(October 10, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The world over, music, ‘the food of love’ – in Shakespeare’s classic phrase – comes in three forms: folk music, popular music and art music. Particularly is this so in regard to the musical genre known as Song. Exponents of the art say that singers are of two kinds. No one who is tone-deaf, of course, can sing tunefully; and those who are not ‘moved with concord of sweet sounds’ can aspire to be singers. One is given to understand by those who have investigated the matter that by systematic training, some aspiring singers acquire good pitch and good rhythm in their singing. They also learn to phrase their songs competently by dint of sheer practice. So their singing undoubtedly becomes pleasing to human ears. But rarely do they touch our hearts. They are the first of the two kinds of singers. They may be called ‘made singers’. They sing most of the forgettable songs we hear day in day out. In contrast to ‘made singers’ are the natural singers. No matter what they sing and how they sing it, their singing tugs at our heartstrings by the magic of their voice. This magic cannot be learnt. Some believe it is a divine gift. In my reckoning, Deepika Priyadarshini is a young natural singer who has, as of now, spread the treasure of her trained voice over a hundred songs or more. That her voice had been trained to a degree, which is ‘first class’ has been duly certified by the Bhathkhande Sangeeth University, Luknow, India in 1990. But before that, by 1986, she had reached the status of an A grade radio artiste and was a regular vocalist singing classical and popular songs. In fact the singing star called Deepika was born in 1985 when she took the world of Sinhala music by storm with a pop song called ‘aju thapara lahila’ she sang in the teledrama, Bhagya. The song stirred the young blood of the nation when she first sang it. Today, a quarter of a century later, it still stirs the blood of those who heard it in 1985, if they happen to be in the right mood. That song certainly made her famous; but equally certainly, it is not a song she is proud to have performed. By inclination and choice, Deepika is, above all, an accomplished exponent of the art song. Indeed, the vast majority of the songs she has sung belong in the category of art song.
History
Given its short history of less than a century, Sinhala music has not developed much beyond the art song. Admittedly, the song genre has not been considered serious musical art by most of the great musicians of the world. A creation which lasts no more than three or four minutes on the average, has understandably not merited the creative energy of great musicians. Perhaps, the only exception in western music was Franz Schubert who elevated the song to the level of serious art. However that may be, Professor Sunil Ariyaratne has comprehensively and coherently argued the thesis that song is currently the most popular art form in our country. (If so, song has displaced poetry from its pre-eminent position in Sinhalese culture but that is another story.) The art song represents its highest development, and Deepika’s claim to fame is as a superb exponent of the art song. She thereby locates herself in the tradition of serious female singers in the history of Sinhala music. In fact she is in lineal descent from, and is perhaps the last link, in a golden chain.
Pedigree
The first female singer who deeply touched and bewitched modern Sinhalese people was Rukmani Devi. (Ironically enough, she was originally Daisy Rasamma Daniels an ethnic Tamil. She was worshiped as a singing goddess by millions of Sinhalese. This is further evidence that there is no ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka; there is only an internecine fight for scarce resources, but that too is another story.) The singer who naturally filled the position created by the much lamented tragic death of Rukmani Devi in a road traffic accident was Nanda Malini. She is the reigning queen in the world of Sinhala music. In the same tradition, but to a succeeding generation belongs Neela Wickremasinghe, whose appeal has endured over decades. To the question: After Neela’s generation who? my definitive answer would be: Deepika Priyadarshani. She is now at her peak. Her mellifluous voice has been exquisitely honed. Her intonation is pitch perfect. The clarity of her diction is soothingly pellucid. Her phrasing is syntactically flawless. These are the attributes that make her, in my judgment, perhaps the last link in the golden chain of female singers in the history of Sinhala music.
