TV Times

TV Times

Raj walks through moonlight again
Raj Senewiratne is a name synonymous with music for the last three decades. Most will know him for his musical ability in the Western Show Business field both in Sri Lanka and abroad. Others will know him for his immense popularity amongst Sinhala pop music lovers. But everyone will know him for his versatility.

Raj has come back after 17 years with another new album ‘Seethala Sanda Eliye’, which comprises ten brand new songs along with his ever popular ‘Sili Sili Seethala Elle’ as remixed version.

Raj’a very first album was ‘Malmewe Wasanthe’ hit the scene in 1984. ‘Sili Sili Seethala Elle’ was an overnight hit from that album. His second album ‘Kamini’ released in 1987.

The song ‘Sili Sili Seethala Elle’ cleared the way for Raj to go through the Sinhala pop world. That song was on the top of the charts for three whole months and was resold three times, still spell-binds people. Raj’s acceptance in the Sinhala pop music scene was guaranteed by this song.

‘Seethala Sanda Eliye’ a new CD and Cassette comprising ten absolutely enjoyable melodies . This new album is a produced by M Entertainment. The musical arrangements are new and refreshing, the clever use of instruments and detailed attention to harmonies are breathtaking.

Reading through the list of songs and the names of artistes performing with him is like reading through the list of Royalty in the Sinhala pop music scene. Raj teams up with Sunil Perera of Gypsies to sing of their friendship of many years with a catch duet ‘Aiyai Malli Wage’.

He also sings ‘Ingi Bingi’ with Mariazelle Goonathileke and also joins with Ashanthi de Alwis to sing ‘Mata Mathakaiy’. A song written prophetically in 1983 called “one land” was translated in to Sinhala and named “Me Ape Deshayai” is sung by Raj and Rookantha Goonatillake and the back-up vocals were done by Mariazelle Goonetilleke and Ashanthi de Alwis.

Othe songs in the album are “Gangave Geetha Rawe”, “Seethala Sanda Eliye”, “Me Satsara Nanwana”, “Geethika Gaye”, Ithin Mata Denna” and Kalahariye”.

While some of the songs are composed by Raj himself, ‘Aiyai Malli Wage’ song was composed by Sunil and Piyal Perera. The composition of the other songs were by Maestros Rohana Weerasinghe and Mahinda Bandara.

The songs are penned by Bandula Nanyakkarawasam, Chandradasa Fernando, Kumara Godage, Ajantha Ranasinghe, Hector Wijesiri and Hemasiri Halpita.

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