Dharmadasa Walpola
| Dharmadasa Walpola | |
|---|---|
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Dharmadasa Walpola |
| Born | 27 November 1927 Deyiyannewela, Kandy,CP. |
| Died | 25 December 1983 (aged 56) |
| Occupation(s) | Singer |
| Associated acts | Latha Walpola,Vivian de Silva Boralessa,Chitra Somapala, Rukmani Devi,G S B Rani Perera. |
Dharmadasa Walpola (Sinhala: ධර්මදාස වල්පොල) (1927–1983) was the most prominent Sri Lankan male playback singer of the 1950s and 1960s. Walpola was an accomplished musician adapt at playing the flute, harmonium, violin and tabla.
Walpola's father Palis Ayya worked with costumes for the Tower Hall theater. Walpola had to forgo his education at a young age to support his family and for a time built masks for the Sri Lankan army. At that time he won a role in Sirisena Wimalaweera's play Amma singing a virindu. He subsequently acted and sang in the play Wessanthara as well.
To master the flute, Walpola began taking lessons from Eddie Master and then attended R. A. Chandrasena's Academy. Chandrasena was impressed by Walpola's ability to sing and after auditioning several songs with harmonium accompaniment, sent a good word to the Radio Ceylon broadcaster Thevis Guruge. Guruge gave Walpola a sarala gee programme with a duet partner G. S. B. Rani Perera.
Walpola debuted as a playback singer in the 1953 film Prema Tharangaya alongside his future wife Rita Genevi Fernando. Around 1956, Walpola married Fernando who subsequently adapted the name Latha Walpola. From his debut to the early 1960s, Walpola dominated male playback singing in Sri Lankan cinema providing a counterpoint to the harsh Carnatic style of Mohideen Baig with his softer more melodic voice which lend itself to love songs. His best known work from this period include "Seeya Manamalaya" from Asoka (1955), "Amu Pitisareyeki" from Seda Sulang (1955), "Upatha Labaa" and "Suba Aasiri (Hanika Yamang)" from Mathalang (1955), "Surathalee" from Surathalee (1956), "Katey Kiri Suwanda" from Sandesaya (1960), "Oya Belma" and "Waththe Wetunu Pol Athu" from Kurulu Bedda (1961) and "Man Mula Wela" from Deepashika (1963).
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