• 'Thank You' Dido for music
• Nilantha: New star in Aanjali's trio
• C&C Duo gets into www
• HCIMA Black Tie Dinner with a difference
• Olwyn's Wadiya is the best sea food joint in the world
• Sisira brings fame to Sri Lanka
• Discussion on 'Purahanda'
• 'Hiru Thanivela': Portrays struggle of young love 

'Thank You' Dido for music 

By Sanath Weerasuriya

Electronic pop chanteuse Dido entered London's Guildhall School of Music at age six, and by the time she reached her teens had already mastered piano, violin and recorder. After touring with a British classical ensemble, she accepted a publishing job, in the meanwhile singing in a series of local groups before joining the trip-hop outfit Faithless - helmed by her older brother, the noted DJ and producer Rollo - in 1995.

As the group's 1996 debut Reverence went on to sell some five million copies worldwide, Dido began working on solo material, developing a lushly ethereal sound combining elements of acoustic pop and electronica; signing with Arista, she released her debut LP No Angel in mid-1999, and toured with the Lilith Fair that summer.

Her biggest break, however, came the following year, when rap superstar Eminem sampled the No Angel track "Thank You" for the chorus of his hit single "Stan", to surprisingly touching effect. Demand for the Dido original escalated quickly, and "Thank You" became a Top Five smash in early 2001, as did the album, which topped sales of three million copies.

Look for this smashing album at all M Entertainment preferred music outlets.

To enter this contest, all you have to do is to answer the question on the coupon and send it to the address given below.

The address is "Listen to Original Music Contest, No. 59, C/o Maharaja Entertainments (Pvt.) Ltd., 330, T.B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10.

Tel: + 941672425-8, Fax + 941699070. E Mail: me@lgo.lk

All the entries must be originals from the TV Times and no photocopies or faxes will be entertained. All correct entries will be drawn by a panel of judges. 

The entries should reach the above address by November 27 , the latest. The decision of the judges will be final and the names of the winners will be announced in The Sunday TV Times accordingly.

Here are the winners of contestant no. 54. Winners of two Sony original CDs are Ms. Cabrine Tillekeratne of Kandana and Dayan Navaratne of Narammala.

The two audio cassette winners are C.J. Roland Anthony of Ragama and Avantha Jayawickreme of Rajagiriya.

The 10%off gift vouchersgo to Madusha Gallage of Wadduwa, Barbara Livera of Colombo 9, Janitha Lakmal Dayawasha of Bandarawela, Niroshan Amarasinghe of Colombo 5, D. Fernando of Rajagiriya and P. Pratheepan of Colombo 6.

The Poster winners are T. Thavarajah of Aryampathy, Glen Nugera of Dehiwela, Shan Rajaguru of Katugastota, Ramani Suriyalatha of Puwakpitiya and Mrs. L. Radhakrishnan of Punduluoya.

Here are the winners of contestant no. 55. Winners of two Sony original CDs are Nadiya De Lanerolle of Kottawa and P.N.K. Ranawake of Pannipitiya.

The two audio cassette winners are C.P. Ekanayake of Ibbagamuwa and Shamil Perera of Yakkala.

The 10%off gift vouchers go to Lasantha Tenuwara of Nivitigala, T.K. Muhajarine of Ragama, Muthumali Perera of Negombo, M.S. Hannan of Gampola, T. Dilshan De Mel of Wattala and Sudara Ranaweerasinghe of Maharagama.

The Poster winners are Ms. Trudy Ann Ragell of Kaduwela, Janitha L. Dayawansha of Bandarawela, Thanukshi Gomes of Dehiwela, W.K. Mahesh Sampath Wilhara of Rugghawila and Saman Indrajith Jayasekera of Malabe.

Nilantha: New star in Aanjali's trio

'Aanjalie with Rhythm-Knights', the three piece band, is the latest addition to the local music scene.

