Mignonne Fernando is a Sri Lankan singer, part of the popular group "The Jetliners".
Early life
Born Mignonette Malathi May Rutnam, she won
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 ...
's Talent Contest at the age of seven.
Her interest in law was overtaken by her passion for music, received formal training in Western classical music, speech and drama. This proved to be her greatest strength and an excellent foundation to her musical career that was to follow.
The Jetliners
In 1965, Mignonne along with her group The Jetliners became an instant success under the guidance of manager Tony Fernando who would later become her husband, and their popularity grew.
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 ...
, introduced her music not only to a local audience but across South Asia. During the early years of the group the Jetliners enjoyed star billing at the Coconut Grove nightclub situated in the
Galle Face Hotel 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 1969, she became the first Sri Lankan to be signed up by
EMI
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
Records UK, and
Keith Prowse
The Keith Prowse company originated from a partnership in 1830 between two musical instrument makers who opened a shop selling their goods. It later became a theatre ticket agency and music publisher; after a merger with the Peter Maurice company ...
Music London. The
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 ...
ese song 'Wedding Song' (Mangala Mohotha) was her first song to be copyrighted by KPM.
Her song "Love Don't Let Me Down" won the Embassy Award at the World Popular Song Festival. Another original composition "Someday My Love" won the Matsushita Award and Special Jury Award for Composer and Performer at the Festival of Song.
A Sinhala composition "Oba Nisa" was selected for the finals of the 5th Olympiad of Song in Athens,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
in 1972
where it won the Gold Medal. "Coconut Man" made the finals of the World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, the first time a female singer/composer had ever done so.
See also
*
Galle Face Hotel
*
List of Sri Lankan musicians
This is a list of notable Sri Lankan musicians (music artists and bands) from all genres.
The musicians/bands are listed according to the alphabetical order by first name.
__NOTOC__
A
* Ajith Bandara
* Allen Ratnayake
* Amarasiri Peiris
* ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
References
External links
*
Personality of the Week – Mignonne FernandoNews article on Mignonne Fernando on World Music Central
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fernando, Mignonne
1943 births
Living people
Alumni of St. Bridget's Convent, Colombo
20th-century Sri Lankan women singers