1. Vijaya Corea is a radio and television broadcaster and one of Sri Lanka's most well known media personalities.
23 Facts About Vijaya Corea
1. 2.
Vijaya Corea's grandfather was the famed freedom fighter of Ceylon, Victor Vijaya Corea.
3.
Vijaya Corea is a direct descendant of King Dominicus Corea who was crowned King of Kotte and Sitawaka in 1596 by Vimala Drama Suriya, King of Kandy.
4.
Vijaya Corea joined the Commercial Service of Radio Ceylon in 1964, lending his voice to the popular children's program Kiddies Corner.
5.
The American presenter, Craig Thompson, was unwell at the time, so Vijaya Corea who was visiting Radio Ceylon was asked to step in, by his cousin Vernon Vijaya Corea, despite having no prior broadcasting experience.
6.
Vijaya Corea proved to be a natural and lost no time in establishing himself as the most sought after commercial broadcaster.
7.
Vijaya Corea joined Radio Ceylon at a time when the station was ruling the airwaves, right across the Indian sub-continent.
8.
Vijaya Corea climbed the management ladder and in the 1990s he was appointed Director-General of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation.
9.
Vijaya Corea has been given numerous tributes and awards through the years.
10.
Vijaya Corea is included in the list of notable individuals from the island of Sri Lanka.
11.
Vijaya Corea is widely recognised as a pioneer in the introduction of Sinhala pop music at Radio Ceylon and the English Service.
12.
Vijaya Corea was the one man who allocated time for indigenous songs at Radio Ceylon, via his radio programmes such as Saturday Star and Lanka's Talent in Focus.
13.
Vijaya Corea has continued that effort throughout his career and has extensive knowledge of the history of Sinhala pop groups and songs.
14.
Musicians of that era could not hold an event without Vijaya Corea, as his presence was an absolute must for the introduction.
15.
Vijaya Corea holds the unbroken record of presenting 16 sponsored programs per week,.
16.
Many professionals and others still recall how, in their youth, they would skip or delay attending classes in school and university to listen to Vijaya Corea's Morning Show programmes aired over radio.
17.
Vijaya Corea has introduced over one hundred pop musicians to the recording studios at then-Radio Ceylon.
18.
Way back in 1969, Vijaya Corea urged me call over in Colombo to give him the break.
19.
Vijaya Corea has the distinction of being Sri Lanka's first TV presenter.
20.
Star performers from Sri Lanka and abroad gathered together for the show Grand Salute to Vijaya Corea to pay a musical tribute to him on his 40th anniversary in electronic media and showbiz at the BMICH Conference Hall in Colombo on 6 August 2005.
21.
Wherever Vijaya Corea has travelled, he has done whatever he could to raise awareness of autism, a neuro-developmental disorder affecting many children and adults in Sri Lanka.
22.
Vijaya Corea has supported the work of the Autism Awareness Campaign UK and Sri Lanka.
23.
Vijaya Corea is the Patron of the Edirimanne Corea Family Union, in Colombo, Sri Lanka.