Edna Sugathapala celebrates golden jubilee in art with ‘Veena’
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Cinema, theatre and teledrama actress Edna Sugathapala who celebrates golden jubilee in her artistic career released ‘Veena’, a compact disc (CD) with instrumental music at Mahaweli Centre, Colombo on Saturday, March 14. The CD contained melodies of some popular Sri Lankan songs played with piano by Edna. Some of the songs featured in the CD are sung by Rukmani Devi, Nanda Malani, Jagath Wickremasinghe, Upali Kannagara and Felix Antony,
Edna’s musical career with piano started when she was just 6 years of age and she later followed Trinity College London examinations in piano. Extremely talented Edna was welknown for her singing and music in addition to the acting. She released her fist song album under the title ‘Veena’ in 1978 and it contained songs written by Karunaratne Abeysekera and music directed by Mohamed Sally. The album contained duets she sang with H. R. Jothipala.
Edna holds a record being the only Sri Lakan actress to play as a professional musician in a musical orchestra in a film.
She played piano and accordion in the playback music of films ‘Surayangeth Suraya’ and ‘Me Desa Kumatada’. Having entered the acting scene in theatre Edna first played in the stage play ‘Gehenu Hatana’ produced by Dick Dias in 1967. In cinema she played in Senasuma Kothenada directed by K. A. W. Perera and thereafter featured in a number of films including ‘Veeduru Gewal’, ‘Senehadsa’ ‘Anthima Mohotha’ ‘Paliyata Paliya’, ‘Newatha Hamuwemu’, ‘Hitha Hinda Kollek’, ‘Tharanaya’, ‘Undaya’ ‘Miriguwa’ and ‘Surayangeth Suraya’.