21 Facts About Sunil Santha

Sunil Santha was a Sri Lankan composer, singer and lyricist.

Sunil Santha composed the beloved soundtracks to Lester James Peries' films Rekava and Sandesaya in 1956 and 1960.

Sunil Santha was born on 14 April 1915 on the Sinhalese New Year's Day in Dehiyagatha, Ja-Ela, Sri Lanka.

Sunil Santha had his education at Dehiyagatha Vidyalaya, St Benedict's College, Colombo, Thudella school and St Aloysius' College, Galle.

At St Benedict's College, Sunil Santha passed the school leaving certificate examination as the first in the island, with the highest marks in his class as a young adult and was awarded the Weeraratne award.

Sunil Santha learned to play the piano and guitar at that time.

Sunil Santha acted and produced several dramas including "Hamlet" during this period.

Sunil Santha died on 11 April 1981 from a heart attack shortly after his son Jagath drowned under mysterious circumstances in a swimming pool.

Sunil Santha's son Lanka Santha is an engineer who is married to Calista Rohini, an agricultural graduate.

In 1940 Sunil Santha gave up teaching and travelled to Shantiniketan to study music.

Sunil Santha passed the final exam as the first in the first division in Sitar and Vocals, the first non-Indian Asian to do so.

On 2 March 1946 Sunil Santha held a recital for the Kumaratunga Commemoration ceremony and was asked to record for Radio Ceylon.

Sunil Santha stressed his Sinhala heritage in his songs opting to sing in Sinhala rather than English and not copy Hindustani and Tamil songs of India.

Sunil Santha experienced monetary problems after being terminated from Radio Ceylon.

Sunil Santha's songbooks were plagiarised, his songs were sold without consent or royalties by copyright violators.

Sunil Santha tried his hand at various trades like photography, selling clothes and electronics over the next few years.

In 1953, Sunil Santha started a small school at the Maradana Newton building, vowing to teach 10 pupils for free.

Sunil Santha wrote to newspapers about the plight of Ananda Samarakoon and tried to bring attention to the composer of the national anthem.

Sunil Santha helped collect money to send Amaradewa for further studies in India.

In 1967 Director General Mr Neville Jayaweera asked Sunil Santha to come back to the national radio service.

Sunil Santha moved into his uncle's house in 1970 as he was evicted from the rental house he lived in.