Go down memory lane with Bonsoir Diaries app
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Kumar de Silva
The Bonsoir Diaries by Kumar de Silva was released in audio book format at the Harold Peries Gallery, Lionel Wendt on July 6. Voiced by Kumar de Silva, this book is available on the Android app store through the ‘Lisn’ app. Lisn is Sri Lanka’s first ever audiobook application.
Presented by the Embassy of France in Sri Lanka, the Bonsoir French television programme ran for 25 years and finally concluded in December 2010, leaving many people with fond memories and a greater understanding of the French language and culture.
Speaking at the event, Kumar de Silva explained the reasoning behind an audio book. “I discovered that there were no archives of the programme on YouTube, and so I decided to write a book. This book however, has had its 1000 copies almost sold out and has not been reprinted. Therefore, the next logical decision was to release an audiobook – which is what I’m doing today,” he said.
Chief guest Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera said that although Sri Lanka has had a close association to France since 1672 – when the first French Ambassador came to Sri Lanka during the time of the Kandyan Kingdom, it wasn’t until Bonsoir that French language and culture became accessible to students outside of an elite minority of Colombo residents.
Sections of the book were read out to the audience at the launch with popular personalities such as Angela Seneviratne, Swarna Mallawarachchi and Upeka Chitrasena re-enacting episodes of the show which they were involved in and expressing their sentiments regarding the programme. Angela recalled the time she took part in the programme when a musical train ride to Kandy was organized with a day of music and festivity in Kandy as part of the Fete de la Musique, Sri Lanka.
Angela Seneviratne
Swarna regaled the audience with tales of the time she went to the Cannes film festival in France and was interviewed by Bonsoir at the Mount Lavinia Hotel after the event. The producers aiming to keep up with the Cannes theme left audiences assuming that the interview also took place in Cannes itself. Upeka expressed her gratitude to the producers of Bonsoir for their interview of her and her family – one of the two times during which her family was documented while her father was still alive.
The organizers of the event invite anyone interested in reliving the ‘Bonsoir’ experience and younger generations interested in learning about the show to download the ‘Lisn’ app on their Android phones and download the Bonsoir Diaries app. The app is available on iOS devices from July 8. This eBook is priced at Rs 300.
Sumitra Peries and Swarna Mallawarachchi