Hettiarachchige Reginald Jothipala was born in Katawalamulla to a middle-class family on February 12, 1936. His father was H.R. James and his mother was Ahaliyagoda H. K. Podinona Perera. Jothi was the eldest in a family of five. He attended St. Lawrence College, Maradana, and St. John's College, Dematagoda but never took up music as a subject neither at school nor after completing his studies. Though his love for music and song grew as the years swept by, the beginning of his musical career was filled with hardships and sorrow. Some criticized Jothi for singing to tunes of popular Hindi hits and many did not believe in Jothi's unique talent.

He began his career as a vocalist singing duets with Wasantha Sandanayake and G. S. B. Rani Perera at SLBC.

Though he made his debut as a playback singer in 1956 by taking part in Cyril P. Abeyratne's Surathalee with the hit Siriyame Sara on which the music is directed by T.R. Papa, Jothi had recorded a song for the late Sirisena Wimalaweera's Podi Putha earlier.

The song was mysteriously slashed from the film and Jothi had confessed that he had been in the brink of committing suicide when he went with his friends to watch Podi Putha and discovered that his number had not been included.

According to records Jothi's voice had failed to impress the Indian film composer on the film.

Later when Surathalee producer Jabir A. Cader expressed the desire to hear one of his songs to consider him for a film, Jothi almost passed out on the offer because he did not possess enough money to launch a record.

Fortunately veteran musician Stanley Omar came to his rescue and helped him out with the finances. This act of goodwill made way for a much-awaited break for young Jothi. With Siriyame Sara becoming an instant hit the young vocalist began to taste popularity and success. It did not take him long to top the charts and win the name of being the best with an excellent screen voice, a tag that he holds up-to-date.

Jothi worked under many reputed directors of the country and had rendered his voice to all classes of actors ranging from Eddie Jayamanne, Ananda Jayaratne, Gamini Fonseka, Vijaya Kumaratunga, Ravindra Randeniya, Sanath Gunathilaka to the younger generation of actors like Damith Fonseka and Lal Weerasinghe.

One of the highlights of his career is the opportunity to work with the doyen of Sri Lankan cinema, Lester James Peries in the historical Sandeshaya. He sang the popular number Puruthugeesikaraya to the tunes composed by the country's reputed musician Sunil Santha and lyrics penned by veteran lyricist Arisen Ahubudu. He still holds the record as the playback singer who sang the most number of songs for films, the number being 330 films. The last film which had included a song of his was Supiri Balawatha.

Jothi married Blossom Winter, a nurse by profession, and the couple had four daughters. Sri Lanka's undisputed playback king died on July 7, 1987 at the age of 51 years.

Ceylon Daily News of July 07, 2010.

Q. Is your poetry more Oriental or Western?"

A. For any poet to write poetry in a way it should be based on your own traditions. You cannot escape from your own traditions when you do any sort of creation. It is said "you are rooted in the soil of the country but your growth is open to the Universe". My poetry is rooted in my own poetic tradition but then the influences of Western, Chinese and Japanese poetry is evident in my poetry.

Q From where do you get your inspiration?

A. Inspiration is a thing that you cannot say you get it from anywhere. Inspiration is the driving force which leads to any creation. Inspiration is a thing that most of the critics and philosophers have tried to explain. They have not been completely successful in explaining what inspiration is. It is a driving force which is nurtured by one's own innate capability and also what one has associated by reading seeing and observing the world. It is a cumulative force.

Q. When did you start writing poetry?

A. Actually I started writing poetry in 1984 at the age of 40. Before that, although I was associating myself with poetry and other sort of creations I never put my hand on writing poetry itself. It took 40 years for me to put pen to paper. That is something rather different compared to most of the other writers who start writing at the age of 20 or 30.

I was at the University in the 1960's. That was where I was exposed Western and Japanese poetry.

My first exposure to poetry was when I was at school. For O/levels and A/levels they had recommended certain poetry books for the exam. That is where any Sri Lankan person gets his first exposure to poetry - at the school level. That is where you are grounded in your own traditions.

When I entered University I had the good opportunity of finding the world of Eliot and Ezra pound and also Chinese and Japanese poetry.

Q. How many poems have you published? Which is your favorite and why?

A. I have published 14 poetry books but it is difficult to say which is my favourite. A father loves all his children the same. So even a creation is like one of your children. In those 14 poems there are 1000 odd poems.

Q What are the themes you write under?

A. I do not restrict myself to one or two themes. I even get inspiration from very small objects. Perhaps a blade of grass or an ant hill. These objects are only metaphors. If you ask me what the theme of my poetry is; it is mankind, it is life, human life. The human condition, the world the universe.

Q. Do you feel your childhood experiences have a big impact in your poetry?

A. Certainly. I studied in a remote school in a rather for off place. It is a place of scenic beauty. The Maha Oya flows down that valley. There are so many hills surrounding that area and the tea estates. The rural serenity would have influenced my poetry. The tranquil environment that quiet life would have been some force of influence for my poetry.

Q. What is your message to aspiring poets?

A. Don't rush in to writing poetry. Allow your intuition and inspiration to tell you, this is time to write poetry. In the meantime associate as much as possible with human knowledge. Essentially read philosophy both Western and Eastern. Knowledge of all the religions is very important. This amalgamation of creativity is a wonderful force.

Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/05/18/fea10.asp

Charming, modest and humble scholar now takes his respite at his residence. Calling him multitalented is in no way an exaggeration. Siri Gunasinghe is a poet, film director, novelist, art teacher and art critic all rolled into one.