Nilantha who was a student of Dharmapala College won the first place in the all island music and drama competition in the year 1999 for classical solo singing. And has followed a course of the examination of national music degree.

This is Nilantha's first breakthrough into the professional music field. Aanjalie discovered Nilantha by a chance and was pleased with his knowledge of music. Nilantha handles keyboards, and sings in English, Sinhala, Hindi. He does his own programming of music. Nilantha says it is a great opportunity to get to work with a singer like Aanjalie Waidyasekera.

Aanjalie, who is a known figure in the music scene started her music career in 1977. and celebrates 25 years in the western music field. She has performed in the Middle East and in Istanbul, Turkey for a period of five years. She also performed for the Millennium Eve Dance in Canada, Toronto in 1999. 

Currently performing at the Lobby Bar of Hotel Galadari, Aanjalie said, she has disbanded her former Trio. It did not take too long for Aanjalie to discover a very talented young musician, Nilantha Nimalasiri and form her New Trio. Aanjalie said that she will give full details about her new outfit and her plans for the trio in the near future.

C&C Duo gets into www

This interconnected system is bound to enhance their repertoire of music and improve their style and mode of presentation and effects.

Chandani and Chaminda are optimistic that the present unstable situation worldwide and even in our country will not last long and expect, the influx of tourists and foreigners, to improve considerably in the coming months.

Recently they visited Kuwait on a short-term assignment. According to reports from Kuwait the performance by these entertainers had been very enthusiastically and popularly received by the expatriates in Kuwait despite of the search operations made by the Police of Kuwait, arising out of the uncertain situation due to the war in Afghanistan.

C & C Duo are now teamed with a rhythm guitarist and a percussionist. Ashok Mendis and Jagath Somasundara who accompany them in the hotel circuit. They appear weekly at the Trans Asia on Mondays, and at Oberoi on Wednesdays.

The Duo hope to stage their second concert, may be by end of 2001 or during the first quarter of 2002. Their new CD too would be released along with their live concert. They will be performing at Airport Garden Hotel for the 31st Night Dance.

HCIMA Black Tie Dinner with a difference

It was the highlight of the Group's Public Relations activities for the current year and was a resounding success. The Dinner was attended by connoisseurs of good food and quality wines.

British High Commissioner Linda Duffield graced the occasion by her presence as the Chief Guest. HCIMA President and Chief Executive of the Carlton Club London Alistair Telfer, was the Guest Speaker. Sri Lanka Tourist Board Chairman, Renton De Alwis, was the Guest of Honour. The Lanka Oberoi playing host to the local chapter of an international association of hotel management professionals and their distinguished invitees.

The 7 course dinner prepared by the Executive Chef Ranjith Morugama and his Kitchen Brigade was an epicure's delight. The vintage wines supplied by Orient Co. Ltd., proved equal to the occasion. F&B Manager Mohan de Silva, and his Banquet staff are to be congratulated for the excellent hall and service arrangements.

The fashion and cultural extravaganza forming part of the event was of no lesser significance. 

The Ballet by Channa's Troupe, a brilliant exposition of exotic dances was one of the highlights of the evening.

The Music for the evening was provided by Euphonia Strings. The charming compere Savithri Rodrigo steered the proceedings through most approvingly.

The event was generously supported by Groups allied to the hotel industry.- Champagne Reception prior to dinner was sponsored by Orient Lanka Ltd. - Vintage wines from "Albert Bichot" of France served with the meal was also supplied by their local agents Orient Lanka Ltd. - Three Coins Brewery Ceylon Ltd., generously supported the event as one of the Principal Sponsors.

A special feature of this Dinner was that the participants were photographed at the entrance on arrival and presented with a copy of the photograph by courtesy of American Premium Water Systems (Pvt) Ltd. According to Paddy Withana, Chairman of the HCIMA Sri Lanka International Group, this unique dining and socializing experience has achieved its objective of promoting closer interaction of like-minded Hospitality Management Professionals in Sri Lanka.

