Rock music of Sri Lanka

The rock music in Sri Lanka traced during the early 1970s when Kumar Navaratnam and colleague performed the first Rock festival at the Havelock Park in Colombo Sri Lanka. Kumara Navaratnam stormed as the main strength behind the changing rock music scene then along with other such as Prins Jayaratnam and the unwanted generation, Prasanna Abeysekara’s Coffin nail, Neville of Acid, Gobbledegook and Sweetie Pie which was dominant by pianist Nimal Goonawardane, Richard Somon and Mary. Mary was the only Rock ensemble to play all original music that time and was dominated by Ravi Balasooriya of Bugs popularity. Other members include Aruna Siriwardsane, Benjy Ranabahu, Diliup Gabadamudalige and Dwight Van Graberg. Ramesh Weeratunga was a musician/solo artist during that period and went on to become a career artist/song author at Germany which he has produce many solo songs.

source of picture: srilankamuslimcrossculturalbridge.blogspot.com

Sri Lanka presently has an important underground metal and hard rock public which is increasing in fame among upper middle class teenagers and young adults. Some internationally recognized Sri Lankan metal ensembles include Stigmata, Whirlwind, Chitral Somapala, Old Castles Massacre, Paranoid Eathling, Plecto Aliquem Capite, and Funeral in Heaven. The major rock radio station is Sri Lanka is TNL Rocks which is a very renowned radio channel in the midst of the youth of Colombo, Kandy and some other environs of the Island. Many other ensembles too have appeared ever since the 1990s making the Heavy metal underground much bigger. Whilst Colombo being an upbringing ground of many hard rock ensembles like Stigmata Kandy gave birth to the innovator Grunge outfits Paraniod Earthling which was the first rock ensemble to appear in the Hill Capital. Kandy is also the strongest for Black metal ensembles such as Pariah Demise Lieu De Fault and some Doom metal ensembles as well.

In the year 2005 Dinesh Subasinghe and Dee R Cee members were known as an alternative rock ensemble. Dinesh brought the rock music into Sri Lankan TV series music. later on he composed music for Hithata Wahal wimi and Sarangana tele dramas for Siras TV and the guitar was played by an Indian renowned guitarist known as John Anthony.