1. Vithana Kuruppu Arachchilage Clarence Arthur Somasinghe Wijewardena JP, known professionally as Clarence Wijewardena, was a Sri Lankan singer, composer and musician.
36 Facts About Clarence Wijewardena
1. 2.
Clarence Wijewardena was born on 3 August 1943, in Haputale, Sri Lanka, to an estate medical practitioner.
3.
Clarence Wijewardena's family moved to Batugedara, Ratnapura, and Clarence abandoned a budding career as a planter to pursue music full-time.
4.
Clarence Wijewardena completed education from Weeraparakrama College, Yatawatta and Hatton Highland College.
5.
Clarence Wijewardena married Sheela Ramadasa and they had one daughter, Amila Priyadarshani.
6.
Clarence Wijewardena died on 13 December 1996, at the age of 53, in Sri Lanka after a long struggle against ruptured gastric ulcers and gangrene due to acute diabetes.
7.
Clarence Wijewardena formed the Moonstones at the age of 21 with Annesley Malewana as lead vocalist.
8.
Clarence Wijewardena took the initiative to start a three-member band, he was a self taught guitarist.
9.
Clarence Wijewardena departed the Moonstones and formed a new music group called the Golden Chimes, with ex-Moonstones bassist Chanaka Perera and Lankika Perera in January 1971.
10.
Clarence Wijewardena composed Ada Wei Iru Dina for Bharati which became an all-time hit followed by the lovely Christmas song Bethlehempure and Maa Adarai Nangiye.
11.
Clarence Wijewardena offered him another all-time hit Tikirimalee with Ma Mulin Liyu Pem Pathe, Desa Vidala, Bambaraku Aduna, Sarojini and Iru Dina Pamanak.
12.
Clarence Wijewardena formed the "Super Golden Chimes" back in the company of his lifelong friend Annesley.
13.
Clarence Wijewardena experimented with sitar music and introduced the sitar to some of the songs of the 'Moonstones.
14.
Clarence Wijewardena composed a song Ma Langin that was in the 1960s "Twist" style and released the song in Yugayen Yugayata cassette in 1989.
15.
Clarence Wijewardena entered the Sinhala film music industry with the 1975 blockbuster Sikuruliya directed by H D Premaratne.
16.
Clarence Wijewardena composed music for the 1978 film Apeksha directed by Premaratne.
17.
Clarence Wijewardena directed music for the two popular television serial Susima and Nidikumba Mal.
18.
Clarence Wijewardena was the composer and the music director for all the six songs of Susima teledrama, including Desa Piyagath Kala sung by Jackson Anthony and George Senanayake.
19.
Clarence Wijewardena composed and music directed the song Daesawan Dase which says about child abuse and other prohibited things happen in present society.
20.
Clarence Wijewardena has composed and directed music for a number of songs for the daughters and sons of his friends and relatives.
21.
Clarence Wijewardena composed Piyaneni in memory of the late Reverend Canon Ivan Corea who was the father of Radio Ceylon broadcaster, Vernon Corea.
22.
Clarence Wijewardena had met Corea in Maha Nuge Gardens in the 1960s during his visits to meet with Vernon Corea.
23.
Clarence Wijewardena composed a song for the son of Vijaya Corea and it was titled as Viran Bilindhu Puthe.
24.
Clarence Wijewardena composed a song for the son of Chanaka and Lankika Perera and it was titled as Sihina Pathum Wimane.
25.
Clarence Wijewardena composed the song Naththal Seeya in the early 1970s.
26.
Clarence Wijewardena produced a cassette tape named "Clarence with the Rising Stars".
27.
Clarence Wijewardena composed and directed music a song named as Maha Balwathune for the conference of the Non-Aligned Movement held in 1975 in Sri Lanka.
28.
Clarence Wijewardena composed and directed music a song for the SAARC Conference as well.
29.
Clarence Wijewardena certificated as the most popular composer in Sri Lanka for the years 1974 and 1976 by a pop poll conducted by Pop and Teen Fanfare.
30.
Clarence Wijewardena became famous for his melodious and catchy jingles aired over the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
31.
Clarence Wijewardena formed the Sri Lankan band "Madhara" in 1985 with Rookantha Gunathilake, Mariazelle Goonetilleke, Raju Bandara, Keneth De Silva, Ajantha Dodampegama and rest of the other members of the group.
32.
All of Clarence Wijewardena's compositions have been recorded at some of the island's best recording studios and under the best producing labels in Sri Lanka.
33.
Clarence Wijewardena organised three musical shows with Annesley and Indrani at BMICH in Colombo.
34.
Clarence Wijewardena proved to be quite a hit in London when broadcaster Vernon Corea broadcast his music on BBC Radio London 206 on his popular radio program, London Sounds Eastern.
35.
Clarence Wijewardena was concerned and made a statement to Sathsara, an art magazine in Sri Lanka regarding the song "Thana Nilla Dige" and how its singer Saman De Silva was not given due credit for the song and published a full-page article about the song in a newspaper around the time of the release of the song and cassette but did not mention the name of the composer.
36.
Clarence Wijewardena supported the drafting of the Code of Intellectual Property Act No 52 of 1979 by offering his insights as an artist, advocating for musicians' rights in Sri Lanka.