Olwyn's Wadiya is the best sea food joint in the world 

By Sanath Weerasuriya

That was the comment from Fara Braphy from the Australian tv crew , who was in Colombo to do a special prograame on Beach Wadiya last month.

The Sydney guidebook refers 'Doyles' of Watson Bay as the best seafood on the beaches of Sydney. But according to the visitors of 'Doyles' is no match for Wadiya in Colombo.

Though the Place is not so attractive , Wadiya is world famous for its best sea food dishes, service and the cosy atmosphere. Top newspapers and popular magazines in the world including International Herald Tribune, Time magazine, Economics Times and top culinary magazines around the world has voted our own Beach Wadiya as the best sea food restaurant in the world.Also it has features in top mags in Italy, Sweden, Spain, Japan, Norway and the Netherlands in their languages.

The reward is simply the hard work of good old Olwyn.

Olwyn Weerasekera is a native of the South Sri Lanka. He is also keeper of one of the world's most unusual restaurants, so they say.

'I think may be my father had a Welsh girlfriend once and decided I should commemorate her." Olwyn once said to his friends. The name has never bothered him. He gets on with what he knows best - cooking and sharing drinks and chat with customers.

Olwyn's or the Beach Wadiya restaurant - is on the open sided three wheeler. Turn off Galle road from Wellawatta and. go down a dusty, pot-holed track towards the sea. You stop and make sure there are no hoots from oncoming locomotives.

The Beach Wadiya is on the other side of the railway tracks, perched on a strip of sand between the trains and the sea. Levering the flesh out of a crab claw might be interrupted by the very close rumble of the southern express.

Olwyn's speciality is lobster. Lots of them, Grilled, poached fried- with butter and garlic, with chilli, with curry. The visitors should ring before-hand to place their orders. Then, they know they can be sure of Olwyn's personal touch in the cooking. But that is not the only spesciality dish in Wadiya, giant prawns, crabs , cuttle fish and fish varieties are at the best of its kind at this place.

Later, being partial to a drink or two, Olwyn tends to be pre-occupied elsewhere, mainly in the cut and thrust of intellectual conversation at various tables littered round the sand. 

"What is life for but to enjoy a few fragile moments like this?" he says. The train goes past, making the restaurant - and life - seen very fragile.

"Of course, people come here for the food, but it's not just that - it's more for, the how shall I say. " His verbal meanderings are interrupted by a slight hubbub at one table. A coconut has dropped from a tree, nearly flattening the bald headed diner underneath.

With commendable sangfroid. Olwyn waves at the rather startled gathering and tells the waiter to take a jug of the local coconut toddy across. "Nothing like good, strong toddy for putting the world right," he says, with a sharp slap of the thigh and a hearty roar of laughter.

The lobsters arrive. Two of them, stretching across the table. But the distinguish visitors are not allowed to eat. First, they have to examine the weighty books of customers' comments. Most of the visitors at the Wadiya are diplomatic crowd and real sea food fans.

"I am from the USA. I have not eaten yet. But look forward to my prawns. I hope on my next visit I can write in your guest book again and tell you how good the food was or was not Regards" a young American has written on the 'Book of Olwyn'.

He has no other entry. Perhaps the prawns were not up to scratch. More likely, the toddy froze his literary abilities. Or he was brained by a stray coconut.

I crack a lobster claw, but Olwyn wants to show me the pictures. A group of very red-faced diners. "The England cricket team - they all came here and stayed till very late. We even had some bowling on the beach."

Perhaps googlies go better with toddy.

"Olwyn, I really must get back to my lobster."

"All in good time. Life should not be rushed. Now look at these pictures."

Olwyn is a fan of the late Elvis. So, he had an Elvis look-alike competition at Beach Wadiya few years back. It was one of the highpoints of the restaurant's existence. Lobster, toddy and rock-a-hula-baby.

