Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera (Sinhala:නන්දා මාලනී: born 23 August 1943), popularly as Nanda Malini, is a Sri Lankan musician. One of the best known and most honoured singers of Sri Lanka, Malini's choice of singing themes are based on real life and social-cultural situations.[1] Her songs intricate notional ideas of relationships, life-circumstances, and emotions that stem out of human realities.[2]

Dr.
Nanda Malini
නන්දා මාලනී
Born
Mirihana Arachchige Nanda Malini Perera

(1943-08-23) 23 August 1943 (age 81)
NationalitySri Lankan
EducationSri Gunananda Vidyalaya
Alma materHeywood Institute of Art
Bhatkhande Music Institute (1963)
Occupation(s)Singer, Music Director
SpouseSuneth Gokula
Children2
Parents
  • Vincent Perera (father)
  • Liyanage Emily Perera (mother)
AwardsDoctor of Philosophy (Fine Arts) Honoris Causa (University of the Visual & Performing Art-2017)
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Years active1956–present
Labels
  • Singlanka/Tharanga/Nilwala
  • MEntertainment
  • Ransilu

Early life

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Nanda was born on 23 August 1943 as the fourth child to a rural family of nine in Lewwanduwa in Aluthgama, Sri Lanka. Her father, Vincent Perera was a skillful tailor and ready-made coat maker. Her mother, Liyanage Emily Perera was a housewife.[3] She has four sisters and four brothers. She moved to Kotahena in Colombo as an adolescent and was admitted to Sri Gunananda Vidyalaya where she came under the tutelage of T. N. Margaret Perera.[4]

She was married to Suneth Gokula and the couple has two daughters – Varuni Saroja, Ama Sarada. Elder daughter Varuni is married to Chaminda, son of popular lyricist Dharmasiri Gamage. Younger daughter Ama is married to Sanjeewa.[5]

Career

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In 1956, she contested for ‘Padya Gayana’ competition held at Borella YMBA, in which she won a gold medal. After winning the poetry contest, Radio Ceylon W. D. Amaradeva invited Nanda to take part in a song, she sang the song Budu Sadu written by Asoka Colombage and set to music by D. D. Danny on Karunaratne Abeysekera's popular program known as Lama Mandapaya on Radio.[6] In 1963, Amaradeva selected Malini for background singing for the film Ranmuthu Duwa, the first Sinhala colour film.[7] In that film, she sang the song Galana Gagaki Jeewithe with Narada Disasekara which was the first song written by Chandraratne Manawasinghe for cinema. The film won all the Sarasavi awards for music that year where Malini won the award for the Best Female Singer, her first major award. Since then she has sung in many films and has won 11 Sarasavi awards, 8 Presidential awards and adjudged the most popular female vocalist from 1995-98.[4][3]

Nanda continued her training after achieving fame, learning under B. Victor Perera.[7] She studied for a year at Heywood Institute of Art and moving on to Bhatkhande Music Institute in Lucknow, India in 1963. She would later return to the University to obtain a Visharada degree in 1984 with a First Division Distinction.[4]

Upon her return to Sri Lanka, Malini appeared on W.D. Amaradeva's program "Madhuvanthi" singing the songs Sannaliyane and Ran Dahadiya Bindu Bindu. Malini has had a string of successful releases. Her lyrics depict realistic life situations, love, relationships, and emotions.[3] The songs Pipunu Male Ruwa, Sudu Hamine, and Kada Mandiye attest to her effort to expose the hearts of women.[7] Some of Nanda's popular songs, such as Manda Nawa Karanawa, show a humorous and sensitive account of a young woman's experience of loneliness.[2][8]

In 1971, Nanda collaborated with Amaradewa in the "Srawana Aradhana concert". In 1973, she started her first solo concert series, and after having 530 shows the series ended on 22 May 1979. In August 1981 she started another concert series "Sathyaye Geethaya". She played 500 shows and ended in August 1984.[3] She conducted her next solo musical concert series "Pavana" in June 1987 which ran for 18 months with 205 shows. Her songs in "Pavana" were banned in SLBC and SLRC where the concert was also banned.[7] After 22 years her newest solo musical concert titled "Shwetha Rathriya" was held with the collaboration of Sirasa FM in 2010.[9]

