T.Kanch
08-20-2007, 12:19 PM
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The musical genius of Premasiri Khemadasa
An honorary degree of Doctor of Letters is to be conferred on Premasiri Khemadasa by the University of Ruhuna at the annual convocation of the University on September 14.
by Carlo Fonseka
The musical genius of maestro Premasiri Khemadasa flowered without any university "input". At a time when the only way Maestro PK can look at a university from the splendid pinnacle he has reached by self-effort is down, the University of Ruhuna has decided to recognise his genius. It will confer on the maestro an honorary doctorate.
As it happened in the case of another self-made giant of our time Martin Wickremasinghe, if other universities in the country emulate the worthy example of the University of Ruhuna, the maestro should soon have more doctorates that he knows what to do with. But that will be his problem. At a time when the University of Ruhuna has aspirants for degrees who are capable of kicking pregnant women reportedly "to save free education", the university should go out of its way to award degrees to outsiders like Maestro PK the musical genius.
Why do I call him a genius? A genius is a highly talented creative or intelligent person. Maestro PK hasn't taken a university course in music. Long ago, on the very day he was scheduled to commence sitting the Senior School Certificate Examination, Radio Ceylon had summoned him for an interview for selection as a flutist. Without a moment's hesitation, he had cheerfully abandoned the SSC Examination and attended the interview and had been duly selected. Quite clearly, very early in life he had made up his mind what he wanted to be. He pursued his objective single-mindedly against all odds. He broke new ground in the field of Sinhala music. His creations have touched the hearts of millions. He has spread the treasure of his talent over the whole range of music from art song to opera. In some genres such a symphony, cantata and opera he is the sole exponent in the world of Sinhala music. And some of his creations have merited the serious attention of and occasional accolade from our world class orchestral conductor and pianist Rohan Joseph.
And Rohan Joseph is a genius who cannot be bought for a mere song. So, I infer that Maestro Premasiri Khemadasa must be highly talented and innovatively creative. Therefore he must be a musical genius. Magic creation
If Maestro PK is a genius, why has he not been duly celebrated and honoured in this country for so long? Several possible explanations suggest themselves. The first is the state of underdevelopment of Sinhala music. As of now, the highest level Sinhala music has reached is the art song. And those who are celebrated and honoured are those who can sing art songs perfectly, wonderfully and definitively. PK cannot sing, or at any rate, he does not sing. He composes the music of songs that others sing and thereby become famous. The music of the most ravishingly romantic song I have ever heard in a Sinhala film was created by Maestro PK. It is the song called "Sulang Kurullo". The exquisitely romantic music of this song has the unfailing power of fleetingly transforming at least me from senility to a state of emotional adolescence. But few know that it was Maestro PK who created the magic. So he is not as widely acclaimed as those who sing the song.
Another reason why the Maestro is not as celebrated as he should be has to do with the fact that he is way ahead of his contemporaries in the world of Sinhala music. In that world, the state of the art if the realm of vocal music is the plain, straightforward, melodious singing of an art song. In such a world the kind of sophisticated singing Maestro PK has encouraged fails to elicit sympathetic resonance in most listeners. So he is dismissed as a misguided imitator of Western music, if not, indeed, as a positive force for musical evil.
Volatile temperament
Yet another reason why he is not widely popular is his temperament, shall we say, his volatile artistic temperament. By all accounts, he is incapable of suffering diplomatically those whom he regards as musical lameducks. And he has perfectly the art of demoting current heroes with a single phrase or act of mimicry.
It has been said of Woodrow Wilson, who was regarded by some as the most intellectual and scholarly man to have become President of the United States, that he failed to achieve his grand vision because he broke with friends, quarrelled with associates and alienated people. So a supreme genius became, at best, a magnificent failure. Maestro PK's ingrained irreverence and perverse love of sailing close to the wind of the laws of libel is surely one reason why he has not been widely celebrated.
Believe it or not, one of his musical creations produced in 1982 was titled: "The king of our country has sprouted horns". Our country being republic at that time, we didn't have a king. Nevertheless the performance was promptly and predictably banned.
Finally, the eternally valid reason why Maestro PK has not been sufficiently honoured in the land of his birth, was articulated by Jesus Christ: "A prophet is not without honour save in his own country, and in his own home." Maestro PK is a musical prophet in this country because he has been the harbinger of the shape that Sinhala music will take when it liberates itself - as it must - from the tyranny of the traditional art song. And he has been honoured, not only by Rohan Joseph but also by the likes of Lakshman Joseph de Saram, Valentine Basnayake and Lalanath de Silva who though born in this island, have been fortunate enough to live and move and have their musical being in foreign lands.
When they acclaim Maestro PK, they are bearing witness to the truth of what Jesus Christ said in the quotation just cited. In this era of rapid globalisation, however, when geographical boundaries between one's own country and other countries are becoming irrelevant, the University of Ruhuna deserves praise for honouring the musical prophet in our own country, Maestro Premasiri Khamadasa.
