Jananath heart of Sri Lankan rhythm

Jananath is a percussion artiste, the most exuberant one among the handful who has an innate passion for the rhythm, that's essentially Sri Lankan. Today Zest breaks in to his rhythmic orbit with a barrage of questions to find out his mettle and hide

Aravinda HETTIAARATCHCHI

Q: How do you describe the profession of a percussion artiste?

A: Percussion artiste is a professional who plays rhythms using instruments. I believe that these rhythms are inherent within you. You bring it to the world along with you at birth. If you don't have these rhythms within your body, you wont be able to bring it out. In Sri Lanka, we are lucky to have a lot of percussion instruments of our own, which gives rise to creativity experiencing a whole complexity of rhythms. The basic rhythm system is similar in any country. Yet especially in South Indian music, one finds exceptionally refined rhythm levels in comparison to the whole world.

I had the chance to study the Indian Thabla and also a few more of their other instruments. Piyasara Shilpadipathi was my first Guru in Sri Lankan percussion instruments. Kalashoori Panee Baratha lifted me to the next level training me on my subject. My soul-instrument is the traditonal Thammatama. Besides I have learned almost all the percussion instruments in Sri Lanka including the Daula and Udakkiya. Today this whole gamut of traditional and modern percussion instruments can be played only by a very few people in this country including Piyasara Shilapadipathi and Ravibandu Vidyapathi.

I have, learned Congo drums from the Euro-US percussion instruments and I have only a basic knowledge of playing the classical acoustic drum. Yet I am glad to have developed an acquaintance with all the drums in Euro-US regions.

Q: In this arena of music what is the specific path you have entered in to?

A: I came through a difficult path. I had to march through almost every traditional and technical back road in this country. Thus it was not a bed of roses. Yet my father who is a dramstist of repute in this country, introduced me to all the local classical percussion teachers. I developed my career into international standard with a lot of perseverance. It was a memorable moment for me when I got the rare opportunity to play the traditional Sinhala Thammattama in the word famous Sydney Opera. House. That was one of those hair raising moments in my life when felt proud to be Sri Lankan.

The Tokyo Opera City holds a World Symphony Opera Week every year. We represented it with our Symphony Orchestra consisting a team of about 30 players and collaborated with the Japanese Symphony Orchestra of about 50 players.. This joint Orchestra performed under Harsha Makalada's composition titled "Swara Sanga Wannama." I played Thammatama and Daula, and Ravibandu played the Gataberaya for this composition. There, we, for the first time in the whole world, played Sri Lankan percussion instruments for an Orchestral composition. It created such a thrilling outcome which still echoes in my mind.

Q: How have your father Wijerathna Warakagoda, backed you in this particular performing arena?

A: My father is an actor. He has nothing to do with the arena of percussion. He only directed me to the right blend of gurus who helped me build my percussion career in the correct path. I am grateful to him for the proper initial guidance and encouragement. He never posed any obstacle to my wish of becoming a percussionist.

Q: Did it ever occur to you to settle down in a Euro-US background to pursue at a higher plane rather than in Sri Lanka?

A: You can be a percussion artiste anywhere in the world if you have the will power. I have this confidence.

I have visited plenty of western countries. But I think they live a commercialized fast lifestyle than us. They don't have peace tranquility we have in Sri Lanka. I will never feel for another country the way I feel for Sri Lanka. I cannot express this feeling in words. It's like trying to express in mere words, the feelings of love you have for your mother. Being an artiste I am exceptionally sensitive to feeling and Sri Lanka is everything to me.

Q: What is your ambition that is closest to your heart?

A: I have a dream. A beautiful dream. It's about the day I will play Sri Lankan indigenous percussion instruments with the world famous Yanni's Orchestra. We in Sri Lanka have, and perform beautiful rhythm that's unique to our country unlike in any tropical country in this whole wide world.. Yes, we may have financial difficulties because we are still struggling to come up, in this country.

Yet it being God-given talent, art, is a divine feeling. You can preserve this divinity of expression, that is born of the sons of this soil, only within our own roots Sri Lanka. Nowhere else, will do.