pop music

Pop music saw a sudden blooming season which brought out many a talent in fields of song composing and music.M.S.Fernando , Three Sisters from the Perera family ,Victor Ratnayake , Tony Hassen, A,E,Manoharan , Ramachandran, and numerous others had a field day singing new and old hits .The Colombo Art Circle produced and presented many Pop Shows at various venues like The Sugathadasa stadium , Navarangahala Hall and Kathiresan Hall etc. CAC,s Gen.Secretary Balachandran honoured M.S.Fernando with the title Music Chakkravarthy which meant King of Comedy. { wait for more stories on this subject in due course } Book Releasing Ceremonies ---------------------------- In the late 1960,s when I was a sub-editor attached to the then popular tamil news papers of the now defunged Independent Newspapers ltd, Dinapathy and Chinthamani , my Chief Editor S.T. Sivanayakam called me to his room and introduced me to a middle aged tamil lady called Mrs, Meena Sabaratnam , She happened to be the wife of a popula tamil writer who had passed away leaving many story manuscripts and very little finance for the family . I wrote an interview of her plight . Her story moved me to tears which subsequently iniated CAC bala to organise a meeting to promote late Thaalayadi Sabaratnam, story book ,which gave some relief to his wife. This just one of the many book launching ceremonies conducted by K.Balachandran to help journalists , Authors ,writors and other media personnel to access publicity. Anthony Jeeva , Annaluxmy Rajathurai , and M.M.Makeen [maana Makeen] are few writers who is living today to talk about CAC . Balachandran,s contribution in this field. K.Sivam a senior press reporter cum writer in kandy , too had associated with CAC in many of its programs.M.A. Rahman , who is currently in India ,S. Ponnudurai ,the internationally famous tamil writer who is now an Australian citizen , popularly known as SPO ,is another prominent figure who could describe balachandran,s literary promotional efforts. Dance Programs -------------------- Early 1970 - Sivaji Dorai was a leading business figure in Colombo. His only daughter Geethanjali ;s Bharatha Naatiyam dance debut was to held at the Lionel Wendt Theater and a prominent veena exponent Chitty Babu and his wife from India arrived in Sri Lanka to be the chief guest at this function . Geethanjali,s performance was par excellant and CAC was as proud as her own parents in associating with the event . Subsequently CAC did several dance recitals of both Sri Lankan and Indian dance exponents. I remember one wonderful dance program by the famous S0uth Indian , who was then the Tamil Nadu Government,s State Dancer. This is none other than the Karnam Artist Swarnamugi . After her performance at the Ramakrishna Hall,next day The Daily News paper carried a news item saying that a boneless dancer is now in Sri Lanka .

Colombo Art Circle K.Balachandran,s story.

I Have you heard about some one born in Sri Lanka who spent the most part of his life towards promoting inter cultural activities thereby enhancing unity and overall development of the people of his mother land?. He did not talk loudly about his motive. But he m0ved with every person irrespective of any caste , creed, race or any other labels people had pasted on them. He was the only person who held a three_days Tamil Drama Festival single handed in the 1960s,with a bank loan. He honoured Gate Mudaliyar ACGS. Amarasekera ,a great artist who lived upto almost 100 years. He produced English stage dramas, Bye Bye Raju and Never Mind Silva which had gate -crashing crowds. Sinhala cinema pioneer comedian Eddi Jayamanne took the lead role in these plays. He revived E.C.B. Wijesinghe,s popular English sattire plays , He comes from Jaffna , Senator and Ralahamy etc. He honored veteran singers , journalists , authors , dancers .painters dramatists , magicians , and in short who ever who did something worthwhile . In 1970 . if i remember correctly , there was a major fire that broke in the Fort- Pettah area which was brought under control quiet efficiently. This young man felicitated the fire brigade in a star hotel with the help of one of his friends .It was a Christmas time . Are you interested in knowing who this person was ? If so go ahead and I am sure you,ll be happy to spend your time in learning that Sri Lanka did have very many children who loved humanity most sincerely. We are now in the 21st century and its time man should strive sincerely to be like his/her Great Creator , through love and love alone. Wish every one of you a peaceful and truly happy sojourn in this planet. The person who dreamed of a better world for his fellow beings through his cultural activities was non other than K.Balachandran ,the founder General Secretary of the Colombo Art Circle ,which was well known upto the year 2000. Bala completed both his life and what ever he did to make people happy at this time . Born to a humble family , achieved much popularity .

"Registered Marriage"Tamil Comedy in 1961.
The Colombo Art Circle produced a Tamil Comedy ' Pathivuth Thirumanam' which means Registered marriage was staged at Young Men,s Bhuddhist Association YMBA Borella Colombo 8. Balachandran had come to Virakesari Newspaper office to insert advertisement and publicity. I was a newly joined sub-editor at the virakesari then,but I was not in the office when Balachandran came. I was on a field assignment and when I returned to office my office mate Annaluxmy Rajathurai told me that so and so came and had given some photos for publicity in my women,s page. I later went to see the play with my boarding mates at the YMBA hall , where i met Balachandran for the first time .The play was full comedy and we enjoyed it thoroughly. This moment of joy was the beginning of another saga . The play was one with top star cast with Saana Shanmuganathen, Producer of Tamil Drama section of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation , Laddies Weeramany , who was a born dramatist and a popular artist , Rosario Peries , another top notch actor of the time , along with Rajeshwaran, and Kokila Subramaniam. Mr. P.T. Rajan of the Kandy Asoka Hostel was the Chief Guest who paid glorious tributes to every body associated with the play 'Pathivuth Thirumanam" Though I wrote a Review of the Play , I am unable to publish it here because I never thought of the events that followed there after.The play was full of comical sequences due to its mixture of various communities speaking tamil in different styles. Banda ,Arumugamm speaking to Cassim nana Rosairio Peries , and Pandithar Rajeswaran in his Pandid tamil , was a treat indeed.