Degradation of musical art
Sadly, the veritable deluge of female singers who have burst upon the world of Sinhala music in the generation after Deepika’s do not seem to be too serious about their art form. Let me be plain what I mean. Songs represent a combination of music and words. Words serve to convey thoughts. They perform a cognitive function. Music, on the other hand, arouses emotions and communicates feelings. That is the basis of the Shakespearean judgment about music being the food of love. The combination of words and music in song make it one of the most powerful means of human communication. Surveys have shown that about half of the lyrics of popular songs are about romantic love and love relationships. Biologists point out that music is intimately connected with sex and reproduction. Charles Darwin himself suggested that singing ability may do for human reproduction, what the peacock’s tail does for the peacock. In this complex context what is the role of the art song? In the perfect art song, the words and music are equally important. Deepika is acutely aware of this reality and is very careful about the lyrics of the songs she sings. The singers who belong to the generation after Deepika’s seem to be much less discriminating about the quality of the lyrics they sing. They seem to be only too willing to sing whatever lyrics they are paid to sing. By so doing, they undoubtedly degrade their art. But in their defense, it must be pointed out that they have still not descended to the level of nakedly referring to bodily function reached by the Beatles, the most famous group of singers the world has ever known. The lyric of one of their songs consists of two lines. Believe it or not, they are the following: ‘Why don’t we do it in the road?/No one will be watching us’. Here, musical art is unashamedly pressed to the service of copulation.
Deepika’s songs
Deepika Priyadarshani’s songs consists of meaningful lyrics set to music created to match the words and enhance their meaning, while evoking the appropriate mood necessary for the full appreciation of the meaning of lyrics. They have all been written by the best lyricists in the country. They include Professor Sunil Ariyaratne, Rathna Sri Wijesinghe, Sunil R. Gamage, Bandula Nanayakkarawasam, Kularathna Ariyawansa, Bandara Eheliyagoda and Mahinda Chandrasekara. The bulk of the melodies and music of the songs sung by Deepika have been composed by musical genius incarnate Rohana Weerasinghe. Other musicians who have set the lyrics to music include Suresh Maliyadda, Navaratna Gamage, Tissasiri Perera, Samantha Perera, Sangeeth Wickremasinghe, Kasun Kalhara, Sarath de Alwis and musicians of that calibre. Of the seventy-five or so songs, in the five solo audio albums she has released between 1991 and 2005, my favourite is ‘Kaviya Oba’. It came in her very first cassette called ‘Sina Podak’. Its lyric of unorthodox format was written by Sunil R. Gamage. Its haunting melody, lilting rhythm, instrumental harmony and rich tone colour combine to make it a perfect gem of a song. Deepika sings it wonderfully, and for me, definitively. I have heard it a hundred times but the next time I hear it, I know that I will stop whatever I am doing and listen to it with all the attention that my ageing ears can command! So much for the practice of Deepika’s musical art.
Theory
In the field of musical theory in Sri Lanka, Deepika’s main role has been that of a dedicated teacher. From 1989 to 2009 she taught music in leading schools in Sri Lanka. Her final stint from 2005 to 2009 was at Visaka Vidyalaya, the most renowned Buddhist Girls’ School in the country. As a teacher, she inducted thousands of students to the art of singing and her dedication and excellence have been repeatedly rewarded with prestigious awards. In 2005 she published a book based on a research she had carried out among school children. Its declared practical aim is to demonstrate that a prosperous future is open to those who choose music as a career. In 1990 she set up an institute called the Deepika Priyadarshani Aesthetic Institute. It trains children in vocal and instrumental music for local and foreign examinations. It is now a well-established institute attracting large numbers of pupils.
Conclusion
Time is not right to pronounce a final judgment on young Deepika Priyadarshani’s musical art. Nor am I qualified to do so. As of now it is, above all as a superlative singer of art song that Visharadh Deepika Priyadarshani has impacted on the world of Sinhala music. Currently, the world of Sinhala music is literally world-wide in extent. Between 1992 and 2010, Deepika has given musical performances in virtually every continent in the world. She has been invited to sing by lovers of Sinhala music in the USA, UK, France, Germany, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Italy and any number of countries in the Middle East. But make no mistake about it. She is by no means a globe trotting commercial singer. Let it be noted that her musical art has evoked the interest of serious critics. A whole chapter in a collection of essays called ‘Geetha Vichara Sanhitha’ published in 2009 by the acclaimed literary and music critic Samantha Herath of the University of Colombo has been devoted to Deepika Priyadarshani. The chapter is headed: Abhinawa Shilpiniyakage Agamanaya. ‘Birth of a singing star’ would be the translation of the sense of the heading. The star that was born in 1991 is now trailing the firmament of Sinhala music in a blaze of glory. She has miles to go and musical promises to keep. Her creative best is yet to come.
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