A frisson of excitment runs among the tables, When Sri Lanka was playing host to Miss World Tourism some time ago, all the beauties around the world have found their way to Olwyn's. 

Wadiya is the place for all the top visitors to Sri Lanka. They may be top diplomats, queens , dukes or duchess or even popular sports personalities. They make sure to visit Wadiya at least for one night.

English Cricket Team, West Indies, Indian, Kiwis or South Africans didn't go back to their home countries ,without dining at the Beach Wadiya mainly because , they have all read about in their local papers and magazines.

Beach Wadiya is the only restaurant in the whole world , that serves only one sitting in the night.

Sisira brings fame to Sri Lanka

By Susitha R. Fernando

He won the first international award for documentary with a production for Rupavahini channel with a last documentary titled "Isle of Serendipity" encapsulating with vivid clarity, the varied scenic wonders and the culture and true character of Sri Lanka. He also won the award for the Best Travel Film at the 6th Cinevue International Film and Video Festival and Competition held in Seattle recently. Sisira Suraweera's contribution to Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation with a promotional film for Sri Lanka Tourist Board was considered to be a major contribution to the image building exercise for Sri Lanka in the United States of America.

Working as the Director of the Educational Division of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) Mr. Suraweera speaking on his entrance to the field said, "In 1975 I worked as an auditor but I was not good at accountancy and I was not satisfied with the job".

Quitting the job with the advice of his close friend Suraweera joined a training school on television conducted by Japanese in 1981.

Joining the SLRC Sisira Suraweera made his maiden documentary "Black Diamond" (Kalu Diyamanthi) and his very first direction won an international award for best documentary at the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union in New Zealand. This also was the first international award for a television production done for the Rupavahini and the same won an award for the best documentary at Wijaya Rupavahini Competition. In 1987 he won an award for the documentary "Veddhas of Sri Lanka". In 1989 the documentary "All are writing in Sri Lanka" grabbed the best award at the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union and "Man and the Bullock cart" won the UNDA award for the best documentary. "Future: Existing Past" documentary film on Sri Lanka's world heritage sites won the best award at Sumathi Tele Award in 2000.

"Isle of Serendipity" the documentary on Sri Lanka won the Best Tourist Information Award at the International Tourism Competition in Germany prior to its win at the American award for Best Travel film.

Speaking to the TV Times Sisira he said working on the documentary "The Land and the People" for the UNESCO.

Asked about making documentaries in Sri Lanka Sisira Suraweera said "Unlike making films and teledramas it does not bring popularity or money over night". "Because of this there are hardly anyone entering the field" he claimed.

"We have a best tradition for documentaries for in our country. And it is a field we can easily compete with other countries and in fact the world came to know Sri Lankan film scene through documentaries', he said.

Tracing the history of documentary film making Sisira Suraweera said "the first documentary in Sri Lanka was done the year the we gained independence in 1948 'Song of Ceylon' done by Basil Wright. After that two Italians namely Julio Petroni and Pedrico Sera who came to the country did number of documentaries on the invitation of first Prime Minister D. S. Senanayake and the popular documentary covering the First Independence Day was done by them". Later the duo had made a number of other documentaries titled "New Horizon", "Hill Capital", "Air Lanka" and "Royal Mail" and they also were instrumental in starting the Government Film Unit.

"Thereafter we had set of talented documentary film makers including the veteran film maker Lester James Peries and the other popular names in the filed were Ralph Kern, George Wickrema-singhe, Erwin Dassanayake, Prachnasoma Hettiarachchi and Ranjith Lal", Sisira said.

Sisira Suraweera who loved the field enabled him to bring fame to the country "the art of documentary film making would not survive if the youngsters do not take over the field. To introduce and to improve the medium the authorities should take necessary action with the support of the government", "Otherwise we would not have documentary film makers among our future generation" the internationally acclaimed documentary film director said.

