Folk music when coupled with innovation evokes pleasant sensations and sheds light on the conservation of this art of heritage by way of attracting the new generation.
Jaffna Music Festival and Galle Music Festival conducted for the last nine years fostered the unique Sri Lankan folk music traditions, bringing together artistes of this sort scattered all around the island to a common platform. These twin music festivals were unveiled during a time when certain folk musicians had performance space only within their communities, and others barely had sufficient instruments and costumes to perform.
Thus Jaffna and Galle music festivals were conceived as a vehicle to enable Sri Lankan folk musicians to revitalise their music traditions and also to perform on a shared stage with international artistes. This endeavour enabled many artistes to receive acclaim for their work.
Some artistes who have first performed in these twin events now do public shows here and abroad.
With a view to taking this hale and hearty culture to more heterogeneous markets (new and smaller locations in the country), the organizers eventually have designed a new compact program branded as “Melodies of Folk”.
Melodies of Folk 2018 with its line-up of folk musicians reflect the diversity across ethnic groups and folk music traditions and contemporary musical innovations.
The maiden show at the Vihara Maha Devi open-air theatre on January 28 at 6.30pm will showcase a cross-section of Jaffna Music Festival and Galle Music Festival to astound the Colombo crowd. Some of Sri Lanka’s outstanding folk musicians will perform here.
Sri Lanka Norway Music Cooperation aka SLNMC presents Melodies of Folk 2018 and entrance is free for the general public.
SLNMC is funded by the Royal Norwegian Embassy and implemented by Kulturtaken, Norway and Sevalanka Foundation partnered with the Folk Music Conservation Centre of the Department of Cultural Affairs.
The event will feature Ravibandu Drum Ensemble, Naadro and nATANDA, Baliphonics, Sandasi Drummers, Miyesi Jana Sangeetha Kandayama and Tamil Murasu and international folk sensation Chirkutt from Bangladesh.
Going hand in hand at the same venue is “Music is for All” mini-event starting at 9.30 am, which is a festival for children and families that create spaces for children to interact with folk musicians of Islamic Social Heritage Cultural Association.
The line up for “Music is for All” include, (Sufi) from Akkaraipathu, Portuguese Burghers from Batticaloa, the Ceylon Kaffir from Sirambiadi, Saranga Rookada Group from Ambalangoda, Parai Melam from Batticaloa, Mullaitivu Kalaimakal Kala Manram Valankum Karakaddam and Kudamothal Kummi from Mullaitivu, Sandasi Beat Drummers from Colombo, Sulochana Dissanayake from Power of Play and Music Maters and plenty of other child friendly activities.
“With Sri Lanka, Norway Music Cooperation’s artistic director Dr Sumudi Suraweera and Sulochana Suraweera we did three School events (Paasal Charika) and all these events will be included in the morning session”, said Sevalanka Foundation’s Director, Kaushalya Navaratne.
She further commented, “We constantly meet at Jaffna, Batticaloa, Colombo and Peradeniya universities to discuss on conservation and innovation of folk music. At these ‘Musical Meeting Places’ university students get-together to discuss, practice and innovate folk music. We will showcase the outcome of this in the morning session. Anusha Gokula of Folk music conservation centre too is actively present in this endeavour”.
The legendary local artiste Dr Arunthathy Sri Ranganathan said, “Art and culture could bring diverse communities together. In my whole life I have worked on bringing artistes together. Classical music is from the West and Oriental music is from India. But folk music is deeply rooted with our own culture and heritage. We are happy to see the new generation learning and researching on folk music that sheds light on festival songs, ritual songs, Nadagam Gee and musical dramas”.
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