By

Dr Upul Wijayawardhana

I can hardly believe that it is thirty years since the untimely death of Karunaratna Abeysekara, known to our generation as Karuayya, who ‘ruled’ the airwaves for decades before his death. One of the great regrets of my life is that I was not there when Karuayya had the fatal heart attack. I could not even be there for his funeral, which turned out to be a massive farewell to a much loved personality, as I was in Vienna attending the World Congress of Pacing where I displayed a poster. On my way back I went to London to meet my long time friend, Dr Buddhadasa Bodhinayaka, with whom I did regular science programmes in Karuayya’s children’s programme ‘Saraswathie Mandapaya,’ broadcast over radio on Sunday evenings. It was in Bodhi’s place that I heard the sad news and the pain I felt that day continues still.

My memory goes back to 1954, the day Queen Elizabeth visited Sri Lanka as a part of her very first Commonwealth tour. In our house in Godagama, Matara we all were crowded round a small radio powered by a batterypack, fed by a huge aerial tied between two of the tallest coconut trees in the garden, listening to a crackling commentary broadcast over ‘short wave’. It was dull till a golden voice took over the commentary from Turret Road junction; finally we could visualize what was happening. My father, a well known orator himself, commented “what a voice, what a commentary’. On inquiry, I found it was none other than Karunaratna Abeysekara. I started listning to his children’s programmes and later contributed items for broadcast.

When I joined Ananda College, Colombo in 1957, I had the good fortune of meeting Bodhi with whom I attended Karuayya’s ‘Saraswathie Madapaya’ regularly. It is there that I observed the genius of Karunaratna Abeysekara. He could write a poem or a song in a matter of minutes, sometimes while talking to the microphone during a live broadcast. I am yet to witness such talent!

Karuayya helped a generation to express its talents. If not for him I would not have been able to do broadcasts over Radio and Television popularizing Science and Medicine. Every time I faced a microphone I could see the smiling square face of Karuayya in front of me. I know of many broadcasters who started their career in ‘Saraswathie Mandapaya’. Most of the well known singers in that era including Nanda Malini, Indrani Wijebandara, Chandrani Gunawardana, Mallika Kahawita, too started their careers with Karuayya, who gave them unstinted support. ‘Saraswathie Mandapaya’ was the breeding ground for talent. Children’s programmes were at their best during Karuayya’s time.

Without any doubt, Karunaratna Abeysekara was one of the best lyricists, if not the best, Sri Lanka has ever had. His lyrics could be anything from classical to funny or even provoking but he was at his best when it came to romance, probably because of his own love affair with Raniakka. He had to surmount huge opposition to marry her. She, like many millions in the country, had fallen in love with his voice initially, but later developed into a romance much objected to by her elders.

When she was a virtual prisoner in her house Karuayya wrote his classic love song ‘Enna mada nale, gos pawasanna duka mage’ which was sung with great emotion by the late Tilakasiri Fernando. (I must confess that a re-recoording I heard recently completely lacks the emotion and does no do justice to such marvelous lyric). He requests the wind to take his love message to her as it is only the wind that can reach her prison. He tells the wind that he is helpless and his only treasure is her adding that he will be ever grateful if the wind conveys his sadness to her. In another song he wrote in this era he says that foe his love he had shed tears to fill the ocean and asks her mother whether she is giving heartache because she has never loved.

He was a prolific lyricist for Sinhala films and in 1972 celebrated writing lyrics for 100 films. What is less well known is that he wrote the dialogue for many films as well. He was a well known poet and was a prominent member of the Colombo Young Poets club.

He was born in Bambarenda, close to Matara, in 1930 and joined Radio Ceylon as a relief announcer in 1950, sacrificing the opportunity of entering the University which he did to support his brothers and sisters. He was the eldest in a family of ten and I have had the fortune of associating with most of them, specially Daya, who is also a much respected broadcaster. I do not think anyone has read radio news the way Karuayya did.

As a commentator he is not surpassed. We did not have a radio for us to listen to his commentary at the funeral of our first Prime Minister, D S Senanayaka in 1952 but can remember very well how his commentary at the funeral of S W R D Bandaranayaka in 1959 made the whole country, including some opponents to cry. The wave of sympathy created resulted in an easy victory for the SLFP at the next election. When I told him that some supporters of the UNP were very annoyed with him about this, he laughed and quipped that he was only doing his job but confided in me that some of the poems that helped Dudley Senanayaka to win another election was written by him!

It was our misfortune, and a tremendous loss to our country, language and culture that such a multi-talented genius died a few months before his 53rd birthday. Considering what he has left behind though it feels he had lived longer, imagine hoe richer our music and culture would be had he lived a little longer

I remember a part of a poem he wrote at the death of DS:

Lakdiva otunu nopalan Jathiye Piya

Left us to be the king of heaven

Perhaps, Karuayya left us so early to assist him!

May he attain Nibbana!