In 1984, she established a music academy Nanda Malini Ashram.[10]

Malini has produced 25 cassettes such as Malata Renu, Saadu Naada and Sari Podiththak.[4] On 8 September 2007, she launched her CD Etha Kandu Yaye comprising a collection of 16 award winning songs. The launching ceremony was held at the BMICH Open Air Theater at 7.30 p.m. In 1993, she composed a CD "Kunkuma Pottu" which has songs sung in Tamil. Another of her CD's titled "Andaharaya" is made up of music composed of computer software.[11]

In 2017, she has conferred the honorary degree ‘Darshana Shuri’, Doctor of Philosophy of Fine Arts by the University of Visual and Performing Arts. It was the first time that a female artiste was recognized by a university in Sri Lanka.[12][13][14]

Legacy

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In 2004, a hybrid orchid was named as "Nanda Malini Ascosanda" in honor of Nanda Malini.[5]

Albums

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01. Saadu Naada (Sinhala: සාදු නාද)

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Saadu Naada
Soundtrack album by
Nanda Malini
Released2017
GenreClassical, Blues, Folk
Length0:36:10
  • Budu Saadu (Sinhala: බුදු සාදු)
  • Buddhanubhawena (Sinhala: බුද්ධානුභාවේන)
  • Budu Karunaa (Sinhala: බුදු කරුණා)
  • Aku Daa (Sinhala: අකු දා)
  • Danno Budunge (Sinhala: දන්නෝ බුදුන්ගේ)
  • Lokananda Thilona (Sinhala: ලෝකානන්ද තිලෝනා)
  • Seela Samadhi (Sinhala: ශීල සමාධි)
  • Muni Nandana Siripaada (Sinhala: මුණි නන්දන සිරිපාද)

02. Sari Podiththak (Sinhala: සාරි පොඩිත්තක්)

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Sari Podiththak
Soundtrack album by
Nanda Malini
Released2017
GenreClassical, Blues, Folk
Length0:49:31
  • Ruk Aththana Mala Mudune (Sinhala: රුක් අත්තන මල මුදුනේ)
  • Surangeeta Duka Hithuna (Sinhala: සුරංගීට දුක හිතුනා)
  • Wasanawa Aege Nrthai (Sinhala: වාසනාව ඇගේ නෙතයි)
  • Miriwadi Sangalak (Sinhala: මිරිවැඩි සඟලක්)
  • Sari Podiththak (Sinhala: සාරි පොඩිත්තක්)
  • Sakura Mal Pipila (Sinhala: සකුරා මල් පිපිලා)
  • Sudu Haamine (Sinhala: සුදු හාමිනේ)
  • Ran Giri Giri Gigiri (Sinhala: රන් ගිරි ගිරි ගිගිරි)
  • Chandra Mandulu Yata (Sinhala: චන්ද්‍ර මඬුලු යට)
  • Mal Kiyanne Kaata Kaata (Sinhala: මල් කියන්නෙ කාට කාට)
  • Mihimandale Anduru Kuse (Sinhala: මිහි මඬලේ අඳුරු කුසේ)
  • Deega Nogiya Punchi Nanda (Sinhala: දීග නොගිය පුංචි නැන්දා)
  • Mage Sina Oba Araganna (Sinhala: මගේ සිනා ඔබ අරගන්න)
  • Mal Mal Heenaya (Sinhala: මල් මල් හීනය)
  • Wessa Walaahaka (Sinhala: වැස්ස වළාහක)
  • Buddhaanubhaawena (Sinhala: බුද්ධානුභාවේන)

