There was a time when the Vinyl had its days of glory– from the time where the Gramophone was patented in 1867, which was also the first Vinyl Record player. Thereafter the Vinyl came a long way till 1982, ranging from Red Seal records, Colombia records to BBC records and when the first compact disc was invented, and people began to enjoy a different experience in listening to music, along with the modern technology, easily portable, and not having to go through the pops and scratchiness of the Vinyl record.
Even in Sri Lanka Vinyl records were distributed through the Sooriya records, Gemstone, New Sound, Tharanga, and Lotus, to name a few. Most of these were also played through the airwaves of the Radio Ceylon, at that time. However, decades later, the Vinyl records seem to be back in style, better than ever. Rajeev Sebastian’s intent too seemed to be reviving this rich culture. The popular musician held his Vinyl record launch recently, at the Curve, Colombo. The LP was titled ‘Baila Time in Colombo’ (Vol 1) with the purpose of promoting and popularizing Vinyls among the modern generation and to all music fans in general, by giving it a twist and a bit of difference. The event was actually a triple celebration, to collaborate with the 30th anniversary of Rajeev and the Clan, which was established in 1990, being three decades in the showbiz, to mark the 13th anniversary of his production company, ‘Star Lanka Music’, which was established in 2007. The last was the launch of his latest production, as mentioned, ‘Baila Time in Colombo’, an effort to bring the good old vinyl’s back into the scene, and which also coincidently happened to be his birthday.
It was a memorable evening where the stalwarts of the music industry, especially when it comes to the golden days of music, Media and music lovers got together for a fabulous evening. Renowned vocalists including Annesley Malewana, Mariazelle Gunathilake , Corrine Almeida, Sohan Weerasinghe , Nimal Jayamanne , Dr. Vijeya Corea and Luke Henriques etc graced the event. Popular music producers Vernon Perera and Sisira Wijetunga were also present. The celebration was with maximum fun and entertainment, filled with jokes and memories about the good old days, and each guest singing a part of their popular songs. Rajeev expressed his thanks to those who participated and recalled memories of the past, of how he entered the music industry and how he listened to the giants of the industry of yesteryear such as the late Clarence Wijewardene, and how it made a huge impact on his musical career. He expressed that it was time to bring back the Vinyl records with a new twist to suit the modern day requirement, and with the genuine purpose of introducing the use of Vinyl records for their excellent sound quality and originality.
Annesley Malewana also expressed his views on the event by saying that he was privileged to be present at the launch, sang a part of his popular hit ‘Ruwanpuray’’ to keep the crowd entertained. Each guest received a copy of Rajeev’s new Vinyl/LP record. His initiative of bringing back Vinyl records were highly commended by those who were present, mentioning that it was refreshing to see LP’S /Vinyls coming back from CD’s and cassettes. The ‘back to basics’ concept has started, and most people are turning back to Vinyls. Proper marketing strategies should be there to promote the product.
Veteran compere and media personality Dr. Vijaya Corea also commented on the occasion, and recalled his experiences when he used to be at the Radio Ceylon (now known as SLBC) and expressed his gratitude at being invited for an important occasion as this. He praised Rajeev’s initiative of bringing back the Vinyls, and wishing him success in his endeavor.
Rajeev said, “Countries like UK, US, Canada and Australia are bringing back the Vinyl records big time. We should go with the flow. What I did was, I newly recorded these songs. I haven’t killed the original flavor. This is the first time that it has been remastered and manufactured in the US. I’m a great lover of the 60’s and the 70’s. Therefore, I decided to add my contribution and do what I could for the benefit of the music industry.”
Thus it was an interesting evening for all the music enthusiasts and veterans of the industry to meet, have a chat and experience an interesting evening full of music and cheer, coinciding with the triple celebration of music from Rajeev Sebastian.
Pictures by Saman Weeraratne
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