Discussion on 'Purahanda'

Professor Sucharitha Gamlath, actor Jackson Anthony and E. M. G. Edirisinghe will give talks on the cinematic experience.

The discussion is organised by Swarna Sanka Foundation.

The film deals with a father who is waiting for return of his soldier son was awarded the Grand Prix, Jury award and NETPAC at 19th Amiens International Film Festival in 1999. It also bagged the International Film Critic's award at Fribourg International Film Festival and Best Actor award for Joe Abeywickrema at the 12th Singapore International Film Festival in addition to the international film festivals held in at Montreal, Pusan, IFFI (India), London, Istanbul and Dhaka .

'Hiru Thanivela': Portrays struggle of young love 

The teledrama was the last production of late Herbert Ranjith Peiris and it was his seventh tele-play as scriptwriter and Director. Among his earlier ones were 'Lokanthaya', Diyasena', and 'Hiru Muwawen' - better known as the 'Indiappa Kathawa'.

The story revolves around three young people- Rohan, Sharon and Indiwarie. All three belong to urban, middle class families and the entire action takes place in Bandarawela. Rohan a young man born and bred in Colombo, packs up his struggling screen printing venture in the big city and shifts to Bandarawela and sets up the business together with his friend Lohitha.

Rohan falls in love with a 'mod girl whom he dislikes very much. The girl Sharon, also from Bandarawela is working in the office of a large paper store which Rohan visits frequently to buy papers for his screen-printing.

Sharon wears denim jeans and T-shirt, which Rohan does not approve. However an 'affair' builds up between the two, much to the annoyance of Sharon's boss who ultimately sacks her. This is partly due to Rohan's fault as well. Not knowing of her whereabouts, Rohan keeps searching in vain for Sharon and it is around this period that the girl of his dreams suddenly appears up in the form of Indiwarie.

Indiwarie gets herself boarded at the same place as Rohan and the young couple hit it off from the moment they set eyes on each other. Inspite of her western appearance of stiff long shampooed hair and mod like slim figure always draped in expensive Barbara Sansoni sarongs and loose short blouses, Indiwarie, in actual fact, is fanatically obsessesed by the Sinhala way of life.

However Rohan realises that Indiwarie had been wearing a mask of innocence just to cover up her true character. Left in the lurch and licking his wounds, time now drags on endlessly for Rohan until one day, quite by accident, he bumps into his earlier girl Sharon on an estate road. 

But what he sees makes him blind in disbelief. For instead of the denim clad, flippant girl with the beautiful looks, he now sees her in a tattered and soiled frock her face drawn and presenting a pathetic figure. She is having a quarter bottle of kerosene oil and a small parcel of dhal in her hand which indicates that is returning from the estate bazaar.

On inquiring, Sharon explains that since she lost her job she couldn't find another one, and her family is now leading a hand to mouth existence. She explained that her parents had died few years ago and living on the meagre earning of her grandfather with his five younger brothers and sisters. Sharon says that she got down to wearing denim jeans because she couldn't afford to wear different frocks daily to work.

Sharon then takes Rohan to her line-room and shows him around. Rohan suddenly begins to feel sorry for the girl and realises that just like Indiwarie, Sharon too had been behaving behind a mask, but for different reasons.

Realising that this is the girl he had been looking for all his life, Rohan hugs Sharon in a deep embrace, promising never to let her go again.

While the main characters are played by Mahendra Perera, Indika Upamali and Nayani Maheshika in "Hiru Thanivela" Sunil Hettiarachchi, Ratna Sumanapala, Quintus Weerakoon, Lohitha Rajapakse, Gayani Liyanaarachchi and Vindya Madhu Sanakani play the other principal roles.

The technical crew comprises Sisira K. Senaratne as the editor, Music by Rohana Weerasinghe, while camera by Daya Sooriyaarachchi.

"Hiru Thanivela" is produced by Lohitha Rajapakse. (SJ)