02. Sansara Sagare[15]

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Sansara Sagare
Soundtrack album by
Nanda Malini
Released1985
GenreClassical, Folk
LabelTharanga
  • Peedena Goyame ( Lyrics By – Sunil Ariyaratne Music By – Stanley Peries)
  • Sanda Mala ( Lyrics By – Kularatne Ariyawansa Music By – Rohana Weerasinghe)
  • Sansara Sagare ( Lyrics By – Sunil Ariyaratne Music By – Sarath Dassanayake)
  • Ma Pidu ( Lyrics By – Kularatne Ariyawansa Music By – Stanley Peries)
  • Kothanada Oba ( Lyrics By – Sunil Ariyaratne Music By – Stanley Peries)
  • Wata Kotu ( Lyrics By – Tilak Kuruwita Bandara Music By – Rohana Weerasinghe)
  • Nil Latha Pura ( Lyrics By – Kularatne Ariyawansa Music By – Sarath Dassanayake)
  • Punchi Punchi ( Lyrics By – Kularatne Ariyawansa Music By – Stanley Peries)
  • Lowe Sonduru ( Lyrics By – Kularatne Ariyawansa Music By – Rohana Weerasinghe)
  • Wasanawan ( Lyrics By – Kularatne Ariyawansa Music By – Rohana Weerasinghe)
  • Dura Atha ( Lyrics By – Camilus Perera Music By – Sarath Dassanayake)
  • Yowun Wasanthe ( Lyrics By – Sunil Ariyaratne Music By – Sarath Dasanayake)

Discography

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  • Perada Maha Ra
  • Pahan Kanda
  • Sathyaye Geethaya
  • Hemanthayedi
  • Tharuka Es, Pavana
  • Sindu Hodiya
  • Kinduriyakage Vilapaya
  • Madhu Bandun
  • Tharu
  • Malmada Bisau
  • Cinema Geethavalokana
  • Kirimadu Vel
  • Londonyedi Geyu Gee
  • Yathra, Handahami
  • Sanka Padma
  • Pembara Lanka
  • Kunkuma Pottu
  • Gramaphone Gee
  • Araliya Landata
  • Malata Renu
  • Nilambare
  • Sari Podittak
  • Pirith Pen
  • Katu Gana Kolaya Meda (Yukthiye Ayukthiya

Awards

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Malini has won numerous awards in Sri Lanka including National Awards, popular awards and awards in cinema and television backgrounds singing.

Sarasaviya Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1964 Ranmuthu Duwa Best Female Vocalist Won
1966 Saaravita Best Female Vocalist Won
1969 Aadayawanthayo Best Female Vocalist Won
1968 Sandol Kandulu Best Female Vocalist Won
1980 Monarathenna Best Female Vocalist Won
1981 Siriboo Aiya Best Female Vocalist Won
1982 vajira Best Female Vocalist Won
1983 Yasa Isuru Best Female Vocalist Won
1988 Saharawe Sihinaya Best Female Vocalist Won
1994 Ambu Semiyo Best Female Vocalist Won
2002 Sudu Sevanali Best Female Vocalist Won
2020 The Newspaper Best Female Vocalist Won

Presidential Film Awards

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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1980 Hada Haawan Hade Best Female Vocalist Won
1981 Siribo Aiya Best Female Vocalist Won
1982 Sahara Peranimithi Best Female Vocalist Won
1983 Yasa Isuru Best Female Vocalist Won
1984 Siwraga Sena Best Female Vocalist Won
2020 The Newspaper Best Female Vocalist Won
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Year Nominee / work Award Result
1994 ‘’Popular Most Popular Female Vocalist Won

Other Awards

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  • Dhashan Soori - University of Visual Arts of Sri Lanka

References

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  1. ^ "Sunil Ariyaratne and Nanda Malini: Away from a musical sensibility". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Nanada Malani's 'Shrawana Aradhana' in Canada". sundaytimes.lk.
  3. ^ a b c d "My father is a tailor". Hiru FM. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d "Nanda Malini: a breeze that empowers". infolanka. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. ^ a b "කොටහේනේ කප් ගහපු". Lankadeepa. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  6. ^ "Tribute to Amaradeva over BBC Sandeshaya". dailynews.lk.
  7. ^ a b c d "Social crusader for generations". Sunday Observer. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Best female singer in first Sarasaviya Awads". Sarasaviya. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  9. ^ "Our music fans love good music: Nanda Malini". dailymirror.lk. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
  10. ^ "New enrollments for 2020 at Nanda Malini Ashram". Daily News. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  11. ^ "Nanda's mellifluous voice adorns film songs". Daily News. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Yet another 'first' for her". Daily FT. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  13. ^ "නන්දා මාලිනියට දර්ශනසූරී උපාධිය". www.lankadeepa.lk.
  14. ^ "Nanda Malani receives Darshana Soori Sammana". Sri Lanka Foundation.
  15. ^ Nanda Malini - Sansara Sagare, retrieved 7 February 2022
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