Desmond Kelly is a Ceylonese musician who has entertained in Sri Lanka and in Australia. He was born in
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
in 1936.
Songs on Radio Ceylon
Kelly was one of a group of musicians who were discovered by
Radio Ceylon
Radio Ceylon ( si, ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සේවය ''Lanka Guwan Viduli Sevaya'', ta, இலங்கை வானொலி, ''ilankai vanoli'') is a radio station based in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and the first ...
, now the
Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation
The Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) ( si, ශ්රී ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සංස්ථාව, ''Shrī Lankā Guvan Viduli Sansthāva'', ta, இலங்கை ஒலிபரப்புக் க ...
. Radio Ceylon gave him a platform for his songs and announcers
Vernon Corea
Vernon Corea (11 September 1927 – 23 September 2002) was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asia's oldest radio station, in 1956 and later the Sr ...
and
Christopher Greet
Christopher Arthur Greet (12 June 1932 – 28 December 2020) was an actor and radio presenter. He is best known for his work alongside Victoria Wood in the 1998 BBC comedy series ''Dinnerladies (TV series), dinnerladies''.
Early life
Greet was ...
played his compositions on their music programs - Radio Ceylon made him into a household name - not only in Sri Lanka but also in the Indian subcontinent. His pop hit ''Dream World'' was in the hit parades in both
Ceylon
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. He has also been featured in the top entertainment column, EMCEE, published in the Ceylon Daily News in the 1960s.
Acting Career in Australia
Des Kelly is best known for such pop hits such as ''Dream World'', ''Cha Cha Baby'', and ''The Reason Being''. He migrated with his family to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
in 1962 where he worked as an entertainer. Kelly also became an actor and appeared on TV shows such as ''
Homicide
Homicide occurs when a person kills another person. A homicide requires only a volitional act or omission that causes the death of another, and thus a homicide may result from accidental, reckless, or negligent acts even if there is no inten ...
'', ''Hunter'' and ''
The Flying Doctors
''The Flying Doctors'' is an Australian drama TV series produced by Crawford Productions that revolves around the everyday lifesaving efforts of the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, starring Andrew McFarlane as the newly arrived Dr. T ...
'' for Crawford Productions and as a solo entertainer on some of the top television shows in Australia, such as ''In
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...
Tonight'', the ''Delo & Daly'' show and Reg Lindsay's ''Country Hour'' which was produced in
Adelaide
Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...
, Australia. He is also known for a road safety song in Australia titled ''It's You''.
He has collaborated with fellow Australian musician
Robin Foenander on a range of pop songs. Des Kelly has also released CDs which include the popular Sri Lankan
baila
Baila (also known as bayila; from the Portuguese verb ''bailar'', meaning ''to dance'') is a form of music, popular in Sri Lanka and among Goan Catholics. The genre originated centuries ago among the Portuguese Burghers and Sri Lankan Kaffirs. B ...
music and
calypso songs.
Des Kelly is now semi-retired although he is still in demand in Melbourne as an entertainer.
See also
*
Radio Ceylon
Radio Ceylon ( si, ලංකා ගුවන් විදුලි සේවය ''Lanka Guwan Viduli Sevaya'', ta, இலங்கை வானொலி, ''ilankai vanoli'') is a radio station based in Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) and the first ...
*
Music of Sri Lanka
The music of Sri Lanka has its roots in five primary influences: ancient folk rituals, Hindu religious traditions, Buddhist religious traditions, the legacy of European colonisation, and the commercial and historical influence of nearby Indian ...
*
Vernon Corea
Vernon Corea (11 September 1927 – 23 September 2002) was a pioneer radio broadcaster with 45 years of public service broadcasting both in Sri Lanka and the UK. He joined Radio Ceylon, South Asia's oldest radio station, in 1956 and later the Sr ...
References
External links
*
World Music Central articles on Des KellyThe Official Website of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting CorporationWorld Music Central: Des Kelly on Vernon Corea
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kelly, Desmond
1936 births
Australian male singers
Australian musicians
Sri Lankan emigrants to Australia
Burgher musicians
Living people
People from Colombo
People from British Ceylon