ABOUT THE ALBUM

The album 'Sende Ahase' brings some of the most memorable songs sung by Dr Dayaratna Ranatunga and Professor Amara Ranatunga over their decades long music career.


ABOUT THE ARTISTS

DR DAYARATNA RANATUNGA is a highly qualified and well respected musician in Sri Lanka. He is a renowned artist acclaimed by media. He is also a Music Director and a composer, who performs both light and classical music, and he is recognized as a super grade singer. He started his music education in 1952 at the College of Fine Arts, as a child. After completing his degree in Sri Lanka, he joined the Bhathkhande University in India for further studies and became a Sangeeth Visharad. He is also an intellectual who had done research and earned several Degrees and Diplomas in Science, Broadcasting, Journalism, and as a Media Person, in Electronic Media, from India, USA, Germany and England. He holds a PhD in Music Therapy.

Dr Dayaratna Ranatunga was the first Director of Music and Research of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. He administered the Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and English Music/ Research Departments together with all other services in the country such as Rajarata Sevaya, Mahanuwara Sewaya, Ruhunu Sewaya, Giranduru Kotte Sewaya etc.

Dr Dayaratna has served as a Music Scholar, and a Lecturer, at several foreign Universities and Institutions such as University of Phillippenes- Manila, University of California, Los Angeles and High School for Special Education in Burbank, California.

In the year 1990 he represented Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation at the BBC in London and presented Sandesaya Programme.

At present he functions as the Vice Chairman of the Sri Lanka Performing Rights Society, affiliated to World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva, and Vice Chairman of the Center for Sustained Development in Sri Lanka. He serves as an External Examiner and Visiting lecturer of the University of Visual arts and Performing Arts, Sri Lanka. Also, he Serves as a Lecturer, Consultant in Music Education at several other institutions.


PROFESSOR AMARA RANATUNGA is the most qualified person in Vocal Music in Sri Lanka. She is also recognized as a super grade singer who performs both classical and light music. She too started her music education in the year 1952 as a small girl at the College of Fine Arts in Colombo. After completing the Degree, in Sri Lanka she joined the Bhathkhande University in India and earned the Sangeeth Visharad Degree with a First Division. Owing to the esteemed position she held as the highly enlightened and talented vocalist in the country, she was offered a scholarship by the Government of India to proceed with her higher studies at the Benaras Hindu University in India. There, she worked diligently with other Indian Scholars and earned Master’s Degree (Mmus) with a First Class. As a result, her Scholarship was extended by the ICCR in New Delhi to do the PhD in Music.

She was the only Sri Lankan Vocalist conferred with the PhD or the Doctorate in Vocal Music.

Starting here career as a music teacher at the Meegoda Maha Vidyalaya, Prof Amara Ranatunga has served as Lecturer at the Government College of Fine Arts, Senior Lecturer of the Institute of Aesthetics of the Kelaniya University, Dean of the Faculty of Music of the Institute of Aesthetics of the Kelaniya University, Visiting lecturer of the Fine Arts Department of the Kelaniya University, Professor of the Institute of Aesthetics of the Kelaniya University, Professor of the University of Visual Arts and Performing Arts and Visiting Lecturer of the University of California, Los Angeles.

At present she is a visiting Professor/Lecturer of the University Visual Arts and Performing Arts, and a Director of the Sri Lanka Performing Rights Society affiliated to WIPO, Geneva. Also she serves as a lecturer and consultant of several educational organizations such as The National Institute of Education.


BOTH DR DAYARATNA RANATUNGA AND PROF AMARA RANATUNGA perform in almost all the media organizations in Sri Lanka. They create and produce programmes for several institutions. They do lecture demonstrations at Universities, several organizations and institutions such as the Indian Cultural Center in Colombo.

Both of them have been honoured with the exceptional award ‘Bharat Mitra’ by the Government of India, for the immaculate service rendered to the field of music. They have received several awards including the Presidents Award, Prime Ministers award, awards from foreign universities, foreign cultural organizations.


READ MORE: Amardaya Music Foundation - amardayamusicfoundation.com