rotarians in October 1968 and sponsored by the Inner Wheel Club of Colombo.

The Club received its Charter dated 14th February 1969 signed by Florence Pathinayake as Charter President and Decima Crusz as Secretary, then being a part of South Indian IIW District 321. The members are in contact with surviving Charter Member Decima Crusz who lives in Colombo.

In keeping with IIW theme for 2008/09, ‘Realise Your Vision And Make A Difference,’ the club guided by Zipporah Rajan, the president of the Inner Wheel Club of Kandy, will continue to care for the less privileged people in our society while enjoying the essence of the red rose which is the symbol of Inner Wheel friendship to foster peace and understanding among all communities of our country and world over.

Honoured with MBE

Cambodia-based Sri Lankan, Senaka Fernando, has been included in the Queen’s Honours list this year – as a Member of the British Empire (MBE).

He has been bestowed with the honorary award for his services to United Kingdom-Cambodia commercial interests.

The Sri Lankan was a founder in 1995 of the British Business Association of Cambodia and has been one of its leading members since then. He has also acted on behalf of the British Embassy as first point of contact and advice for British companies to trade or invest in Cambodia.

The award of MBE marks Fernando’s exceptional contribution to fostering business relations between the UK and Cambodia, and in working for the interests of the international business community in Cambodia more widely.

Fernando, 39, was a Chartered Accountant with Ernst and Young in Colombo before being transferred to the firm’s office in Vietnam in 1993. He moved to Cambodia as Country Manager in 1995. After PricewaterhouseCoopers acquired Ernst & Young, Fernando was appointed Director of its South East Asian region in 2007.

The former St. Joseph’s College Colombo student is the son of Mervyn and Erin Fernando of Wattala.

 Punsanda Paya  2009 by MAF

Punsanda Paya, the most looked after mega musical cum variety show will come alive after a lapse of four years on Sunday, March 29 at Ummul Maleeha Memory Hall at Keselwatte, Panadura starting from 6.30 pm.

The Co-Chairmen Shiraz Sudar and Luckey Deva and the project committee are making arrangements to make this a show with difference and the best ever Punsanda Paya variety show.

Book Review

Dense, Atmospheric and Cerebral

By Seneka Abeyratne

When asked to review Theravada Man for The Sunday Leader, I agreed to do so with some trepidation, for I am, after all, a fellow writer and a dear friend of the author. Before writing the review, I decided to take the following stance: Friendship is one thing, professionalism another; I am going to bite the bullet and say what I honestly feel about the book, for I have mixed feelings about it.

Let’s begin with some tasty morsels from Theravada Man. 

· “She was folded like a question mark in a vertical position cutting the season’s cashew nuts.”

· “But the iskolemahaththaya, like a waterfall, cascaded.”  

· “She felt as though her breasts had been amputated and put upon a stalk for vultures to attack. She felt as though her womb was opened and hyenas were eating her flesh.”

Theravada Man is a lengthy novel. It must be read slowly for it is dense, atmospheric and cerebral. The scope and flavour of the novel are best captured by the text on the back cover of the book. Here is the relevant passage:

First novel

“Following the success of her first novel Monsoons And Potholes, Manuka Wijesinghe digs deeper into the history and psyche of her native Sri Lanka with this story of a village schoolmaster who finds his unwavering faith in Theravada Buddhism and the British education system challenged by the irrational forces of astrology, numerology, mythology and human desire.

“Told with characteristic passion and humour, the story combines a satirical take on the Sinhala myth with a healthy dose of its own brand of mysticism. Manuka’s strengths are her unique narrative voice, her playwright’s ear for dialogue, and her idiosyncratic perspective on her nation’s history and culture.”

The blurb hits the nail on the head. The book is indeed unique, it is indeed idiosyncratic — a brave attempt, I must say, to explore new paradigms of history, politics, culture and religion (specifically Buddhism), and leave the reader startled, fascinated and, at times, utterly bamboozled. Did it open up new mental horizons for me? Did it goad or provoke me into seeing things in a different light? Hats off to the author. It certainly did.

Talented writer

 Manuka Wijesinghe is a talented writer. No doubt about that. There are flashes of brilliance in Theravada Man. To be frank, I have considerable difficulty trying to decide whether it is a great book or whether it is the kind of novel that in attempting to be overly ambitious falls between two stools, i.e., the homespun lyricism of Arundhati Roy, on the one hand, and the magic realism of Salman Rushdie, on the other.

The writer has a strong iconoclastic bent and her attempts to satirise the Mahavamsa, Dutugemunu, British colonial rule, SWRD, and local politics, especially the emergence of Sinhala-Buddhist nationalism, are heroic. When it comes to satire, Manuka is as deadly as a rattlesnake. Her bite could even fell an elephant. 

The book contains an abundance of dialogue. I like that because drama is dear to my heart. An interesting, if not unique, feature of the book is that it is like a cross between a novel and a play — a magical blend, if you will. But why does the author have to make the dialogue so pedantic? Is her desire to impress the reader so overpowering? For example, here is the protagonist’s wife complaining to him about his lack of sensitivity (both are village school teachers, by the way):

“You are not only insensitive, you are the absolute embodiment of insensitivity. And that is not all dear husband. You hold a treatise about compassion. Your compassion and the compassionate dharma. But do you know something? I see no compassion. Do you know what I see? Dispassion. Don’t allude to compassion. You have none. It is you dear husband who preaches about the accurate use of language. Then strive to be accurate. Do not confuse compassion and dispassion. Compassion is caring, dispassion is indifference. And my dear husband you are most certainly …”

Formal and stiff

I doubt if dialogue among local village folk was so formal and stiff in the early days of the previous century. And here is an example of equally pedantic prose:

“The rational Theravada family entered a period of drought. The iskolehamine and the iskolemahaththaya communicated only necessities. The children observed the paucity of the glorious Sinhala language and did their best to heat it up with the sprightly spontaneity of childhood chatter. It was a hard task for even the children who were not untouched by the loss of a sibling. The particles of tragedy loomed everywhere. Everyone felt it. But they hoped time would blow away the particles and that normality would return.” 

Furthermore, I found the use of local terms and expressions somewhat excessive. A little is fine but an overdose can be irritating, especially to the foreign reader, who has to be constantly flipping back and forth between the text and an imposing glossary that runs into several pages. Again, the writer seems to have failed to restrain her enthusiasm for impressing the reader.   

Theravada Man, in the final analysis, is a mixed bag because some sections of the book are pretentious and off-putting, while others are quite sincere and moving. The writer has a long and interesting story to tell, and she performs the task with plenty of verve and biting wit. (I would have preferred a more compact, tighter novel, though.)

Skill and imagination

The ink from her pen flows copiously and from time to time, produces a luminous or profoundly sensitive passage. The skill and imagination with which she has blended a poignant, village-based, family drama with broader social, political and religious themes to create a complex tapestry of human existence deserves nothing but praise.

This is an unorthodox novel brimming with intellectual vigour and creative energy. With her panoramic mind and vitriolic sense of humour, Manuka Wijesinghe has created a fascinating tale of village life in Sri Lanka during the British colonial period.

But what the novel lacks is finesse. The story does not quite hang together, like a gourmet pudding which has all the ingredients but does not set.  Theravada Mancould have been a literary gem had the services of a skillful and ruthless editor been obtained. 

I must hasten to add that this is a personal opinion coming from an ordinary guy. The literary pundits may have an entirely different view of the novel and may even consider it a tour de force. I hope they’re right and I’m wrong.