Life and career Ananda Samarakoon

1 life , career

1.1 life
1.2 composer
1.3 painter
1.4 national anthem
1.5 death

life , career
early life

samarakoon born christian family in padukka, sri lanka on january 13, 1911. had primary , secondary education @ christian college, kotte, presently known sri jayawardenapura m.v.kotte. sinhala guru pandit d.c.p. gamalathge. later served alma mater teacher of music , art. samarakoon left visva-bharati university, santiniketan in india study art , music. after 6 months abandoned studies , returned sri lanka, , changed name ananda samarakoon, embracing buddhism. served music teacher of mahinda college, galle 1938 1942.

composer

in 1937, popular music of sri lanka consisted of songs derived north indian ragadhari music. these songs lyrics contained meaningless phrases little or no literary merit. samarakone set out create form of music can classified sri lanka s own , came out song ennada menike(එන්නද මැණිකේ) (1940) paved foundation artistic sinhala music. in 1940, composed namo namo mata instill patriotism , love 1 s country, in students @ mahinda college. song later selected national anthem of sri lanka sri lankan government.

the love themed song endada menike unfolds in form of dialogue between young village boy , girl. poetic , beautifully rustic, became success , samarakone followed string of successful songs in mid-1940s, period considered golden age. among best known works are:

podimal etano (පොඩීමල් එතනෝ)
vilay malak pipila
poson pohoda
asay madura
sunila guvanay
punchi suda
nilvala gangay
sumano
pudamu kusum
siri saru saara ketay

painter

in 1945 samarakoon s son died @ age of 5 , grieving samarakoon left sri lanka india pursued painting career , held eleven art exhibitions there. though painting critically acclaimed, returned music in 1951 in sri lanka.

national anthem

one of samarakoon s compositions, namo namo mata nominated national anthem , officially adopted national anthem of ceylon on november 22, 1951, committee headed sir edwin wijeyeratne.critics attacked namo namo mata, particularly gana significance of introductory words (namo namo matha) designate disease , ill luck. samarakone not believer in gana , criticism caused him write numerous articles counterattacking critics defend composition. however, without consent, introductory words changed sri lanka mathaa gana significance designate victory , prosperity.

death

on april 5, 1962, @ age of fifty one, samarakoon committed suicide taking overdose of sleeping tablets , cause said change of words of composition without consent.