Clarence Wijewardena

Vithana Kuruppu Arachchilage Clarence Arthur Somasinghe Wijewardena, popularly known as Clarence Wijewardena, was a Sri Lankan singer, composer, and musician. He was born on August 3, 1943, in Haputale, Sri Lanka. Clarence completed his education at Weeraprakrama College, Yatawatta, and Hatton Highland College. Wijewardena is one of the most respected musicians in Sri Lanka, as he revolutionized Sri Lankan pop music with the use of electric guitar in Sinhala music in the 1960s. He is often referred to as the "Father of Sri Lankan pop music."

Wijewardana at the age of 21 formed a band named, with Annesley Malewana Bio coming soon... >> Read More... as the lead vocalist. He worked as a composer and a music director during that era, transitioning to being a singer. Moonstone’s debut EP, Mango Nanda, was released in 1968. The album has songs like Mango Nanda, Ruwan Puraya, Seetha Ude, and Menike. Their second album, “More Hits by the Moonstones,” came out in November of the same year. It has songs like Kalu Mama, Rosa Male, Ramani, and Goyam Kapanawa. In 1969, Moonstones included a female vocalist, Indrani Perera, who sang the bestselling hit Dilhani. Wijewardena has only sung the lead role in Dileepa Podi Puthi, an adaptation of a poem.

Wijewardena left the Moonstones and formed a new music group called the Golden Chimes with ex-Moonstones bassists Chanaka Perera Bio coming soon... >> Read More... and Lankika Perera in 1971, and later vocalist Anil Bharati joined. Their hit releases include Kimade Nawe, Mage Pelpathe, Samanalayo, Malai Velai, Sihin Sinawai, Sihil Nuwan, Iru Dina, Sandai Tharui, Surangana Vesvala, Mage Viyowen, Muhudu Rella, and Thakkita Tharikita.

Wijewardena composed “Ada Wei Iru Dina” for Bharati, which became an all-time hit, followed by the lovely Christmas songs Bethlehempure and Maa Adarai Nangiye. Clarence offered him another all-time hit, Tikirimalee, with Ma Mulin Liyu Pem Pathe, Bambaraku Aduna, Desa Vidala, Sarojini, and Iru Dina Pamanak. He entered the Sinhala film music industry with the 1975 blockbuster Sikuruliya, directed by H.D. Premarate. The film depicts a scene where Wijewardena and the Golden Chimes perform at a party, with the soundtrack provided by the group Golden Chimes. For the film, he used Western as well as Eastern musical instruments.

In 1972, Wijewardena and Gunaratne left the Golden Chimes, and they both formed a new band known as Super Golden Chimes with the support of Annesley in 1973. It was one of the most productive music groups in Sri Lanka, and together they hit the number one slot in the Sri Lankan music charts on both the Sinhala and English services of Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. For many years, Super Golden Chimes enjoyed the fame of being Sri Lanka's number-one group in the 1970s and 1980s.

Wijewardena experimented with sitar music and introduced the sitar to some of the songs of the 'Moonstones. For the first time in Sri Lanka, he used a guitar for the song Pemkathwawa for a recording. Also, the song Sigiriya was the first Bossa nova beat song in Sri Lanka, and later he used this beat for the songs Piyaneni, Mage Palpathe, Muhudu Rella, Renin Piyabanna, Maliniye, Ramya, Ran Monarun (Winslow Six), and Lalitha Kala (Chithra Somapala). Wijewardena introduced some of the guitar techniques in his songs via a single guitar harmony style in the introduction of "Dileepa Podi Puthu" and arpeggio styles in "Sihina Lowak" and "Malata Bambareku Se."

Wijewardena directed the music for the two popular television serials Susima and Nidikumba Mal. He was the composer and the music director for all six songs of the Susima teledrama. He composed and directed songs like Daesawan Dase, Sasara Gewa Yana, and Kanu Sikarin Wata Senkadagala Pura. Wijewardena has composed songs and music for his close ones, including Piyaneni, Sihina Pathum Wimane, Viran Bilindhu Puthe, Naththal Seeya, and Dileepa Podi Puthu.

Wijewardena joined Sing Lanka Limited as the general manager. It was one of the first recording studio in Sri Lanka with multiple tracks, and Wijewardena was the pioneer to introduce this recording studio. During that time, he directed music for several artists in Sri Lanka. He also produced a cassette tape named "Clarence with the Rising Stars."

Wijewardena showed his outstanding musical skills during this time. He composed and directed a song named Maha Balwathune for the conference of the Non-Aligned Movement held in 1975 in Sri Lanka. He composed and directed a song for the SAARC Conference as well. Wijewardena became famous for his melodious and catchy jingles that aired over the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. He composed a song for the beauty queen contest named "Sigiri Ru Ladun Paradai” which became an instant hit.  He formed another Sri Lankan band "Madhara" in 1985.

All of Wijewardena's compositions have been recorded at some of the island's best recording studios and under the best-producing labels in Sri Lanka, including Sooriya, Lotus, Victory, Sarasavi, Tharanga, Supertone, Singha, Singlanka, and Torana. Wijewardena proved to be quite popular in London when broadcaster Vernon Corea broadcast his music on BBC Radio London in 2006 on his popular radio program, London Sounds Eastern. Wijewardena and Annesley toured the United Kingdom frequently in the 1980s, playing to huge audiences in London. Wijewardena died on December 13, 1996, at the age of 53, in Sri Lanka.