Lionel Ranwala ( si, ලයනල් රන්වල), (27 November 1939 – 13 November 2002) was a musician and a singer in

Sri Lanka 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 a legend in Sri Lankan folk music. His birth city was

Kalubowila Kalubowila is a suburb in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It is inside the administration boundary of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council. The Colombo South Teaching Hospital The Colombo South Teaching Hospital (also called Kalubowila Hospital) is ...

and he studied in Kalubowila Budhdhagosha College, Kumara College Wellawatta and

Lumbini College Lumbini College (Sinhala ලුම්බිණි විද්‍යාලය) or Lumbini Vidyalaya is a Sinhalese mixed school located in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The school was founded in 1929 and has a current enrollment of 4,300 students from pri ...

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 ...

Career

Ranwala's main interest was Sinhala

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

of Sri Lankan. He successfully brought Sinhala folk tunes and melodies to popular Sri Lankan music, preserving their originality. He studied music at the

Panjab University Panjab University (PU) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public state university located in Chandigarh, Punjab. Funded through both Punjab, India, State and Government of India, Union governments, it is considered a state university (Indi ...

, Chandigarh,

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 ...

and has a sour knowledge of the field. Ranwala, who created a revolution in the local folk music scene along with his mentor W.B. Makuloluwa, started his teaching career at Arawwala MMV in 1959. He taught music at several leading schools including

Ananda College ''Appamādo Amathapadan'' (Buddhist quote from the Apramada Vagga in the Dhammapada) , motto_translation = Heedfulness, Punctuality leads to Nirvana , location = P De S Kularatne Mawatha , city = Colom ...

, and

Royal College, Colombo Royal College, Colombo is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started as a private school by Rev Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in Janua ...

during a 38-year career. He popularised local music in schools and formed the first 'Hevisi' band in a school – at Pannipitiya Dharmapala Vidyalaya in 1964. Ranwala was also a versatile actor and dramatist. One of his most memorable roles was in the first Sinhala opera 'Depano' directed by Makuloluwa. He also wrote and directed several children's dramas. He acted in several teledramas. His last teledrama was "Rangamadala Samugani" which was telecasted in

Swarnawahini Swarnavahini ( si, ස්වර්ණවාහිනී; literally Golden Channel) is a Sinhala language general entertainment and news television channel in Sri Lanka owned by EAP Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of EAP Holdings. Launched in ...

. He travelled all over the island collecting folk songs for posterity. A staunch defender of indigenous music, he released several cassettes containing experimental folk music, notably 'Ahase Innavalu' in 1999. He formed the 'Thaalama Foundation' for preserving folk music. "Gama Ahulaggang", "May Awurudu kale" and "Wannam Sawudam" are some of his most famous songs. He has two sons, Chirantha and Sahan. The elder, Chirantha is a presenter and producer at

Swarnavahini Swarnavahini ( si, ස්වර්ණවාහිනී; literally Golden Channel) is a Sinhala language general entertainment and news television channel in Sri Lanka owned by EAP Broadcasting Company, a subsidiary of EAP Holdings. Launched i ...

. Sahan is also working at the Swarnawahini, but after his father's sudden death, has now taken the initiative to preserve and make people aware of Sinhala Folk Music, in the same way his father did. His son,

Sahan Ranwala Sahan Ranwala (born July 3, 1978 as සහන් රන්වල inhala, is an actor in Sri Lankan cinema, stage drama and television. He is also works as a musician, composer and a presenter. He is the managing director of Lionel Ranwala Fol ...

doing very well in preserving the legacy of his father.

Death

Ranwala died, following a sudden accident at the age of 63, in 2002 at

Thalawathugoda Thalawathugoda ( si, තලවතුගොඩ, ta, தலவத்துகொட) is a suburb of Colombo. It is located approximately from the city centre of Colombo, adjacent to Battaramulla and Pelawatte on the Borella-Kottawa Road, borde ...

. His wife too faced the accident and was seriously injured.Commemorating Lionel Ranwala...
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Produced Stage Dramas

*Eka gediyay pala gaththe *Beeri Ali *Nogiya gamana

Songs

* Ahase Innawalu * Ahuwama Kan Pirena * Akulagena Sonda * Kelipodda Baledi * Me Awurudu Kale * Mithuru Sarouhura * Pankiriththi * Pasunu Karal * Sanda Saawee Ma * Sawanath Kinihara * Soya * Wannam Sawudam * Yuddetath Awith

References

2002 deaths 20th-century Sri Lankan male singers Sinhalese educators 1939 births Sinhalese teachers Lumbini College alumni Faculty of Royal College, Colombo Sinhalese singers Faculty of Ananda College {{Asia-composer-stub