Annesley Malewana
Encyclopedia
Annesley Malewana (ˈænəsli ˈmaːləvənə) is an influential Sri Lankan musician.
(a city in south-central Sri Lanka
), and attended St. Joseph’s College in the capital city of Colombo
. Upon leaving school, he met Clarence Wijewardena, who (with Malewana) formed the group Moonstones. In the early 1960s, the Moonstones began performing songs composed by Wijewardena and sung by Malewana (their first hit was Mango Nanda - a song written about the maid who once worked at the home of Clarence's wife in the early days of their relationship).
broadcaster Vernon Corea
and his cousin Vijaya Corea
. Their music was featured for the very first time on the English
Services of Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
. They became household names as a result of the airplay on Radio Ceylon throughout the 1960s. Annesley Malewana was well known for being a master of contemporary baila.
During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the songs of the 'Moonstones' and the 'Super Golden Chimes' were on the lips of so many music lovers in Sri Lanka - the musicians were at their peak and Annesley had reached the heights of popularity in the world of music on the island.
The Super Golden Chimes performed for another 8 years until, in 1978, Malewana married, and announced his retirement from music.Despite his retirement, Malewana returned in 1988 as a solo artist, and continued to record songs particularly for CDs released in Sri Lanka.
According to Malewana: "It was a long felt need in the music scene especially after the Super Golden Chimes Reunion Concert which was held last year. I was under tremendous pressure from my fans and well-wishers to continue with the Super Golden Chimes, but since some of the members are abroad and some others are playing in different groups, I did not want to use the name Super Golden Chimes."
The songs performed by Malewana and Clarence over their three decade careers have recently been credited, by the group Pahan Silu
, as having served to influence them in crafting their unique musical style. Annesley Malewana has reached the pinnacle of fame as a highly respected recording artiste and as an accomplished musician. Together with his close friend, the late Clarence Wijewardena, they were at the very top of music world in South Asia. Wijeywardena and Malewana were two of the most sought after musicians in Sri Lanka. Their songs topped the charts on both the English Service and the Sinhala Service on Radio Ceylon/Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation for decades. Annesley Malewana has also made countless appearances on television. His voice has been heard by Londoners over BBC Radio London 206 on the popular 'London Sounds Eastern
' radio programme and on community radio
in the United States of America and in Australia
.
Listen to Annesley Malewana on YouTube:
Life and career
Malewana was born in RatnapuraRatnapura
- Floods :The town of Ratnapura is situated in the flooding plain of the river Kalu. The town experiences regular floods usually in the month of May. There is no large dam across the Kalu, so this leaves the city at the mercy of nature's forces every year. Several proposals have been made to reduce...
(a city in south-central Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
), and attended St. Joseph’s College in the capital city of Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
. Upon leaving school, he met Clarence Wijewardena, who (with Malewana) formed the group Moonstones. In the early 1960s, the Moonstones began performing songs composed by Wijewardena and sung by Malewana (their first hit was Mango Nanda - a song written about the maid who once worked at the home of Clarence's wife in the early days of their relationship).
Moonstones
Primarily due to Wijewardena's unique compositions, the Moonstones continued to dominate popular Sri Lankan music for nearly a decade before ultimately breaking up in the late 1960s. The Moonstones were managed by the advertising man Sri Sangabo Corea and were mentored by the legendary Radio CeylonRadio Ceylon
Radio Ceylon is the oldest radio station in Asia. Broadcasting was started on an experimental basis in Ceylon by the Telegraph Department in 1923, just three years after the inauguration of broadcasting in Europe.- Edward Harper :...
broadcaster Vernon Corea
Vernon Corea
Vernon Corea was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asia's oldest radio station, in 1956 and later the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation...
and his cousin Vijaya Corea
Vijaya Corea
Vijaya Corea is a radio and television broadcaster and one of Sri Lanka's most well known media personalities. Corea is a household name in Sri Lanka, synonymous with broadcasting and show business for over four decades, and has often been referred to as Sri Lanka's #1 Compere.-Early life:He grew...
. Their music was featured for the very first time on the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
Services of Radio Ceylon and subsequently the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation came into existence on January 5, 1967 when Radio Ceylon became a public corporation. Dudley Senanayake who was the Prime Minister of Ceylon in 1967 ceremonially opened the newly established Ceylon Broadcasting Corporation along with Minister Ranasinghe...
. They became household names as a result of the airplay on Radio Ceylon throughout the 1960s. Annesley Malewana was well known for being a master of contemporary baila.
During the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, the songs of the 'Moonstones' and the 'Super Golden Chimes' were on the lips of so many music lovers in Sri Lanka - the musicians were at their peak and Annesley had reached the heights of popularity in the world of music on the island.
Super Golden Chimes
Malewana and Wijewardena remained friends and reunited in the 1970s to form a group dubbed the Super Golden Chimes - this group would, similarly, produce a string of popular songs that included Udarata Niliya (Up-Country Dancer), Sihina Pathum (In Dreams), Wana Bambaro (Jungle/Wild Bee), and Sathuta Senasuma (Happy Feelings).The Super Golden Chimes performed for another 8 years until, in 1978, Malewana married, and announced his retirement from music.Despite his retirement, Malewana returned in 1988 as a solo artist, and continued to record songs particularly for CDs released in Sri Lanka.
Super Chimes
Malewana came out of retirement to get back into the music world, in 2005 he formed the band Annesley & The Super Chimes.According to Malewana: "It was a long felt need in the music scene especially after the Super Golden Chimes Reunion Concert which was held last year. I was under tremendous pressure from my fans and well-wishers to continue with the Super Golden Chimes, but since some of the members are abroad and some others are playing in different groups, I did not want to use the name Super Golden Chimes."
The songs performed by Malewana and Clarence over their three decade careers have recently been credited, by the group Pahan Silu
Pahan Silu
Pahan Silu is the name of a band formed in late 2002 by American-born musician Priyan Weerappuli....
, as having served to influence them in crafting their unique musical style. Annesley Malewana has reached the pinnacle of fame as a highly respected recording artiste and as an accomplished musician. Together with his close friend, the late Clarence Wijewardena, they were at the very top of music world in South Asia. Wijeywardena and Malewana were two of the most sought after musicians in Sri Lanka. Their songs topped the charts on both the English Service and the Sinhala Service on Radio Ceylon/Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation for decades. Annesley Malewana has also made countless appearances on television. His voice has been heard by Londoners over BBC Radio London 206 on the popular 'London Sounds Eastern
London Sounds Eastern
London Sounds Eastern was one of the most popular ethnic minority radio program's on the BBC. It was presented by Vernon Corea and produced by Keith Yeomans.-The Launching of London Sounds Eastern -BBC Radio London:...
' radio programme and on community radio
Community radio
Community radio is a type of radio service, that offers a third model of radio broadcasting beyond commercial broadcasting and public broadcasting. Community stations can serve geographic communities and communities of interest...
in the United States of America and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Listen to Annesley Malewana on YouTube:
- Annesley Malewana at the Super Golden Chimes Reunion Concert at the BMICH in Colombo
- Annesley Malewana - Super Golden Chimes Reunion Concert
- Annesley Malewana on Sri Lankan Television
- Annesley Malewana and the hit song 'Gon Wassa'
- Annesley Malewana performs 'Ma Sihina Pathum' in Canberra,Australia in 2008
- 'Kiyanna Sulange' - Annesley Malewana with Lilanthi Karunanayake
- Annesley Malewana sings Clarence Wijewardena's hit - "Piyaneni"