{"id":77120,"date":"2021-11-03T06:49:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-03T06:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/?p=77120"},"modified":"2021-11-03T06:50:31","modified_gmt":"2021-11-03T06:50:31","slug":"multifaceted-melroy-five-decades-of-effervescent-voyage-in-celebrity-by-sunil-thenabadu-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/websitedesigns.com.au\/elankanew\/multifaceted-melroy-five-decades-of-effervescent-voyage-in-celebrity-by-sunil-thenabadu-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Multifaceted Melroy- five decades of effervescent voyage in celebrity – by Sunil Thenabadu"},"content":{"rendered":"

Multifaceted Melroy- five decades of effervescent voyage in celebrity – by Sunil Thenabadu<\/span><\/h1>\n

\"\"Even sans inheriting musical instincts cum inability\"\"<\/span> to read musical notation Melroy Dharmaratne an acclaimed music prodigy in the music arena for over five decades having formed in late 1960\u2019s the quartet, first Sinhalese family pop group, the \u201cDharmaratne brothers\u201d with his siblings Christie,Maxwell and Ronald. Melroy has diverse talents with natural cognition which makes him elusive with his vivid expertise as a singer, music director, lyricist,playwright,dramatist and journalist. Melroy was born to Clarence Vernon and Stella Dharmaratne in year 1947 attended St.Benedict\u2019s College .Having lost his father early in his life mother Stella had shouldered the robust burden of the family. Like many talented artistes Melroy\u2019s innate talent had been sensed early by Brothers Edward and John when he was in grade six. He had been encouraged to sing on College stage. The Brothers had been impressed when Melroy had sung the song \u201c seetha sunil diya dhara\u201d which had prompted to spur them to expose the talents of young<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Melroy at a school concert \u201cour own songs\u201d. Concurrently Melroy was invited to St.Lucia\u2019s church choir located in the vicinity to College. The quartet were further acclaimed when they composed and sang the Sinhalese version of everlasting English carol song \u201cMary\u2019s Boy Child\u201d which is now sung in every local church during Christmas,\u201dKalakata Pera Bethlehene\u201d. It need to be emphasized that young Melroy had been inspired by the then veteran radio singers, giants like Christopher Paul , Vincent de Paul Peiris,HR Jothipala,Mohideen Beg.Milton Perera and Sunil Shantha.It needs to be emphasized that Melroy is \u2018self-thought exceedingly persevering. Having studied his repertory in arts Melroy had been invited to draft the script for a school play for the \u201c school literature day\u201d in which he had not only written it but had portrayed aptly the lead role in collateral to his innate skills. It was that time Mum, Stella had formed the two member tiny group with Melroy and Ronald ( no longer living) titled \u201dDharmaratne<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\"soorya\"Brothers”. Subsequently other two brothers Christie and Maxwell joined forming the \u201cquartet\u201d which initially took part in school functions,parties and weddings.The lyrics which were very simple ,like \u201cVarsity kollo\u2019.\u2019Priyangika\u2019,\u2019Wessa\u2019,\u2019Awwa\u2019,\u2019Suhada Pathum\u2019 were the brainchild of Maestro Melroy himself.These songs with simple lyrics echoed in the hearts of fans which revolted to fame abruptly.These songs were recorded under the Phillips and Sooriya labels with the able counseling of Vijaya Corea.It needs to reminisced that it was Vijaya Corea who influenced Sinhalese songs to be heard in English airways. The then prodigious showmen Malcolm Andree and Jayatissa Hettiarchchi who also had boosted the quartet.. The instruments that backed then ,were only an acoustic and a traditional hand drum the \u201cRabaana\u201d,<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\"melaroy\"while all other pop bands that existed then were stirred with guitars and percussive instruments with Congo drums.The usage of such fewer and simple instruments was to preserve the national identity to be not too sophisticated .Before the foursome quartet was formed Melroy and Ronald participated in a singing contest at Methodist College along with niece ( sister\u2019s daughter) Shiromie Fernando, \u201cbaby Shiromi\u201d singing prodigy of \u201cKondenamagena fame\u201d. Melroy was not only the instrumental figure behind the child \u2018superstar\u2019 Shiromi but also composed and directed music for almost all her blockbuster songs, “Amma,Sakala Bujan and Handa Hami’.Melroy is a famous lyricist having penned many hit songs from his repertory. The most popular of them \u201cAyubowan,Ayubowan\u201d and for the music score of\u201c Me Mei Gaha Yata\u201d sung by ,HR Jothipala and Milton Mallawarachchi.Many Sinhala songs carry his music emblem surprisingly sans his inability to read music notations.A few such songs with his music signature are HR.Jothipala\u2019s \u2018Durakathanayakin\u201d,\u201dOba nidanna\u201d.\u201dGangawai Mahamuhudai\u201d ,Paul Fernando\u2019s \u201cEgoda Gode\u201d, Felix Anton\u2019s \u201cSulang<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Multifacetedrella\u201d,Milton Perera\u2019s \u201cPunchi Punchi Tharaka\u201dThere are also many children\u2019s songs with his music creations under the \u2018Sooriya\u2019 label. Although Melroy composed melodies and directed music for two Sinhalese films, \u201cPathini\u201d in 1978,\u201dWeswalagath Tharuni\u201d in 1986 owing to production conflicts were never shown. Melroy has been a member of OCIC foundation from the inception had been in the Judge panel in 1969 and 1970 for selecting winners at the award ceremony. As a booming journalist Melroy had excelled to unprecedented heights.Melroy had joined the\u201dSawasa\u201d newspaper as a journalist then in the \u201cDawasa\u201d turning a cartoonist in a series named \u201cSapinna\u201d in year 1971. He was a popular journalist as he was the pioneer in publishing the Sinhala versions reviewing via commentary English films in local Sinhalese newspapers.His launched his first novel in 1971 \u201cMalawunge Kathawak\u201dwhich was<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Multifacetedeventually scripted to a film \u201c Kavuluwa\u201d.In the early decade of 2000 Melroy launched two more novels\u201d Vineetha Roshisha\u201d,\u201dPremaye Vairaya\u201d and in year 2014 the book \u201cPavu Saha Pin\u201d.Melroy had been a \u2018log writer\u2019 at the Supreme courts Hulftsdorf where he fell in love with his wife Theresa Antoinette also a \u2018log writer\u2019 having tied the nuptial knot in year 1976 is blessed with a daughter Sinali Mary.His journalistic talent was further exhibited when he made contributions to popular magazine \u201cCine\u201d named Kala ( Arts) As an acclaimed dramatist Melroy staged in 1960 \u201cMaya\u201d, the first solo drama staged in motherland.In 1977 multifaceted Melroy scripted a drama \u201cNava Magaka Yanno\u201d for the All-Island drama contest which won awards for best actor,best production and best make-up artist.Then he produced \u201cSivil Uddhaya\u201d( civil war) It proves by the foregoing what enormous contributions Melroy had made to our Art, music, stage and journalism.<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

Melroy cannot be forgotten in grooming his niece ,sister’s daughter ‘Baby Shiromi”from her younger days.At the age of nine years observing her talent had trained her in vocals for two years. At her age of eleven years in year 1971, It was Melroy who introduced her to Gerald Wickremasooriya of very well known Sooriya label..<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

During the past five decades to Melroy had organized concerts to mark milestones like completing decades of singing which is perhaps the<\/u><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

responsibility of the state to felicitate this wizard artiste for services rendered so massively to our arts and culture<\/span><\/p>\n