Mariazelle Goonetilleke - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Mariazelle Goonetilleke is a leading 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...

n singer and music star. She has performed to capacity filled auditoriums not only in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

but also as far afield as the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...

, Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

and 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...

Early years

Mariazelle Goonetilleke was born in Nugegoda

Nugegoda

Nugegoda is one of the most densely populated suburbs of Colombo. It is in the border of Sri Jayawardenapura Municipal Council Limits and Dehiwela Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council Limits, just outside Colombo City Limits. Central Nugegoda is a collection of densely packed shops and mixed residential...

in 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...

, Sri Lanka. She began her music career at the age of 7 years. At the age of 10 Mariazelle won the Junior Section of the Ceylon Observer All Island Talent Competition - it opened the door for her to join a pre-teen group of young musicians called the 'Junior Rhythmiers', a music group who were popular in Sri Lanka. The group were thrown into the spotlight when they were featured in the 1960s over the airwaves of Radio Ceylon

Radio 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 :...

, the oldest radio station in South Asia

South Asia

South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...

. The radio station 'ruled the airwaves' in the 1950s

1950s

The 1950s or The Fifties was the decade that began on January 1, 1950 and ended on December 31, 1959. The decade was the sixth decade of the 20th century...

and 1960s

1960s

The 1960s was the decade that started on January 1, 1960, and ended on December 31, 1969. It was the seventh decade of the 20th century.The 1960s term also refers to an era more often called The Sixties, denoting the complex of inter-related cultural and political trends across the globe...

so any exposure on Radio Ceylon was a huge boost to young artistes on the island. Mariazelle's music career spiralled upwards.

She studied classical guitar

Classical guitar

The classical guitar is a 6-stringed plucked string instrument from the family of instruments called chordophones...

tutored by the renowned classical guitarist, the late Winston Jayawardene and vocal music from Mrs. Estelle de Niese. Mariazelle Goonetilleke attended St. Joseph's Convent School, Nugegoda.

Kandy Lamissi

Winning the Ceylon Observer Talent Contest was a huge boost for Mariazelle. According to the Sunday Observer of Colombo: ' This gave her more courage to play with bands like "The Emeralds" and the "Midnight Mist". Recording "Kandy Lamissi" in 1977 was the virtual turning point in her career. The song was an instant hit and Mariazelle came to be known by that name.

This new "Kandy Lamissi" had to move from place to place not only here, but also in top hotels like Soaltee Oberoi in Kathmandu, Nepal to perform. In the same year she met with an accident in Nuwara Eliya in which she sustained serious injuries to her spine and collar bone. Helped by her dear classmate, Christine Nadarajah at that time, her belief in God and community prayers saw her out from that dark period, Mariazelle claimed. Out from hospital Mariazelle had the privilege of getting the helping hands of legends like Clarence Wijewardene, the Emperor of Baila, M. S. Fernando, Stanley Peiris, Ajantha Ranasinghe, Chandral Fonseka and Sunil/Piyal of the "Gypsies". The compositions of Clarence and others provided her a different style and rendition that attracted music lovers. Ajantha's composition "Sihina Nelum Mal" was dedicated to her son, Teshan now studying in England.'

Music Genre

Mariazelle has been involved with a range of music genre - from western pop music to Sri Lankan baila. She is now well known as a leading baila singer, performing her massive hit 'Kandy Lamissi,' all over the world. American Fulbright Scholar, Vasana Kelum de Mel, from the University of California

University of California

The University of California is a public university system in the U.S. state of California. Under the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the University of California is a part of the state's three-tier public higher education system, which also includes the California State University...

, Los Angeles (UCLA) observed: 'Since I feel it is an essential issue to study the 'gender Baila' as well, the work of the female Baila singers like Mariazelle Goonetilleke and Corinne Almeida should also be appreciated,' she said.

She has also collaborated with some of Sri Lanka's top musicians, among them Sunil Perera

Sunil Perera

Sunil Perera is a Sri Lankan vocalist, guitarist, songwriter and composer . He is the leader and the lead vocalist of the popular Sri Lankan band, Gypsies.-Early life:...

of the Gypsies, M.S. Fernando, Dalreen

Dalreen

Dalreen Suby is a popular pop singer from Sri Lanka who started her career in the early 1970s and still very popular in Sri Lanka. One of her earlier hits was "Stranger Boy" which came out in the 70s. She sings both in English and Sinhalese. She recently toured Canada and the United States with...

Suby, Clarence Wijewardena, Annesley Malewana

Annesley Malewana

-Life and career:Malewana was born in Ratnapura , and attended St. Joseph’s College in the capital city of Colombo. Upon leaving school, he met Clarence Wijewardena, who formed the group Moonstones...

, Damian Wickramatilleke, Maxi Rozairo, Shanelle Fernando, Umara Sinhawansa, Ashanthi De Alwis and Raj Seneviratne.

Sri Lanka's superstar spoke about her own struggles and her rise to fame in 2003 in an interview with the Sunday Observer, Sri Lanka: 'To have remained as I am in the music scene for 35 years, retaining and who and what I am is a most difficult thing. It's a feeling of elation because of the struggles I have faced to come out on top.'

The Island newspaper in Colombo noted that, 'Kandy Lamissi hitmaker Mariazelle Goonetilleke, is another local artiste who is very much in demand with Sri Lankans, domiciled abroad.She is regularly seen in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

and most foreign cities where Sri Lankan Associations exist. Her popularity abroad could be attributed to her versatility, she could handle most songs with ease - be it Sinhala, 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...

, Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

or Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

.Mariazelle also has the ability to communicate with her audience in a friendly manner. And most people like her style.'

Christian Faith

Mariazelle became a committed Christian

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

in 2009. According to the Island newspaper:'Mariazelle is very much into religion

Religion

Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...

and has taken God

God

God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....

as her friend and saviour.' She joined the People's Church in Colombo. Mariazelle said: 'I have sung all my life but now there is singing in my heart. The greatest song I sing is with God as my audience.'

In 2010 Mariazelle Goonetilleke celebrated 42 years, in the world of entertainment

Entertainment

Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...

, in South Asia.

External links

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