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 culture—specifically, Kollywood cinema and Bollywood cinema.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in Sri Lanka, landing in the mid-15th century. They brought with them traditional cantiga ballads, ukuleles and guitars, as well as conscripted Africans (referred to, historically, as kaffrinhas), who spread their own style of music known as baila. The influence of both European and African traditions served to further diversify the musical roots of contemporary Sri Lankan music.
Folk music Caste-based folk poems, Jana Kavi, originated as communal song shared within individual groups as they engaged in daily work. Today, they remain a popular form of cultural expression. Folk poems were sung by ancient people of Sri Lanka to minimise their loneliness, sadness, tiredness etc. There isn't a known author for the folk poems. Kavi was also sung to accompany annual rituals. These ancient rites are rarely performed in contemporary Sri Lanka, but the preserved songs are still performed by folk musicians. Sri Lanka is known to have songs that date back to 1400 A.D. That are still performed today.
Another traditional Sri Lankan folk style is called the Virindu. It involves an improvised poem sung to the beaten melody of a rabana. Traditional song contests were held in which two virindu singers would compete through spontaneous verse. The Portuguese influenced baila has been a popular folk tradition along the coastal districts in the past five hundred years and is now part of the mainstream music culture.
Sri Lankan country music The art, music and dances of Sri Lanka were derived from ritualistic responses to natural phenomenon. Sri Lanka's earliest folk music was later influenced by the influx of Buddhist traditions. These songs were performed by commoners, and not merely recited by the priestly castes.The Percussive Force
Pageantry Sri Lanka competes in the "Big Four" (Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss International, and Miss Earth). They have had eight (8) runner-ups and three (3) finalists or semi-finalists.
Kolam and puppetry Kolam music is a low country folk tradition of the south-west coast and its use was both in exorcism rituals as a form of healing and in masked comedy and drama.
Nurthi Music Nurthi is a stage drama that influenced by Parsi theater as a consequence of arriving the drama troupe in the latter part of the 19th century, which belonged to the Elphinstone Dramatic Company of India. Nurthi is the colloquial Sinhala form of the Sanskrit term "Nritya". The music of Nurthi was based on North Indian Music. Don Bastian of Dehiwala introduced Nurti firstly by looking at Indian dramas and then John De Silva developed it and performed Ramayanaya in 1886.
Sinhala light music Some artists visited India to learn music and later started introducing light music. Ananda Samarakoon was the pioneer of this attempt also composing the Sri Lankan National Anthem. Then Sunil Santha who also did not stick to Hindustani music introduced light music of his own, influenced by the Geethika (Christian hymns) tradition of Sri Lanka. Pandit W.D. Amaradeva is credited as the major contributor to the development of this genre into a truly Sri Lankan style, along with Amarasiri Peiris and T.M. Jayarathne.
It is enriched with the influence of folk music, kolam music, Nadagam music, Noorthy music and others too. Most of the musician in Sri Lanka have come out with their own creations. The temple paintings and carvings used birds, elephants, wild animals, flowers and trees. The colors were made of nature. The traditional 18 dances display the dancing of birds and animals. Mayura Wannama – The dance of the peacock Hanuma Wannama – The dance of the monkey Gajaga Wannama – The dance of the elephant Thuraga Wannama – The dance of the horse
It has several subgenres. The folk music is created with few instruments only and the frequency range is narrowly. The folk songs and poems were used in social gatherings to work together. The Indian influenced Classical Music has grown to be unique.Sri Lanka News | Sundayobserver.lkMontage – Cultural paradigm | Sundayobserver.lk – Sri LankaFeatures | Online edition of Daily News – Lakehouse Newspapers The traditional drama, music and songs are typically Sri Lankan.
Sri Lanka's traditional musical instruments The classical Sinhalese Orchestra consists of five categories of instruments. The drum is the king of local percussion instruments and without it, there will be no dance.Sri Lankan Music Instrument & sounds The vibrant beat of the rhythm of the drums form the basic of the dance. The dancers' feet bounce off the floor and they leap and swirl in patterns that reflex the complex rhythms of the drum beat.
This drum beat may seem simple on the first hearing but it takes a long time to master the intricate rhythms and variations, which the drummer sometimes can bring to a crescendo of intensity.
