Hewa Geeganage Leelawathi, popularly known as Leela Asoka, was a singer from Sri Lanka.
12 Facts About Leela Asoka
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Leela Asoka is known for being one of the four singers who sang the Sri Lankan national anthem for the first time during the 1948 Independence Celebrations.
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Leela Asoka was born to Hewa Geeganage Andoris and Jocelyn Perera as the second child of eight siblings and the only daughter.
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Leela Asoka's father died when she was young and her mother remarried subsequently.
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Leela Asoka studied at Musaeus College, Colombo, and later at Maradana Central College.
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Leela Asoka's youngest brother, Sarath de Alwis, was a renowned musician in Sri Lanka.
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Leela Asoka stopped singing professionally at her husband's request, who asked her to write to the radio company to ask them not to broadcast her songs.
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Leela Asoka died at the age of 91, and had a formal public lying in repose at her residence.
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Leela Asoka recognised her singing ability and helped her sing at Hela Havula festivals, where she caught the attention of composer Sunil Shantha.
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In 1948, Leela Asoka was selected to sing the National Anthem for newly independent Sri Lanka.
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Leela Asoka trained with three other girls under her school teacher Karunaratne and Fr.
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Leela Asoka received an award in 2019 from the Women's Front of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party to mark International Women's Day on 8 March.