Playing paper patterns

By Esther Williams

Origami is the art of paper folding. The word is Japanese, literally meaning 'to fold' (oru) 'paper' (kami).

An old Japanese ritual requires that a person folds 1000 paper cranes to ensure the recovery of another. This is not just symbolic. Folding paper to make shapes and objects is very absorbing and requires great concentration. This actually helps people by keeping their hands occupied and their minds away from worry.

Origami or the art of ornamental paper folding has been around in Japan since the 9th century, handed down from generation to generation. It is now practised the world over. The dainty technique has uses ranging from Japanese religious rituals to the traditional keep-the-kids-occupied-on-a-rainy-day activity. 

The Embassy of Japan in association with the Origami Folders Society of Sri Lanka and the Colombo Public Library organized an Origami exhibition and workshop, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Japan. Held on March 22, the workshop was mainly for beginners to have a brief exposure to the art. The participants, those interested in the craft, besides parents and school teachers were taught four simple designs.

There was also an exhibition that displayed amazing origami models. Entire scenes like the African Savannah, Crows in Colombo, Pre-historic Origami, Aliens from Outer Space, Traditional Japanese Lantern Festival were some of the exceptional three-dimensional art, masterpieces done with squares of coloured paper.

Annie, one participant makes a lot of little items to put up on Christmas trees and other packages. 

The educational benefits too are many. Origami makes learning more enjoyable and when learning is fun, children learn more.

Japanese children discover origami at their mother's knees. In recent years many schools have introduced it into their curriculum as research shows that it is a unique and valuable addition for developing vital skills. 

George Levenson in his paper on 'Educational Benefits of Origami' explains the following benefits: Behavioral skills - as you learn to watch closely, listen carefully and carry out specific instructions; Co-operative learning - as classmates help each other to learn; A link to maths - learning symmetry as you learn to create and manipulate shapes; cognitive development - learning sequencing, cause and effect relationships as certain steps have to be followed for a desired outcome; multi-cultural awareness - learn about different culture and be tolerant; Community building - as it is used to unite schools in thematic activities.

The workshop was effective as it taught us how to make little objects, which we can in turn teach others, especially children. 

Those interested can also join the Origami Folders Society of Sri Lanka that regularly organizes sessions, sometimes with experts in the field from Japan to develop this art that is a continuous learning process. Give it a try, explore a new hobby and share the fun!

Tuned into life

By Chandani Kirinde

across it and creates almost magical sounds. But Hemapala Perera (59) cannot see the effect the sound of his flute has on the audience. This gifted musician has been completely blind since the age of seven. 

The disability, however, has not hindered his progress and besides being an expert flautist, Mr.Perera also plays the tabla, guitar, violin, mandolin and several other instruments.

A rare illness he contracted as a little boy of five resulted in him completely losing his vision by the age of seven. But the youngster first realized he had a talent for music when he found a mouth organ that his older brother had brought home.

"My mother soon realized it too and bought me a mouth organ of my own while we were on our way to buy medicine for my illness. I started playing this by ear and quickly mastered it," he recalled. Next it was the mandolin that caught his fancy. His mother bought him this instrument as well and he learnt it too. "My brother was taking music lessons from J.M. Amarnath, a teacher who lived near our village in Badulla. Because of my interest in music, he volunteered to teach me. That was in 1953," Mr. Perera said.

He started by learning to play the tabla. After a few months, he decided he wanted to learn to play the flute too. But teaching a blind person, his master soon understood, was no easy task. "As I was blind, I could not read the musical notes and had to learn to play by ear. But my teacher was so dedicated that some days he would come home around 8.30 a.m. and leave around 10.00 in the night. He had a lot of faith in my abilities."

Mr. Amarnath realized that the notes were important so he involved Mr. Perera's sister who was at home at the time by teaching her to read the notes and asking her to help her blind brother practise. 

In 1968, Hemapala Perera was first introduced to the nation when he was featured on the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC). Since then he continues to be a guest artiste there. He also had a solo concert in the early '70s. That lead to him meet several famous music personalities in the country and earn a living by providing background music at recordings.

Mr.Perera says the clarity with which his teacher taught him laid the foundation that any student would need to develop his talent in music. Since then he has used his imagination and experimented with the bamboo flute which he now plays with the ease of an expert. "The flute is like no other musical instrument. You can pick up a guitar or violin and strum the strings and you hear a sound. But with a flute you have to breathe life into the sounds that you create. It's a very individual effort," he explains. 

Music is his first love and Mr.Perera listens to all kinds of music ranging from Indian classical which is his favourite to light music and jazz.

"Listening to all kinds of sounds, I am able to create new sounds for myself," he says. 

One regret Mr.Perera has is that interest in classical music in Sri Lanka is waning. Another is that there is little interest in instrumental music.

"There is hardly any exposure either in the electronic media or through concerts for classical music. We need more state and private patronage for these art forms too. It's not an area where profits can be made by promoting popular music but any patronage would be a great help, " he said.

Mr. Perera has had the rare privilege of performing a solo at a musical festival held in Estonia last year and says the reception he received from the audience there who are quite alien to our form of music was unbelievable. He hopes that classical musicians in Sri Lanka will also be appreciated in this country in the same manner.