Saman Lenin the ultimate signature in Folk music in contemporary generation
The creation and adaptation of a folk song originated from ones community. The anonymity of the innovative development was considered a foremost yardstick of folk music recognition. It is believed that the origin of folk songs was created either by villages or by specialist musicians taken up by folk cultur., The repertoire of a folk community certainly included songs of a very varied origins. One of Sri Lanka’s finest exponents of folk music is Visharad Saman Lenin ( Kottawa Iniyage Saman Thusitha Lenin Kumara) born on 1st May 1980 as the fifth child in a family in Kottaya In Unawatuna,Galle, is a Sri Lankan vocalist ,musician and ethno-musicologist. Had graduated from the Visual and Performing Arts University in the mid 2000 decade with a diploma in Ethno-musicology. Thereafter had served as a lecturer in the same university to teach students.
Saman Lenin has had his primary and secondary education at St.Aloysius College in Galle.He had excelled in sports having been included in the school cricket , swimming, athletic and the body-building teams.He was exceptionally talented pace bowler having skippered the Under 16 to Under 19 college teams. When Dennis Lillie held a bowling camp in Saman had been amongst the best 17 pace bowlers selected in Sri Lanka.But his destiny changed as he was equally competent in art and sculpture when he opted to pursue a career in art entering the Visual and Performing Arts university in year 2004.
During the tenure at the University as having had an innate talent and flair to sing folk songs had learned folk music under distinguished musicians Rohana Beddage and Saman Panapitiya.Saman instantly came to fame and recognition when he competed in the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation music reality contest “Rajatha Rashmi” in the year 2005 where he was adjudicated as the runner- up. With this exposure he was selected at a young age for the background singing for the film ‘Siri Parakum’ directed by legendary Somaratne Dissanayake.The song “Ambaruvo” sung by him from the same film has had a gigantic impact in finding a unique rare ‘screen voice’ for the silver screen to the film industry.Saman further impressed film producers and directors when contributing his voice to Professor Sunil Ariyaratne’s “Paththini” . and Lalith Pannipitiye’s film “Sangile”. Concurrently Saman had become a sought after vocalist for Tele dramas too also been a vocalist for several cultural events.In year 2011 at a relatively young age was adjudicated as the ‘best singer’ in the television State awards ceremony , also won the best singers award for the serial “Yasa Isuru”.Saman was awarded in year 2014 for the television serial ‘Kolamba Ahasa’ then in 2015 won the best Vocalist award in in Sumathi awards.
When fully established and renowned commenced his musical concert “Sneha Warsha” held at the Law Faculty auditorium in the University of Colombo.In the very same year Saman was adjudicated as the best singer at the State Music awards ceremony. In year 2016 Saman won the Best singer award at the state music awards, then also in the same year was awarded the ‘Bunka “ award at the Japan Friendship and Cultural Fund.
Saman partnering another similarly talented folk vocalist Nilakshi performed in a musical concert “Gigurum Warsha”.He also made another concert with Rohana Beddage titled “Desaman Bedda”.Both concerts were performed to appreciative audiences in years 2018 and 2019.He had performed internationally these concerts in Australia,India,Thailand,Doha ,Maldives and Dubai.
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On 9 June 2018, he participated to the musical concert ‘Gee Mal Suwanda Gee Miyasi with Makaranda Pasvida Gayum Asiriya’ held at the Nelum Pokuna performing arts theatre. In the same year, he sang the song ‘Samasara Kanda Laga’ which deals with the Samasara Hill Landslide tragedy. In 2019, he released the solo hits ‘Amude’ and ‘Amude 2’, both songs were acknowledged by a large cross section of fans.As the competency of Saman to sing folk songs is at a high ebb is such that he is summoned to sing just one folk song in live television programs for which he obliges very willingly.
Apart from singing, he also worked as an actor. His maiden television acting came through the television serial ‘Yasa Isuru’. Then he acted in the serials Ransiri Mal and Paanamankada.To date Saman despite his short career has sung over 200 songs as a most talented folk artiste. Saman Lenin’s achievements surpassed at such a young age is commendable, all his fans and followers would wish him booming successes in his future inclinations.
Sunil Thenabadu in Brisbane
