{"id":104257,"date":"2022-11-21T08:10:46","date_gmt":"2022-11-21T08:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=104257"},"modified":"2022-11-21T11:15:23","modified_gmt":"2022-11-21T11:15:23","slug":"dr-rohana-weerasinghe-humble-unassuming-legendary-melody-king-for-film-tele-drama-stage-plays-the-word-no-not-in-his-vocabulary-assist-one-and-all-by-sunil-thenabadu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/dr-rohana-weerasinghe-humble-unassuming-legendary-melody-king-for-film-tele-drama-stage-plays-the-word-no-not-in-his-vocabulary-assist-one-and-all-by-sunil-thenabadu\/","title":{"rendered":"DR ROHANA WEERASINGHE HUMBLE UNASSUMING LEGENDARY MELODY KING FOR FILM, TELE DRAMA, STAGE PLAYS, THE WORD \u201cNO\u2019 NOT IN HIS VOCABULARY ASSIST ONE AND ALL \u2013 by Sunil Thenabadu"},"content":{"rendered":"

DR ROHANA WEERASINGHE HUMBLE UNASSUMING LEGENDARY MELODY\u00a0 KING FOR FILM, TELE DRAMA, STAGE PLAYS, THE WORD \u201cNO\u2019 NOT IN HIS VOCABULARY ASSIST ONE AND ALL \u2013 by Sunil Thenabadu<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