You taught Sanskrit at the Peradeniya University. How did that help you in your artistic career?

Studying Sanskrit has done me a great service. It gave me a sense of logic and organization. Unlike modern languages that keep on changing, Sanskrit is well established. My interest came through my research into technical manuals on Sanskrit texts dealing with the techniques involved in early Indian classical paintings. The manuals were in Sanskrit, so I made a combination with my Sanskrit and Art History. I have a first class in Sanskrit, but still you can call me a student of Sanskrit.

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Sunil Shantha was born in 1915 at Dehiyagatha, Jaela to a Christian family. His parents died while Sunil was in his formative years. Thereafter he was brought up by his grandmother and uncle. His uncle M. J. Perera was a music lover, from whom Sunil Shantha learned how to play the harmonium. It was how the foundation for a legendary musician was laid.

This legendary personality always excelled in every task by leaving a remarkable record behind. In 1933 he passed the teachers examination just after emerging the island first in the school leaving certificate examination.

At St. Calvery School he exhibited his mettle as a stellar teacher of music by enabling the school to secure three consecutive victories at the southern school music competition. It was in 1938 Sunil Shantha passed Intermediate Gandarwa Examination. As he was gifted with the true essence of Sinhalese spirit he thought it was high time to delve in the depth of Sri Lankan arts and culture, With this thought in mind he learned Sinhala folk songs and Wannam under the tutelage of Urapola Banda Gurunnanse.

He was an artiste with the thirst to explore into roots of the subject and left for India in quest of learning Hindustani classical, Bengali orchestral and vocal music at Shanthi Niketan. But Shanthi Nikethan could not quench the unabated thirst this personality had for music. Then he left for Allhabad to read his Visharada Degree at University of Bathkanda in 1944.

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Susil Premaratne who died last week, aged 83, was a complete artist: singer and painter. His baritone reminded you of India’s reputed film singers K. L. Saigal and Mukesh. The painting brush rested easily in his fingers - he was the only son of the famous painter of Buddhist murals M. Sarlis; nephew of newspaper and book-cover artists G. S. Fernando and G. L. Gautamadasa.

While GS was artist and caricaturist at Lankadipa under the newspaper genius D. B. Dhanapala, Susil was his uncle’s both protege and understudy. Soon the diminutive, shy bespectacled crooner was on his own.

At the rickety old Radio Ceylon down Cotta Road where the ancient grandma mansion had only two studios to accommodate the stalwarts Ananda Samarakone, Sunil Santha, C. T. Fernando, W. D. Albert Perera (Amaradeva) and P. L. A. Somapala, Susil was the new arrival with the soft, deep crooning voice, the voice with a difference.

Soon he was pushed up to the front ranks with another new find - Lata. She was Jennie Fernando - Susil christened her Lata, after the celebrated Lata Mangeshkar of India.

Susil Premaratne (mercifully) did not follow the old gramophone style of music - parroting Hindi film songs substituted with inane Sinhala lyrics. Susil composed his own melodies and sang them. He was no virtuoso like Samarakone, Sunil Santha and Amaradeva but he created original lilting songs that became instantly popular, beginning with Suwanda Sukumali and Pem Kusume. His original creativity in music peaked with the melodising of the classical Guttila poem Roo Rese Andina Lese which he sang with Lata Walpola. The national television in one of its rare good programs featured Susil painting one of the Sigiri-like damsels on an easel standing singing solo the same Guttila verse-song. It was a splendid TV frame - the painter finishing off the lovely painting simultaneously with the singer completing the song.

The unique thing about Susil was he was an independent singer. He did not indulge in Bajavu musicals and hardly appeared in public performances of pop music. Sometimes he came to Ananda College and sang before student audiences. He was the retiring kind yet he was unpretentious. Seated inside his car he would croon into the little micro fan which was like a miniature mike to him. He had a natural voice. Meeting you on some Fort street he would not hesitate to entertain you with few bars from Roo Rese... he was an unassuming man.

Susil also contributed prolifically to pop cartoon art magazines. He was a major artist at the Times drawing illustrations to all the newspapers and occasionally turning out a political cartoon when uncle GS was absent.

Perhaps the climax of his singing career was when he sang for the late Maestro Mohamed Ghouse in B. A. W. Jayamanne’s Sangawunu Pilithura.

The Naushad Ali of Sri Lanka (Mohd. Ghouse whom BAW dubbed in the titles Prof. Mohd. Ghouse in his only second Sinhala film after Asokamala had composed some haunting melodies for the film-songs like Pem Loka Rajani, Manahara Geetha Gayala - which Susil sang with the late Rukmani Devi.

They were classics, like Ghouse’s creations in Asokamala, including Susil’s solo Maa Hade. Susil was a super grade artiste at Radio Ceylon when the Jayamannes contracted him to sing for Sengawunu Pilithura. Perhaps Ghouse Master too was satisfied with Susil’s singing.

At a musical show in Kolonnawa organised by Siri Aiya, Susil was singing squatting on stage. Behind the orchestra sat Mohamed Ghouse before a foot-bellow seraphina.

He was smiling benevolently trying to pick Susil’s strains on the seraphina. P. L. A. Somapala was helping the maestro with the peculiar native nuances of the Susil melody. No doubt the Naushad Ali of Ceylon was impressed by the young man. The result was the playback stint with Sengawunu Pilithura.

By Premil RATNAYAKE, Source: http://www.dailynews.lk/2010/02/17/art10.asp