| Annesley Malewana | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Ratnapura, Sri Lanka |
| Genre(s) | Sri Lankan music |
| Years active | 1965 to present |
Annesley Malewana (Sinhala, pronounced [ˈænəsli ˈmaːləvənə]) is an influential Sri Lankan musician.
Life and career
Malewana was born in Ratnapura (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 Wijewardane, who (with Malewana) formed the group Moonstones. In the early 1960s, the Moonstones began performing songs composed by Wijewardane and sung by Malewana (their first hit was Mango Nenda - a song written about the maid who once worked at the home of Clarence's wife in the early days of their relationship). Due primarily to Wijewardane's unique compositions, the group continued to dominate popular Sri Lankan music for nearly a decade before ultimately breaking up in the late 1960s. Malewana and Wijewardane 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 until, 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, as having served to influence them in crafting their unique musical style.
External links
- Drawing of Annesley Malewana - Look at drawings of Annesley, along with several of his fellow Sri Lankan musicians on the homepage of artist Priyan Weerappuli.
- Collection of Sinhala Video Songs