Gatabera - The typical Sinhalese Dance is identified as the Kandyan dance and the Gatabera is indispensable to this dance. It is a long, double-headed drum with a bulge in the middle, worn around the player's waist. Yak-bera - The Yak-bera ("demon drum") is used in low country dance, in which the dancers wear masks and perform devil dancing, which has become a highly developed form of art. This is a double-headed drum with a cylinderic wooden frame. Dawula - The Dawula is a barrel shaped drum indigenous to the Sabaragamuwa dance style. It is used as an accompanying drum in the past in order to keep strict time with the beat. Thammattama - The Thammattama is a flat, two faced drum. The drummer strikes the drum on the two surfaces on top with sticks, unlike the other traditional Sri Lankan drums, which are played by striking the sides of the instrument. In the Hewisi Ensemble, this may be a companion drum to the aforementioned Dawula. Udekki - A small double headed, hourglass shape hand drum used to accompany songs. It is approximately in length. The face, valayama, is not used to produce sound rather by pressure applied on the string. The middle of the drum, giriya or gela, which means neck in Sinhalese, is narrower than the faces. Rabana - The Rabana is a flat faced circular drum and comes in several sizes. The largest of which has to be placed on the floor in order to be played – which is usually done by several people (normally the womenfolk) who sit around the instrument and beat it with both hands. This is used in festivals such as the Sinhalese New Year and ceremonies such as weddings. The resounding beat of the Rabana symbolizes the joyous moods of the occasion. The small Rabana is a form of mobile drum beat – carried by the performer to produce accompanying drum rhythms for the pieces being performed. Bummadiya - A traditional folk drum made from clay, shaped like a gourd with an elongated neck or a clay water vessel, and has goat skin, monitor skin or monkey skin stretched over its mouth. Thalampata - The Thalampata are the metal percussion instruments, where two small cymbals are joined by a string. Horanawa - The Horanawa, or Kandyan pipe, is an oboe-like double reed instrument that is played during traditional ceremonies in Buddhist temples to accompany the percussive instruments and dance. The mouthpiece is traditionally made of a talipot palm leaf and the remaining sections of jackwood and brass. Hakgediya - The Hakgediya is conch-shell and another form of a natural instrument. The instrument's primary function is for the performer to play it (by blowing) to announce the opening of ceremonies of grandeur. Wind Section - The wind section is dominant by a wind instrument, something akin to the clarinet. This instrument is not normally used for the dances mainly because the Sinhalese dance is not set to music as the western world knows it. Rather, the primary sense of rhythm, and patterns of man in motion, is the music that is beaten out by the drummer. Flutes - The flutes made of metals such as silver and brass produce shrill music to accompany Kandyan Dances, while the plaintive strains of music of the reed flute may pierce the air in devil-dancing.
Endemic Instruments
Béra According to the historical record available today, it is believed that several instruments originated within the tribal groups that once inhabited the island presently known as Sri Lanka. Among these, seven remain in use:
– Also referred to as the Kandyan drum or wedding drum; it is a double-headed, barrel-shaped drum, that is played by hand. It is approximately in length, in diameter (at its widest point), with diameter drumheads. Thammátama – A twin-drum (similar to the bongo) that is played with two sticks instead of by hand. Yak Béra – Also referred to as the Low Country drum or Demon drum; it is a double-headed, barrel-shaped drum, that is played by both hands (one in one side). Udákkiya – A small, hour-glass shaped drum, that is played with one hand while the other hand modifies the tension of a cloth wrapped around its centre (thereby changing the pitch of the drum-head). Hand Răbāna – A drum similar to the tambourine (except in that it does not possess metal jingles) Daŭla or Dawla – A double-headed, barrel-shaped drum played by hand (on one side), and by a stick (on the opposite side). Bench Răbāna – Similar to the hand rabana, except larger (it is often played by three to eight individuals simultaneously).
In addition to these drums, a new drum was recently created (in 2000) by Sri Lankan musician Kalasoori Piyasāra Shilpadhipathi, referred to as the Gaŭla – it is a barrel-shaped instrument containing one head from the Gáta Béra, and one from the Daŭla. A set of rudiments (practice rhythms) were also created by him to accommodate the instrument's unique tone.
Also in addition to these drums, the dhōlki is also used by many musicians – though this drum is believed to have descended from those brought to Sri Lanka from India – unlike the aforementioned instruments; which are believed to have existed in Sri Lanka prior to the arrival of the first Indian explorers (though this is difficult to verify due to the proximity of the two nations to one another – it is impossible to say, with any degree of certainty, that no cultural exchange occurred between the peoples of southern India and Sri Lanka prior to any particular date in history).
Ravanahatha
The Ravanahatha is a crude violin made of coconut shell, bamboo and goat skin, with a natural fibre serving as the string. Goat and sheep gut and coconut wood are also used. It is believed to be the first stringed instrument to be played with a bow and is recognized as the world's first violin.
The Ravanahatha or Ravana's hand is mentioned in the ancient Indian epic 'Ramayana'. The Ravanahatha sounds like the north Indian instruments Sarangi and Esraj. Dinesh Subasinghe has re-introduced this instrument to Sri Lankan media in 2007 and launched the first CD using the instrument, Rawana Nada. (8 March 2015)'highest sale for an instrumental'.The Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 February 2015
Western music