\"DR<\/p>\n

\"\"Dr\u00a0 Dickmawaduge Rohana Chitrakumara Weerasinghe popularly known as Rohana Weerasinghe, lately as \u2018melody master\u2019. The Sri Lankan musician who had made the highest number of Music melodies approximately well over 5000 , after an extensive census from the SLBC, all recording studios\u00a0 had been made in year 2009 along with a newspaper notification, when his book \u2018Gaman Magak \u2018 was published, when it had revealed over 3600 ,in number in the annals of his music narration, along with his book launch he had organised a musical recital. Rohana needs absolutely no introduction having made a huge indelible unblemished dominance in the music arena for around four decades. Rohana had composed music to all popular artistes excluding HR Jothipala, JA Milton Perera, and Sujatha Attanayake. During a television confrontation Rohana had quipped HR Jothipala had got very close to his heart during a tour to England when Jothipala had requested him to do some songs for him to some Hindi songs he had composed music to the lyrics of Augustine Vinayagaratnam,for many Hindi film songs.This was exceptional for Rohana to deviate from his principle of not providing music copying Hindi tunes, but he quipped that his name was not etched anywhere. One such song Rohana recollected was the song \u201cMa Vinda Vedana\u201d etc. Rohana as a composer of music ideally\u00a0 could easily identify the singing depths cum styles, ranges of all artistes who patronise him which becomes distinctly advantageous to all vocalists. It is the very reason that Rohana had not concentrated much on singing as it is more cumbersome than composing songs involving pitching, elegance, ranges ,styles which he added he does not possess all such facades though he had emerged initially as an auditioned artiste at the SLBC., he had quipped that when he commenced composing songs he had realized how tricky is singing. However, he confessed that occasionally he had sung but not many songs though all became hits.\u00a0 \u00a0Born on 18th February 1949 in native Nuwara Eliya to parents Henry Weerasinghe ,a village chief and housewife Sepali Perera, is the youngest of nine siblings, three elder brothers and one elder sister are deceased. Rohana recollects going to the village temple to listen to the gramophone with appetite staying close to it , when the head Monk had observed this has asked him to sing a song which he had\u00a0 sung over the microphone for the first time which had propelled him immeasurably as it was heard by all villagers .He recollects that by singing randomly in his young days his attention had been drawn by relatives and villagers. Rohana after his nursery at the sacred heart convent had studied in the village school Vidyachakkra Vidyalaya up to the fifth standard., after his triumph in the scholarship examination had been admitted to Welimada Madhya Maha Vidyalaya where he had been in the hostel. Rohana recollects his father used to come to visit him to see how he is, recollects giving him pocket money of two rupees which was a big sum then, to eat bakery items from a vendor. It was in school he met his first music teacher KVS Perera a good music mentor from whom he had learnt basics in music and other subjects whom he considered as a competent teacher. After a brief lapse after the teacher was transferred had entered to Dharmapala\u00a0 Vidyalaya. He had been looked after by his elder brother, unfortunately had been of no avail as he had been interested in playing football and not on studies. When he failed in the university entrance twice he had been asked to return home ,thereafter had entered the Gamini Vidyalaya in Nuwara Eliya.It was then he had met a great teacher Kithsiri Aluthge who thought music and other subjects too,It was his mentor Kithsiri Aluthge who had advised to enter the Government Music School,called Heywood then.It was at this school ,Heywood he had met as a contemporary Somapala Ratnayake and in the staff Wijeratne Ranatunga through whose association he has had access fortunately to loyalists Victor Ratnayake, Sanath Nandasiri and Dr Premasiri Khemadasa. It was how Rohana had become initially an instrumentalist triumphing playing the Sitar, though he liked the instrument Santuri too. a rare musical instrument which he had got down exclusively from India,as most Indian musicians deploy for creating music compositions, but had not played it for very long. With his expertise on the Sitar he had been able to associate with stalwarts like\u00a0 Khemadasa, Patrick Denipitiya, Mohamed Sally,MK Rocksamy, R Muththusamy,Sarath Dassanayake, WD Amaradeva Nanda Malini for her musical shows for his contributory role with the Sitar.As Rohana matured his musical genres were traditional music, Uttara Bharathi, Carnatic, Western music ,in addition to been a musician , a composer and a singer sung not many songs but all have been hits is a traditionalist who is modern in outlook, widely travelled sensitive to international trend. He had affirmed that he is very gifted with guidance from God above to be so successful. After his music degree from Heywood he could only be a music teacher, had been attached to the tutorial staff of DS Senanayake College Borella, thereafter at Senananda Maha Vidyalaya ,Meepilimana in Eliya, Ananda Sastralaya Kotte, but had continued with composing music work. When his music composing demand had increased to elevated altitudes, he had given up teaching profession to concentrate on his composing work also had worked as the sound engineer at \u201cSinga Lanka\u201d . One other reason for resigning from the government teaching job was in that period Rohana was compelled to accompany many musicians and vocalists like Victor Ratnayake, Premasiri\u00a0 Khemadasa ,Nanda Malini for many overseas tours when he had to placed on no pay leave which was not good for his teaching career. He had met his wife Leela Beatrice de Silva, when she entered the government music school in 1971 two years junior to Rohana\u2019s batch. She had studied in the dance category to be a dance teacher,\u00a0 her academy had been in the adjoining building. The duo after studying each other for a reasonable length of time\u00a0 had married\u00a0 in year 1977 ,wife Beatrice had supported Rohana wholeheartedly\u00a0 giving him appreciation for his music work also showing any shortcomings if any\u00a0 in his composing work. The duo is blessed with two sons elder Kalindu Gajaba ,next seven years his junior is Chirath Kanishka. Kalindu after studying in Asoka Kanishta and Ananda College,had been sent for music classes to musician Harsha Makalanda, has qualified in IT from an university in Australia works as a IT consultant at a government office in Canberra, married over a decade ago to Chalani a medical officer, the duo now has a school going daughter who also could sing perhaps with inherited hereditary affiliations.\u00a0 Kalindu is also a musician who conducts music for Sri Lankan artistes when they visit Melbourne and Canberra. Chirath is attached to cinnamon Grand too has inherited hereditary affiliations from father could sing had recorded a number of songs for the music compositions of Father Rohana. Chirath too has had a long stint in Australia for higher studies. He had stated that he felt home sick used to call about three four times a day to speak with the parental duo. Rohana had quipped that it is Chirath who comments first on father\u2019s music compositions also could be termed as his real fan. Rohana is a from the old school not at all competent in modern technology who hardly surf the internet,\u00a0 but reaches modern technology via Chirath who is well updated with diverse music designs from\u00a0 all over the globe by surfing the net.Rohana had not encouraged Chirath to follow his footsteps as the prospects in music currently aired bleak but him to concentrate on higher studies.<\/span><\/p>\n