The musical genius of Premasiri Khemadasa
An honorary degree of Doctor of Letters is to be conferred on Premasiri Khemadasa by the University of Ruhuna at the annual convocation of the University on September 14.
by Carlo Fonseka
The musical genius of maestro Premasiri Khemadasa flowered without any university "input". At a time when the only way Maestro PK can look at a university from the splendid pinnacle he has reached by self-effort is down, the University of Ruhuna has decided to recognise his genius. It will confer on the maestro an honorary doctorate.
As it happened in the case of another self-made giant of our time Martin Wickremasinghe, if other universities in the country emulate the worthy example of the University of Ruhuna, the maestro should soon have more doctorates that he knows what to do with. But that will be his problem. At a time when the University of Ruhuna has aspirants for degrees who are capable of kicking pregnant women reportedly "to save free education", the university should go out of its way to award degrees to outsiders like Maestro PK the musical genius.
Why do I call him a genius? A genius is a highly talented creative or intelligent person. Maestro PK hasn't taken a university course in music. Long ago, on the very day he was scheduled to commence sitting the Senior School Certificate Examination, Radio Ceylon had summoned him for an interview for selection as a flutist. Without a moment's hesitation, he had cheerfully abandoned the SSC Examination and attended the interview and had been duly selected. Quite clearly, very early in life he had made up his mind what he wanted to be. He pursued his objective single-mindedly against all odds. He broke new ground in the field of Sinhala music. His creations have touched the hearts of millions. He has spread the treasure of his talent over the whole range of music from art song to opera. In some genres such a symphony, cantata and opera he is the sole exponent in the world of Sinhala music. And some of his creations have merited the serious attention of and occasional accolade from our world class orchestral conductor and pianist Rohan Joseph.
And Rohan Joseph is a genius who cannot be bought for a mere song. So, I infer that Maestro Premasiri Khemadasa must be highly talented and innovatively creative. Therefore he must be a musical genius. Magic creation
If Maestro PK is a genius, why has he not been duly celebrated and honoured in this country for so long? Several possible explanations suggest themselves. The first is the state of underdevelopment of Sinhala music. As of now, the highest level Sinhala music has reached is the art song. And those who are celebrated and honoured are those who can sing art songs perfectly, wonderfully and definitively. PK cannot sing, or at any rate, he does not sing. He composes the music of songs that others sing and thereby become famous. The music of the most ravishingly romantic song I have ever heard in a Sinhala film was created by Maestro PK. It is the song called "Sulang Kurullo". The exquisitely romantic music of this song has the unfailing power of fleetingly transforming at least me from senility to a state of emotional adolescence. But few know that it was Maestro PK who created the magic. So he is not as widely acclaimed as those who sing the song.
Another reason why the Maestro is not as celebrated as he should be has to do with the fact that he is way ahead of his contemporaries in the world of Sinhala music. In that world, the state of the art if the realm of vocal music is the plain, straightforward, melodious singing of an art song. In such a world the kind of sophisticated singing Maestro PK has encouraged fails to elicit sympathetic resonance in most listeners. So he is dismissed as a misguided imitator of Western music, if not, indeed, as a positive force for musical evil.
Volatile temperament
Yet another reason why he is not widely popular is his temperament, shall we say, his volatile artistic temperament. By all accounts, he is incapable of suffering diplomatically those whom he regards as musical lameducks. And he has perfectly the art of demoting current heroes with a single phrase or act of mimicry.
It has been said of Woodrow Wilson, who was regarded by some as the most intellectual and scholarly man to have become President of the United States, that he failed to achieve his grand vision because he broke with friends, quarrelled with associates and alienated people. So a supreme genius became, at best, a magnificent failure. Maestro PK's ingrained irreverence and perverse love of sailing close to the wind of the laws of libel is surely one reason why he has not been widely celebrated.
Believe it or not, one of his musical creations produced in 1982 was titled: "The king of our country has sprouted horns". Our country being republic at that time, we didn't have a king. Nevertheless the performance was promptly and predictably banned.
Finally, the eternally valid reason why Maestro PK has not been sufficiently honoured in the land of his birth, was articulated by Jesus Christ: "A prophet is not without honour save in his own country, and in his own home." Maestro PK is a musical prophet in this country because he has been the harbinger of the shape that Sinhala music will take when it liberates itself - as it must - from the tyranny of the traditional art song. And he has been honoured, not only by Rohan Joseph but also by the likes of Lakshman Joseph de Saram, Valentine Basnayake and Lalanath de Silva who though born in this island, have been fortunate enough to live and move and have their musical being in foreign lands.
When they acclaim Maestro PK, they are bearing witness to the truth of what Jesus Christ said in the quotation just cited. In this era of rapid globalisation, however, when geographical boundaries between one's own country and other countries are becoming irrelevant, the University of Ruhuna deserves praise for honouring the musical prophet in our own country, Maestro Premasiri Khamadasa.